About BeyondBackyard
BeyondBackyard is the creative partnership of Phil and Jamie — two astrophotographers based in the UK, united by a shared obsession with capturing the cosmos. What started as two separate backyard setups has evolved into a collaborative studio producing deep-sky images, technical builds, and educational content for the astronomy community.
Meet the Team
Phil Aichinger
/AstroPhilth
Co-Founder/ AstroPhotographer
AstroPhilth is a UK-based astrophotographer who began his journey in 2020, emerging from lockdown with a self-taught passion for deep-sky imaging. Drawing from a background in film and project-based storytelling, he approaches astrophotography with a balance of realism and creative expression. Working across multiple imaging systems, designing his own software tools and contributing to large collaborative datasets, AstroPhilth is building towards a future of shared remote observatories with friends.
Jamie Macdougall
/backyardspacedude
Co-Founder/ AstroPhotographer
Jamie started astrophotography in 2015 using basic backyard equipment, steadily refining and upgrading his systems over the years into the advanced imaging capabilities he works with today. Moving his imaging systems to a remote location frees his backyard up to focus on a new passion: visual exploration of the night sky.
Our Mission
We believe the best astrophotography comes from sharing knowledge, not gatekeeping it. BeyondBackyard exists to document our journey, teach what we learn, and make the night sky accessible to anyone with curiosity and a willingness to stay up late.