This month we had the pleasure of interviewing astro-imager and winner of our 2024 Eclipse Contest, Dan Folz. Dan is an avid amateur astronomer, and shared with us his background in astronomy, as well as his experience as a Stellarvue owner. With that, let's dive into Dan’s story.

Dan was about 8 years old when he became interested in the night sky. His older brother purchased a Sears 60mm telescope and he remembered looking at Saturn through it. Dan was hooked. He shared with us that the area he grew up in was a rather light-polluted region of Illinois. Gradually, he learned his way around the night sky while looking at brighter constellations. “My Dad started building a home in the 70’s in a remote part of Northern Wisconsin. The first time I ever experienced a really dark sky was up there. In fact, the sky was so dark and there were SO many stars that I couldn’t find any of the constellations!” 

In February of 1979, Dan and a friend went to Adler Planetarium in Chicago where there were telescopes set up to view the partial solar eclipse. “There was a Total solar eclipse taking place out West. It was fascinating to see everything and of course Adler Planetarium had tons of photographs of deep space objects. That’s when I knew I wanted to try my hand in night sky photography.” In 1992, Dan was able to make his first purchase of a telescope and mount. It was a 70mm Pronto and an AP 400HDA mount with a wooden tripod. His first attempt at photography was the moon using an old OM-1 film camera. “Nothing turned out well, but I had so much fun doing it!”

Dan was always fascinated by the Sun and eclipses and really looked forward to the Annular eclipse of 1994. “The centerline was less than 150 miles from where I lived. It was that eclipse that fueled my passion to dig deeper into astrophotography.” As Dan progressed in his craft, he found great pleasure in reading Sky and Telescope, as well as Astronomy Magazine. The photos and the articles contained within really whetted his appetite every month for a new issue, to see more.

Dan shared with us what it's been like viewing the sky night by night and some of the thoughts and feelings that accompany him while doing so. “Until recently, all nights were spent next to the telescope while photographing. many cold Northern WI Falls and Winter nights were spent just watching the sky and listening. You CAN actually hear mother nature. On one occasion, the night sky was clear as can be, the camera was in bulb mode but all of a sudden, I heard THUNDER! What? No way, not a cloud in the sky. The thunder sound kept up, on and off throughout most of the night. At one point I thought I had fallen asleep outside and was dreaming. The next day I spoke to a neighbor about it, and he just laughed. He explained it was the ice on the lake (over a foot thick) and how it was moving and that it makes that sort of sound all the time! I spent a lot of time thinking about how nice it would be to set up and have some type of permanent structure from which to work; I might still hear the thunder but at least I wouldn't have to worry about bears and other wildlife that I could also hear.” 

When the weather cooperates, Dan enjoys photographing emission and reflection nebulas, as well as larger galaxies and star clusters. “There are so many beautiful objects in the sky. To be able to share the wonders of space with friends and family is very rewarding.”

Dan stated the following in regard to his favorite astro-imagers. “It may sound odd, but when I toured Lowell Observatory years ago, it was truly amazing what Clyde Tombaugh did. The huge photographic plates taken every night in search of “Planet X.” The devotion he had to his craft was artistry. At the time of my visit, you could view where Pluto was on one of these larger negatives/plates using a blink comparator. Even with an arrow pointed to Pluto, it was hard for me to see it! In more current times and for the past quarter century, the one astrophotographer that I admire the most is of course, Mr. Tony Hallas. His work is truly phenomenal!”

Dan has been fortunate enough to have had several scopes over the years. “Refractors have always been my favorite. The FSQ was the first scope that I invested serious money into. There were things about the scope I didn’t like but it helped me learn quite a bit about the hobby.” Dan spent a great deal of time researching refractors. “About three years ago, my interest peaked when I learned more about a company called Stellarvue. The reviews were very positive from many renowned people in the field. When Mr. Maris introduced the SVX line of refractors, I placed an order for the SVX102T. This scope has made all the difference for me. Why? First, it only took a few months to get my scope and what’s not to like about having tube rings and a case included in the price! Second, every time I called Stellarvue with questions, they took the time to answer every one. I was on the phone sometimes for more than 30 minutes, yet they had no hesitation to help answer those questions nor did I ever get the feeling that I was bothering them. Even after the sale, I had questions and once I was out in the field on a Friday evening and had a question about the reducer I was using. I took a chance and called Stellarvue and Vic picked up the phone. He asked me some questions and he was able to tell me what was going on and solve my problem. This saved me a night of missed images! Last but not least, I am extremely happy with the results produced with this refractor… seeing is believing!”

In relation to the time, it has taken to build up his knowledge of imaging the night sky, Dan wanted to express that astrophotography is not for the faint of heart. “It takes many years of trial and error. For me it was always two steps forwards and three steps back. The more I learned, the more I learned all the things I didn't know! Techniques at the telescope and camera are just the beginning. It’s all the processing and back-end theory that takes on an art form and that takes just as much time if not more time spent than acquiring the pictures; I’m still learning!”

Dan also mentioned that in the beginning, it was frustrating not being able to see results from a night’s effort of work. “If you were lucky, there might be a town nearby that could quickly develop film and see how you did. With the dawn of the digital age, everything is so much more convenient! Instant results are now possible, and corrections can be made right on the spot. For me astrophotography is not just a challenge, it’s really FUN! As an engineer by day, I see (and hopefully solve) many problems in the electronics industry, for which I work. I love solving problems and, in this hobby, there are many! I would say astrophotography has challenged me to be a better engineer.”

Things that Dan wished he had learned earlier in regard to astro-imaging go as follows. “If I had to do it all over again, I wish I could have seriously started the hobby earlier. There is so much to learn up front. The areas where I have lived seldom have skies good enough to do visual work let alone photography. It would have been nice to find a place in the southwest years ago where I could stay and set up for a week at a time. But family always took priority. So, over the years, my time in the hobby was always limited.” Dan then proceeded to give his thoughts on what he believes to be the most important thing to learn, early on in the hobby. “The single most important thing to me is focus. If focus is just a tad off, the photo is ruined. It was really difficult to achieve the level of focus I always wanted. I made many mistakes over the years. The learning curve I had makes me really appreciate the tools of the modern era. From the Annular Eclipse in 1994, to the Total Eclipse in April and all the outings in between, astrophotography has awarded me much joy. I love my family and the many friends I have met along this interesting journey of life. To be able to sit amongst the wonders of night and the beauty of daytime skies, I’m still amazed every single time. Always looking up!

About Dan’s Setup: For the past two years, my SVX102T with Stellarvue field flattener and guidescope rides on top of an AP 1100 mount which sits on a Monolith tripod. This setup is ultra-stable and has taken several wonderful photos! My workflow always consists of lights, flats, darks and bias frames. I use Affinity Photo2 to stack and process all of my images. I also use Topaz De-Noise and some of the Russell Croman software. I’ve been using an Ha modified Nikon D750 controlled by Backyard Nikon since using this setup. Thank you, Vic and company, for making outstanding scopes!

Dan's passion for astro-imaging and the night sky as a whole, is tremendously inspiring and was a great time for us to cover. We hope our readers gleaned some useful information and insight from his experience. The hard work it has taken for him to achieve the images witnessed above is a great reminder of what's required to master this craft. We appreciate our readers for always tuning in for these stories and for giving recognition to people like Dan, who share what they do with the community and those around them. Until next time, keep learning and having fun doing the things you love. Clear Skies!