NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

How to take great travel photos, responsibly: Expert photographer Grant Sheehan

Madeleine Crutchley
By Madeleine Crutchley
Multimedia Journalist for Viva and Lifestyle·NZ Herald·
26 Aug, 2023 05:30 AM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Getting a great travel photo means more than just capturing the moments, says NZ photography legend Grant Sheehan.

The allure of capturing the perfect travel moment is made obvious at popular tourist attractions.

It’s clear at the museums that house famous artworks.

Photo / Unsplash
Photo / Unsplash

It’s clear on the scenic mountain tops featuring polite queues.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The social media queue pic.twitter.com/hRj6kBXypS

— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) November 25, 2018

And it’s clear in the echoing photographs users eventually share on social media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Insta Repeat (@insta_repeat)

While social media and influencers are often touted for producing these desires, loyal practitioners and audiences have enjoyed capturing their adventures since cameras became accessible to travellers.

New Zealand photographer Grant Sheehan is amongst those practitioners — he began taking photos professionally over four decades ago.

Though he has explored plenty of different subjects in that time (most recently venturing into an imagining of what an artificial intelligence program might dream of), travel photography has been an influential pillar of his career.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Before his more intrepid explorations, early jobs saw Grant tasked with capturing familiar subject matter for an unfamiliar audience.

“In the first decade or so, with some good luck, I did some work for The New York Times, shooting New Zealand stories for them.”

Then, Grant found himself taken by a particular subject matter. He started to capture New Zealand cafés with distinct character, just as the phenomenon of coffee shops was really taking off during the 1980s in Aotearoa.

“I had so much fun doing that, that I decided to do an international one … So, I went around the world I suppose, in a big circle and found 42 cafes that I thought were interesting.”

The international version of Grant’s curious café photo collections was picked up by a major publisher, leading to greater success through Europe and the US.

This peaking interest transformed the next phase of Grant’s life.

“Suddenly, we had this really hot seller and it did really well, and they asked us to do some more. So, we just did another three over a 10-year period. So, I ended up travelling a huge amount and going to about 90 countries just doing those books.”

Throughout those years travelling and capturing countless locations, Grant has continued to hone his expertise in taking memorable photos – and has confronted some of the complications surrounding the practice.

Through his lessons, travellers may find some poignant advice in chasing a great shot, while still taking in holiday surroundings and engaging in the practice responsibly.

Consider whether a smartphone or camera is best

In Grant’s experience, a smartphone can grant a new kind of mobility for travellers as it doesn’t appear to be as intrusive as a camera (though the ethics surrounding its use are much the same).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, he suggests utilising both tools can help to sharpen the senses for capturing great photos over time.

“With a smartphone, you tend to just snap away ... You’re not actually seeing in the same way that you do with a DSLR. You’re not actually looking as hard and somehow, I find it’s not as gratifying if you do get a good photo. Also, you’re making your senses of seeing things a little blunter I think, in the long term.”

Take time to wander

In his time capturing very specific subject matter through travel, Grant sometimes found that trips on assignment, while exciting, felt a little rushed.

“It was a very odd way of seeing the world, because you were walking into a place and staying in a hotel, and you had to get really good images. ... And then you come away – normally we try to do one or two things around the area or about the city – but you come away having visited seven or eight countries in a month. You’ve only actually been to one tiny fragment of it.”

Grant says dedicating some time to venture off the planned itinerary (and put the camera down) can give space for surprising moments.

Find a sense of focus

On the other hand, Grant explains that feeling a closeness to your camera could create a keen sense of focus.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“I think when you’re travelling, and travelling for work, you’re actually concentrating intentionally on certain areas and you actually get to drill in a lot further than if you’re just going there to relax ... from that you can derive some really interesting aspects and memories.”

Finding a particular subject matter that draws a traveller’s interest could help to create an enthusiasm, and deepen the experience of travel.

Stay flexible

Grant says he often approaches a setting with a specific story in mind. He highlights that a great travel photo includes something to stir interest in the viewer.

“In all of my photographs, I try to have them obtain some sort of hook.”

However, in trying to find that hook, he likes to position himself in the moment and stay aware of what is happening.

“It’s just a matter of being alert and open to [a moment].”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Seek out some context

Grant also says a good travel photo, though dependent on subject matter, can be enhanced by placing it in a larger collection of images.

“I like to have a range of things. I like to have some detail, some more intimate content, but I like to get some general content, so when people are looking at a group of photographs, they can see them in the context that they occurred.”

Consider ethical implications and the story you’re telling

Grant says it’s important to recognise that the photos we take are always produced through a particular frame, which can impact the ways we see and remember the places we travel (as well as affect people who live in those places).

“Of course, [photos] ground you back to what was there and what you actually saw and so forth. But, having said that, there is the fact that when you are photographing, or travel writing, you are dealing with a specific area of reality. And certainly with a still camera, you are freezing the moment, which is always distorted ... in a way that’s quite unreal. So, you can present it and give a very false impression of what was actually happening.”

He says he’s found it important to consider the wider context when preparing to take a photo in an unfamiliar place.

When it comes to photographing people, Grant also employs a cautionary approach.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“[If] I would’ve felt that I had distorted that person, I just let those ones go.”

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast


Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday
Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

From blue milk to blue tongues, Disney treats never fail to surprise.

16 Jul 03:29 AM
Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake
Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

16 Jul 12:53 AM
My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast
Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast

15 Jul 06:00 AM


Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

25 May 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP