There are many services (some free some not) available on the internet that allow you to display your images to the world. The features and functionality vary from site to site, but one thing that is common amongst most of them in the inability for you to get a unique look, integrate seamlessly with your existing website or apply advanced features.

Depending on your target audience and feature requirements, one of these services may be just what you are looking for. It wasn’t what I needed or wanted.

As a keen photographer I found that none of the image hosting services that I tried could give me the flexibility and features I was looking for. The main features I required included:

• Multiple sized image versions.
• Non-Destructive watermarking.
• Integration with my existing Drupal powered website (including user accounts).
• Granular image permissions.
• Hidden, password protected albums (to provide clients to view their images).
• It had to be themeable to enable visual integration with my site.
• A shopping cart.
• It had to be inexpensive.

After investigating, installing and trying numerous products in the end there was really only one choice - Gallery 2. Gallery, gave me all the features I needed and a whole lot more and at a price I could afford - Nothing.

Unlike, a lot of other Open Source applications that set out with good intentions, but end up failing due to a lack of commitment from the developer, (or development team) Gallery has a very strong delopment team backed by a vast community of active users.

Gallery2 can be effectively used as a Stand Alone web application or integrated into a growing number of Open Source Content Management Systems including the popular, Drupal, Wordpress and Joomla.

• Visit: Gallery 2