How to Create a Free Photo Gallery for a Website

Adding a free photo gallery can be done using a few options.

Creating a free photo gallery for any website can be accomplished by using a variety of methods found on the Internet. The appropriate method to choose will depend on the type of site you are working with and the look and feel of your image displays. Many free galleries can be found online, and their programming will determine the difficulty in using them and the techniques used to display the images. Be sure you choose the gallery that fits your website's format, has a difficulty level you are comfortable with and displays the images in an attractive manner.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

For a Blog

1. Find a gallery "plug-in" designed to work with your blogging platform to display images in your blog posts in a gallery format. Most common blogging platforms offer a series of plug-in components designed to work with the main blog content management system your site is built upon. These galleries are usually free and are designed by users and posted for downloads on sites associated with your blogging platform.

2. Install the gallery plug-in according to the instructions provided by your blogging platform. Two options are used to install a plug-in and both are fairly simple. If you have a custom-installed blog, one that a designer installed, customized and upgraded, you will need to upload the plug-in folder to your server where the site is located and place it in the appropriate location according to your instructions. The second option depends on the blogging platform, and will allow you to upload the plug-in from the administration panel of your site.

3. Upload your images in a new post to your site, using your administration panel and the "New Post" option. Choose the images to upload and follow the dialogue boxes that indicate the placement of your images. Choose a gallery setting for your blog entry and your images will be placed in the gallery plug-in you installed in the previous step.

For a Traditional HTML or Static Website

1. Choose a free Flash photo gallery template online and download the gallery that fits your needs. Websites such as Flashmo.com and flashgallery.org offer free flash photo gallery templates. Be sure your gallery does not use distracting image transitions or complicated interfaces that are difficult to follow. Research the user reviews of your gallery prior to uploading the template.

2. Follow the instructions with the template for adding your images to the gallery. Be sure you have the necessary access to the HTML code and authoring programs needed to build your gallery. Many services are designed to walk you through the process of creating your gallery without the need of complicated software and programming.

3. Upload your images to your server or your template according to your template's instructions. Most Flash galleries will load your images into the gallery from a remote location on your server where your website is located. The gallery communicates with your server using specialized Flash files, which were already programmed into your gallery prior to downloading, to retrieve the images and place them in your gallery when a user selects an image. This allows for the gallery to load quickly and play images in a timely and efficient manner.

4. Install the gallery onto your site according to the gallery's instructions. This may require the help of a programmer. Most Flash galleries will create a SWF file that will function as a normal JPEG or digital image file when placed on your website. A majority of the template galleries will have very specific instructions for making your gallery live and should require only a few simple steps.

References

• Web Developer Website

Resources

• Flashmo
• FlashGallery