Trevor Jones | The Astrophotographer

Trevor Jones is a Canadian astrophotographer based in Niagara, Ontario, who has been photographing the night sky since 2010. He specializes in deep-sky astrophotography, capturing detailed images of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters using amateur telescopes and cameras.

As the founder and creator of AstroBackyard, Trevor has spent more than a decade documenting his astrophotography experiences and sharing what he learns with others. His photography, educational content, and approachable teaching style have helped make the hobby more accessible to people around the world.

Much of Trevor’s astrophotography takes place from his light-polluted suburban backyard, where he continues to explore new imaging techniques, equipment, and celestial targets. He also travels to dark-sky locations to photograph the night sky and connect with fellow astrophotographers.

Astrophotography and Published Work

Trevor’s astrophotography has been featured in astronomy publications, books, and online galleries. His photographs have appeared in SkyNews Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, Photographing the Night Sky by Alyn Wallace, and The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer.

One of his most memorable achievements came on June 18, 2020, when his photograph of the Tadpoles of IC 410 was selected as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). The image was captured from his suburban backyard using narrowband filters to reveal the faint structures within the emission nebula.

NASA APOD June 18, 2020 | Trevor Jones, Tadpolls IC410

Trevor also contributed the opening message for the forthcoming 2027 edition of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Observer’s Handbook, an annual reference publication used by amateur astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts across North America.

Trevor continues to develop new astrophotography projects, capturing everything from bright, familiar deep-sky objects to faint and challenging targets that require many hours of exposure time.

Speaking Engagements and Astronomy Education

Trevor is an experienced public speaker who has presented at astronomy conferences, star parties, educational workshops, and astronomy clubs across North America and internationally.

 

Trevor Speaking at Star Stuff III

His presentations cover practical astrophotography, including equipment selection, image capture, processing techniques, and the challenges of photographing deep-sky objects. He has also shared his experiences as a full-time astrophotographer and content creator.

A selection of his speaking engagements includes:

• Star Stuff III, Byron Bay, Australia (2024): Served as a keynote speaker, delivering Deep-Sky Astrophotography Is for Everyone, exploring how beginners can capture galaxies and nebulae using amateur equipment.
• Northeast Astro-Imaging Conference (NEAIC), New York (2024): Delivered a four-part presentation series focused on astrophotography.
• Starfest, Ontario (2024): Presented An Introduction to Deep-Sky Astrophotography, covering beginner equipment, image capture, and processing techniques.
• Sky Experience, New Brunswick (2024): Presented at an event held in conjunction with the April 8 total solar eclipse.
• Advanced Imaging Conference, California (2022): Presented The Evolution of a Backyard Astronomer, sharing his journey from amateur astrophotographer to full-time content creator, including the development of AstroBackyard and the role of YouTube in sharing his experiences with the astronomy community.
• Okie-Tex Star Party, Oklahoma (2022): Delivered a half-day workshop on wide-field astrophotography and a presentation on the ZWO ASIAIR.
• Cherry Springs and Black Forest Star Parties, Pennsylvania (2019): Delivered beginner-focused deep-sky astrophotography presentations at popular star parties held at Cherry Springs State Park. 
• Canadian Astro Photography School, Hamilton (2019): Served as an instructor for the two-day astrophotography program organized by the RASC Hamilton Centre, helping participants learn image capture and processing techniques.

Trevor presenting at Okie-Tex Star Party

Trevor has also delivered presentations to Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) centres and other astronomy organizations throughout Canada and the United States. These include the RASC Toronto Centre, RASC Niagara Centre, and the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers.

Beyond his speaking engagements, Trevor has shared his astrophotography experience through more than 350 YouTube videos since launching AstroBackyard in 2015.

 

The channel’s growth was recognized with YouTube’s Silver Creator Award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers. Together with hundreds of written tutorials, articles, and resources on AstroBackyard.com, this educational content helps amateur astrophotographers develop their skills, troubleshoot challenges, and improve their results.

Astrophotography Competition Judging

In addition to producing his own photography, Trevor contributes to the astrophotography community as a competition judge, helping recognize the technical skill, creativity, and dedication of amateur astrophotographers.

His judging experience includes:

• Sky-Watcher Australia’s Astrophotographer of the Year (multiple years, including 2021 and 2023–2026): Served on the judging panel, evaluating astrophotography submissions from Australia and New Zealand, including deep-sky images.
• DarkSky International’s Capture the Dark Photography Contest (2021): Selected as an international judge for the competition, which celebrates night sky photography and raises awareness about light pollution and dark sky conservation.
• ZWO ASIWEEK Astrophotography Competition (2019–2021): Participated as a judge for the weekly astrophotography competition, reviewing images captured by amateur astrophotographers using ZWO ASI cameras.

Media Appearances and Astronomy Outreach

Trevor has shared his knowledge of astronomy and astrophotography through television interviews, podcasts, and online publications.

Ahead of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse, he appeared on CBC morning television to discuss photographing the event and offer practical advice to viewers. 

Trevor on CBC Morning Live with Heather Hiscox

Trevor has also appeared on astronomy podcasts and webcasts, including the Space Junk Podcast and several appearances on Sky-Watcher’s What’s Up Webcast and was interviewed by Supercluster about his experiences as an amateur astrophotographer.

Through these appearances and his educational work, Trevor continues to share his enthusiasm for photographing the night sky with audiences beyond the astrophotography community.

How Trevor Got Started in Astrophotography

Unlike many astronomy enthusiasts, Trevor didn’t discover his interest in the night sky until adulthood. At age 25, he purchased his first telescope, an Orion 4.5-inch Dobsonian reflector, and began exploring the Moon, planets, and brighter deep-sky objects from his backyard.

His interest in photography soon led him to experiment with a basic Canon Rebel DSLR camera and eventually a motorized telescope mount capable of tracking the night sky for long exposures.

The learning process wasn’t always easy. Trevor spent countless nights troubleshooting equipment, researching techniques, and learning from other amateur astronomers.

Joining the RASC Niagara Centre introduced Trevor to experienced astrophotographers who helped him develop his skills. As a longtime RASC member, he has contributed to the organization as a newsletter editor, webmaster, and board member, while continuing to share his knowledge with the broader amateur astronomy community.

His appreciation for dark skies has also led him to support light pollution awareness and conservation efforts as a DarkSky International advocate.

In 2015, Trevor launched the AstroBackyard YouTube channel to document his experiences and share what he was learning. What began as a personal interest eventually became his full-time career.

Despite the many changes in cameras, telescopes, and imaging technology over the years, Trevor continues to approach astrophotography with the same curiosity and enthusiasm that first drew him to the hobby.

Trevor still remembers the first time he saw Jupiter’s cloud belts and the Pleiades star cluster through his telescope. Those early experiences sparked his fascination with astronomy and gave him a greater appreciation for the natural world, something that continues to grow with every night spent photographing the Milky Way and exploring the night sky.

Explore Trevor’s Astrophotography

You can explore Trevor’s astrophotography gallery to see his images of galaxies, nebulae, and other celestial objects, along with information about the equipment and techniques used to capture them.

Image processing is an important part of Trevor’s photography, allowing him to bring out the faint details, colours, and structures captured in his image data. To help others learn these techniques, he developed the AstroBackyard Image Processing Guide, a step-by-step resource designed to help beginners process their own astrophotography images using Adobe Photoshop.

For his latest imaging projects, tutorials, and experiences under the night sky, visit the AstroBackyard YouTube channel.