As a photographer looking to make a strong impression with your portfolio, having your website to display your work is crucial. A WordPress image gallery can significantly enhance your photography business by drawing in new visitors and helping you establish a dedicated audience for your brand. Fortunately, creating a stunning image gallery in WordPress is not that challenging. You can use a couple of methods to create a WordPress image gallery. You can create it with the Gutenberg block editor in the backend, which offers a built-in image gallery block, enabling you to construct WordPress image galleries directly from the editor.
Alternatively, you have the option to use the best WordPress gallery plugin. A plugin provides more flexibility in terms of gallery customization. It is beneficial to add different elements to enhance your website’s overall look and feel. Let’s explore both approaches to creating a WordPress image gallery on your website.
Method 1: Create a WordPress Image Gallery Using Gutenberg Editor
Step 1: Start a New Post
To start this process, create a new post by going to the WordPress dashboard. Click on “Posts” and click “Add New” right after.
Step 2: Add the Gallery Block
Click the “Add Block” icon in the post editor and select the “Gallery” block.
Step 3: Upload Images
You can now upload images for your gallery. Choose between “Upload” or “Media Library,” depending on where your images are stored. Select the images you want to include and click “Create New Gallery.”
Step 4: Edit and Insert
In the “Edit Gallery” view, you can easily include captions descriptions, and arrange your images just how you want. When finished, click the “Insert Gallery” button to add your gallery to the post.
Step 5: Customize Your Gallery
You can customize the gallery by adjusting the layout, size, and image cropping settings. Preview your gallery to ensure it looks how you want, then publish your post.
This method also works for adding galleries to WordPress pages. You can easily change the gallery’s display options to match your preferences.
Note: If you’re using the Classic Editor, the process is similar but involves using the “Add Media” button instead of a gallery block.
Method 2: Adding WordPress Image Galleries Using a Plugin
Numerous plugins are available to help you create stunning WordPress image galleries, and we’ll use the popular FooGallery’s WordPress gallery plugin for this example.
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
Start by installing and activating the FooGallery plugin from your WordPress admin dashboard. After installing the plugin, you can activate it by going to the admin panel and clicking the “Add New Plugin” option.
Step 2: Configure Plugin Settings
After activation, click “Photo Gallery” in the left menu to access the WordPress masonry gallery plugin’s settings. Explore the six different configuration areas:
Appearance: Go to the “Appearance” tab to make your gallery unique. Here, you can tweak themes, loading icons, and more to match your gallery’s style.
Hover Effects: In the “Hover Effects” section, you can pick the effect you want when someone moves their mouse over the gallery images. You have options like scaling, caption animation, and color effects.
Captions: You need to choose what you want to show as the title and description for each image. Normally, the plugin uses the “Attachment Caption” and “Attachment Description” you’ve given in the Media Library, but you can change this to suit your preferences.
Lightbox Defaults: Customize and display your lightbox effects as desired.
Advanced: The plugin offers advanced configuration options, like lazy loading, to enhance gallery performance.
Watermark: This WordPress image gallery plugin allows you to create watermarks to safeguard your content. You can do this within the “Watermark” section.
Adjust these settings to match your preferences for the WordPress image gallery you want to create.
Step 3: Create and Add an Image Gallery
Once you’ve configured the plugin to your liking, it’s time to add your first image to Masonry Gallery WordPress. Follow these steps:
- Click on “Add Galleries / Images.”
- Select “Add New.”
- Type in a title for your gallery, choose a preview image and then add the pictures you want to have in the gallery.
Step 4: Publish Your Gallery
Once you’ve added your images and set up the gallery settings, click the “Publish” button to make your gallery live.
Step 5: Display Your Gallery
Choose the method you prefer to add the gallery to your post or page:
- Copy and paste the shortcode into the post editor.
- Use the FooGallery Gutenberg block to select the gallery.
Customize the display according to your preferences, and if needed, apply custom CSS rules further to enhance the appearance of your WordPress image gallery.
Conclusion:
Creating a stunning masonry gallery WordPress plugin is well within your reach, whether you prefer the built-in Gutenberg editor or a powerful plugin like FooGallery.
With these simple steps, you can showcase your visual content, engage your audience, and enhance the aesthetics of your website. So, why wait? Start creating your impressive WordPress image gallery today and make your website stand out with captivating visuals.