Pro Talk: Michael Meighan – Recreating a Classic
Q Looking at your Instagram page it appears as though you’ve travelled the world quite extensively in search of Astro pictures?
I’ve been very fortunate to travel to different parts of the world to tick off some bucket-list shots in some truly incredible locations. In May last year a friend and I went on a US road trip across four states – California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah – and this was easily the greatest trip of my life so far. The landscapes were breathtaking, and the night skies on another level.
I’ve also travelled to Tenerife twice in recent years, which is an amazing place for astrophotography thanks to its dark skies and elevation. If I had to single out one location from all my travels, though, it would be White Pocket in Arizona. It’s one of the most secluded places I’ve ever visited, around a three-hour drive from the nearest main city or town. Located within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, its unique rock formations and vibrant colours make it a dream location for Astro photographers.
Looking ahead to later this year, I have plans to visit Iceland in March, hoping to capture some incredible aurora, and Namibia in June, which is known for having some of the darkest skies on the planet – perfect for night-sky photography.
Q It’s interesting to see that you’ve photographed quite a few auroras in the UK over the years, including one over Stonehenge, so is this something that’s becoming more common these days?
Aurora sightings in the UK have really picked up over the past few years, and I’m not complaining! I’m no astronomer, but I think it might be linked to solar maximum. The Sun goes through an approximately 11-year solar cycle, marked by sunspots, and astronomers predicted the peak was around 2024–2025. I was lucky enough to witness the May 2024 and October 2024 storms, which were so strong they reached overhead here in the UK. I’m definitely hoping for more spectacular displays in the future!
Q Do you have aspirations to turn professional at some point in the future?
Who doesn’t dream of turning their passion into a profession? I certainly do. That said, I’m realistic. Photography, especially astrophotography, is an incredibly competitive field, and breaking in isn’t easy. Luck often plays a bigger role than we admit, and I think any aspiring professional needs a bit of this to get their break. Sometimes, however, it only takes one post, one hashtag, or one person noticing and sharing your work to open the door to a real opportunity. Will that be me one day? Watch this space..
More information:
Instagram.com @mr_meighan
