We recently connected with Justin Anderson and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Growing up I remember looking up at the stars and sometimes getting lucky to see the Aurora Borealis. Living in Manitoba, Canada I am very lucky to see Aurora every other night it seems. On the night of August 4, 2019 I found myself out with a camera and photographing the Northern Lights with a friend. As we photographed the skies they began to blow up in colors and lights around 3am. This was the best show I had ever witnessed, not far from home believe it or not. This was the start of High Hopes Aurora and my photography journey. On this night I vowed never to miss another big show (they happen a handful of times a year).

I have spent the following years learning how to predict the Aurora for myself, and also for others in my home province. During this time I created the Aurora community for Manitoba (on Facebook) called Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy. While working on learning what causes the Aurora, I have spent thousands of hours learning how to photograph them when they do come out. Some of that time being spent in Churchill, Manitoba – The Polar Bear Capital of the World. I have been guiding in Churchill to show our tour guests the beautiful Aurora Borealis!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a full time photographer of the night sky, specializing in capturing the Aurora Borealis. I spend almost every clear night out under the stars when the Aurora is dancing. Capturing the beautiful phenomena and sharing the photos/videos online for people who cannot see it for themselves. Often times I am battling -50°C (-58°F) weather, extreme winds, wildlife that has included Polar Bears, Wolves and Moose just to capture the night sky.

In 2020 I created the Aurora community within Manitoba (on Facebook) called Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy with over 40,000 members. I am considered the “Aurora Guy for Manitoba” on Facebook. Giving our members a heads up when the Aurora may be out, and the tools necessary to photograph it for themselves. This platform has allowed me to share my passion with thousands of other like minded individuals across my home province.

I have been an Aurorasaurus Ambassador since 2020 as well. Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project funded by NASA. We are here to bridge the gap between scientists and the citizens photographing the night skies. We call ourselves Citizen Scientists.

My online presence falls under the business I created, High Hopes Aurora. The name comes from a term I am known for in the Manitoba Aurora community, ‘Keep your hopes high, but expectations low.’ High Hopes Aurora is dedicated to showcasing the night sky with people who cannot view it for themselves. As of 2022 we have been offering tours of Churchill, Manitoba. Churchill is one of the best locations to view the Aurora in North America! It is a remote town in Northern Manitoba, on the edge of Hudson Bay. Our tours have been quite successful, with one tour in March 2022 and a full month spent there in September 2022. We have tours available in February & March 2023. Details can be found on our website.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are two resources everyone should know about when starting out photographing the Northern Lights. I wish I knew about these resources when I first began.

1) Facebook Communities – Facebook Groups have become quite popular over the last couple years. Almost every region that gets Aurora has a facebook group dedicated to their area. These groups are filled with people that will post when the Aurora is out. This gives you a heads up without having to learn how to read the Aurora data for yourself.

2) Aurorasaurus – Aurorasaurus has a fantastic website that allows you to report if you are seeing the Aurora. This can also give you a heads up that someone in your area is seeing Aurora. The Aurorasaurus account is tagged quite often on Twitter for alerts.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

From day one my goal has been to give people the opportunity to see the Aurora. If you wanted to book a trip to see the Aurora right now it would cost you upwards of $5000/person. I have always wanted to give people a free resource (Manitoba Aurora and Astronomy) to see the Aurora. For people that cannot see it in person, I want to capture it to the best of my abilities. Giving our followers a chance to see the next best thing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://highhopesaurora.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorajanderson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Highhopesaurora
• Linkedin: –
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AuroraJAnderson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmupiOXZDQXJJ-BqThPtIog

Image Credits
Images are owned by High Hopes Aurora.