The last interview in our series "How did you get into astrophotography?" with Marcel Drechsler.

Hello fellow stargazers!

Today, the final interview in our series is with Marcel Drechsler.

Hello Marcel, how did you get into astrophotography?

I got into astrophotography in the early 1990s. I can't remember the exact year, but it all started when, on a whim and with absolutely no technical skills, I rigged up an analog camera for my tiny Newtonian telescope. My goal back then: the moon – the image quality was abysmal – but I was still thrilled that I could finally see what I had previously only been able to see through the eyepiece in a photograph and proudly show it to my family.

After that, things were quiet for a few years, because I spent a lot of time intensively studying astrophotography, but with the equipment I had at the time, the kind of photos I envisioned were still a long way off. So, in the meantime, I took photos of the Milky Way with my first digital SLR camera. At first, just on a simple tripod, later with a handheld tracking mount.


After that, things were quiet for a few years, because I spent a lot of time studying astrophotography, but with the equipment I had back then, the kind of photos I envisioned were still a distant dream. So the years passed, and through practice, I gained a good understanding of how to achieve astrophotography with limited resources.

Gradually, new techniques were added, such as image stacking and proper image processing with Photoshop.

In 2014, the time had finally come: my first telescope, a Celestron C8 designed for astrophotography, suddenly stood in my living room. Together with a GoTo mount and equipped with a standard Canon DSLR camera, I could finally get started, and nothing stood in the way of exploring deep-sky objects.

But as is often the case with many astrophotographers, I was rarely satisfied at the beginning and kept looking around at what my colleagues were doing, and what I saw there spurred me on. I needed a second telescope, even bigger, even heavier, with an even longer focal length.

What happens to many beginners happened to me—I was completely overwhelmed by the enormous telescope. I spent thousands of euros, had several DSLR cameras modified, and so on... the frustration at the lack of success was disheartening.

So I contacted my trusted dealer at the time, which is ALWAYS a good idea, and explained what I was planning and what equipment would be right for me.

He put together a setup perfectly tailored to my needs, which (believe it or not) I'm still using today.

The new setup was a real eye-opener and instantly opened the door to the universe in a way I never thought possible. Several years of trial and error and learning by doing followed, which steadily improved my techniques and photos. My image editing skills also progressed steadily, thanks in part to my professional experience as a graphic designer.

Finally, in January 2016, I made the final investment – ​​my own observatory! From that year on, a burning passion ignited that continues to this day.

Then, in 2018, I met my friend and colleague Xavier Strottner from France, and we began searching together for previously unknown cosmic objects. This hobby was finally complete for me, as I could combine three of my passions: photography, astronomy, and a love of image editing. Together with Xavier, we have already made over 300 scientifically relevant discoveries, many of which could also be photographed.

Meanwhile, an international network of scientists, observatories, and astrophotographers has formed, enabling Xavier and me to make many exciting discoveries and capture numerous photographs. We were able to realize our vision, and now an object from the Strottner-Drechsler catalog can be found in virtually every region of the sky.

It always fills me with awe when a photograph is completed that reveals a previously unknown object.

Therefore, dear astrophotographers, don't always point your telescopes at the large, bright nebulae, but venture far beyond the famous, showpiece objects – space is vast, and there is still so much to discover!

With that in mind,

Clear skies to you all!

Marcel