Researching Photo Gallery CMS’s [Update]
Currently, Noscope is using the very nice CMS, Photostack, for the Photography section. No more. Now using zenphoto.
Photostack allows me to upload a folder full of JPEGs, update a single text file, and voila: an online photo album.
This is how it’s supposed to be. Upload pictures, push the button, and all pages, thumbnails, links and everything are created for you by the little goblin inside the computer. Unfortunately, I’ve grown out of Photostack, and now I need more features. I need a new photo album CMS.
This is where it gets difficult. There are literally hundreds of solutions for people like me. Some have waay too many features. Some (like Photostack), are simple and neat, but miss just the right extra features. That’s where you, Esteemed Reader, comes in to the picture. If my referrer software analyzes you correctly, you are most likely web-savvy and interested in photography. It’s quite likely you know something I don’t.
Note: Michael already wrote an excellent article about this. Unfortunately it didn’t result in a solution, thus this repeat.
Needed Features
These are the features I’m looking for.- Upload JPEGs + push a button = Online album
- Automatically generated RSS
- Allows descriptions on each photo
- Allows user comments on each photo
- Really simple templating system
- PHP & text files or PHP & SQL
- As little clutter as possible
- Not Flickr
- Cruft free URLs
As you can see, if it wasn’t for the fact that Photostack doesn’t allow comments on individual photos, I’d be a happy camper.
Solutions
Here are some solutions that I’ve been looking at:- Chris J. Davis’ Visuals
Pros: Great Wordpress integration.
Cons: Relies on JavaScript, has navigation issues, is limited.
- PixelPost
Pros: All the necessary features.
Cons: Too many features, seems hard to template, navigation issues, cruft in URLs.
- Gallery
Pros: All the necessary features.
Cons: Total feature overkill, lot of work to template, cruft in URLs.
- Pictorialis
Pros: All the necessary features. Wordpress “compatible” (it’s a fork).
Cons: Two Wordpress’ish installations? Seems to be a lot of work.
- Coppermine
Pros: They tell me it has all the right features.
Cons: They tell me it’s bloated like there’s no tomorrow.
- LinPHA
Pros: Has all the features.
Cons: Look at it! You want me to template that!?
- 4Images
Pros: Has all the features.
Cons: Takes a lot of work.
- Folderblog
Pros: Most of the necessary features: Thumbnails, comments, good description system.
Cons: Truly unbearable category system, no RSS, no automatic thumbnails, limited templating, cruft in URLs.
- Zen Photo
Tristan might just make the ultimate system from the bottom up. It might just rock.Update: Tristan did make the ultimate system.
Pros: All of the good features.
Cons: I’m told it’s not flawless on Windows-powered servers.
- Minigal (Demo)
From what I can see, Minigal actually seems like a viable solution! It seems easily templateable, it has the most needed features, and it’s GPL. Except for the cruft in the URLs, this might actually be it.
Pros: Does most of what I need.
Cons: Comment author doesn’t seem to be cookied, no RSS, cruft in URLs, unbearable album categorization system, photos must be placed in root.
- TinyWebGallery (Demo)
Like Minigal, this also seems like a viable solution. It does seem as though there’s a bit more work involved, on the other hand, the commenting and URL features seem better.
Pros: Does most of what I need.
Cons: No RSS, cruft in URLs, requires PHP Safe Mode off.
- Plogger
Pros: Great admin, easy install, coments, works in PHP Safe Mode, FTP Upload, automatic thumbnails, cruft-free URLs and RSS in the future
Cons: Flat storage of photo files (everything in one folder).
Suggestions are welcome.
Results
- Update:
I’ve installed Minigal. Removed Minigal. The fact that I can’t categorize pictures into folders killed it for me. - Update: Tried TinyWebGallery. It won’t work either. It requires PHP Safe Mode to be off, which it’s not.
- Update: Tried Pictorialis. It’s good, but it’s got too many remnants of Wordpress. It’s simply not mature yet. Plus, it didn’t like that my server runs PHP Safe Mode.
- Update: Tried Pixelpost. It’s good,
but it doesn’t allow for me to upload bulk pictures using FTP. FTP Uploads are available using an addon included in the Pixelpost package. (Thanks Ramin) - Update: Tried Plogger. Currently the clear winner of the bunch. Unfortunately it uses a flat structure for storing files. On the upside, there’s an active development on this one. Keep your eyes on it!
- Update: Zenphoto is the way to go.
If you intend to make your photo gallery fit within the visual style of your website,…STAY AWAY FROM COPPERMINE.
>thinsoldier : I don’t agree with you. Have a look to a website I’ve done : http://www.mathis-lambert.net
I agree its not really easy, but you can do it
> Joen : I’m doing the same search as you (the Holly Graal ?). The little difference is that I’m looking for a CMS tha integrates Photo Gallery AND blog pages … Didn’t find any at this time :(
To the subscribers of this thread:
I have described in better detail what I want to see in a Photo Gallery CMS. Additionally, I have summed up the current best solutions.
http://www.noscope.com/journal/2005/05/ultimate-photo-cms
I agree with Ryan and Joen. If Plogger can use a directory-structure for storing images, then it would be the silver bullet of galleries when combined with cruft-free urls and rss.
I dont see how pixelpost is brought into it. It’s not intended to be a gallery, its a photoblog.
Blinks,
I brought in Pixelpost because it is such a good piece of photoblogging software, that it was worth considering for this.
This not only shows that Pixelpost is good, but also that the landscape of photo galleries has been bleak.
All my recommendations to Pixelpost on part of photobloggers.
Just wanted to plug some software I wrote, called ochiba (http://ochiba.x-maru.org/). I think it covers most of the features you requested, although it is a little different in approach than standard photo gallery software (more discussion oriented, in the default layout).
Most design is in CSS and it uses a PEAR templating system for most of the HTML, so I like to think it’s fairly easily hacked…
Singapore @ singapore.sf.net is quite a nice and clean photo album software which I have been using on our website for quite some time now. Very easy to give multiple templates for the same set of images. I have two, 1 for normal browsers and 2 for cell phones/mobile devices (http://hindi.bizland.com/newdcc/gallery/).
hey.
i have just made myself a photo gallery site. its using php mysql for backend……
probably not what all u guys are looking for but id be interested to see what u thought!!
i use jupload java applet to make multiple uploads of images which are resized in GD.
its at http://www.craiglongmuir.com
Id reccomend Gallery 2. its the best photoblog/CMS ive run into. the community is HUGE and it plugs into just about anything and has features that nobody else has. check it out at Gallery.Menalto.com or gallery.sourceforge.net
I was also looking for an understandable gallerysystem. One which is not that difficult to manipulate. After looking into it there where only 2 contesters indeed mg2 (minigal) and zenpoto. What did it for me was the abbility to edit/delite comments in Zenphoto. Havent installed and up and running it but that is matter of time.
Thanks…. this was a very helpful read.
Tried Pixelpost, but even though I’m quite an expert with tweaking templates in Wordpress, I just couldnt manage to edit the templates without destroying the templates and URLs within it.. Uninstalled now.
Zenphoto is in active development again — http://www.zenphoto.org
All the features requested above are now implemented, and it’s becoming a very mature product.
Shameless plug, but I believe it’s a good solution if anyone’s looking.