So many of the tutorials have been focusing on javascript and jQuery but you can definitely create a Hype front end to a PHP backend set of data.
I would definitely explore some of the PHP libraries and then practice with those to get your backend up and running quickly so you can focus on the hooks necessary to display with your Hype elements.
For example:
intervention Image is an open source PHP image handling and manipulation library. It provides an easier and expressive way to create, edit, and compose images and supports currently the two most common image processing libraries GD Library and Imagick. http://image.intervention.io/getting_started/introduction
And this is a nice compilation of 25 favorites by CodeGeekz