Web Photo Gallery Wish List

Question

My website uses the coppermine photo gallery package It requires me to optimize my images for the web using a photo-editing program (Photoshop) and upload them to my server. Then there is a web interface I use post the photos to my gallery.
This works fine, but with the latest improvements to iPhoto, I find it much more enjoyable to edit and organize my photos with iPhoto than with Photoshop. I've also enjoyed using iWeb to create photo pages, even though iWeb is the kind of program that could put Web Developers like me out of business ;-D
If the templates were more customizable, I could use iWeb instead of my coppermine photo gallery. I recently returned from my honeymoon and tried to make a photo page in iWeb using photos I'd edited in iPhoto. But I want to publish my travel journal text too, and there is just not enough room below each photo for text.
Then I tried the blog format instead. If only I could tell iWeb how large to make my photos and what color to make my text before the entries are created. It's very tedious to go through each of 93 posts and change these things as I add text. Can anyone really read light gray text on a white background?
Worse, I can't change the order of the entries. I don't want the last picture (most recent) to appear first. I want to make the entries go first to last, like a travel log.
Because of these things, I must continue using coppermine. I can't even use the photos I edited with iPhoto (without using Photoshop) because there is no way to optimize them for the web.
The iLife suite is very, very, good, and make using my Mac a very enjoyable experience. I hope that Apple will eventually make the adjustments I've listed. In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Thanks, Patty

Answer 1

My website uses the coppermine photo gallery package
It requires me to optimize my images for the web
using a photo-editing program (Photoshop) and upload
them to my server. Then there is a web interface I
use post the photos to my gallery.
Coppermine is a very popular package, but there is the setup and learning curve to use it which is beyond what I want to do.
iWeb is the kind of program that could
put Web Developers like me out of business ;-D
C'mon, pattyb! Give yourself some credit!
If the templates were more customizable, I could use
iWeb instead of my coppermine photo gallery. I
recently returned from my honeymoon and tried to make
a photo page in iWeb using photos I'd edited in
iPhoto. But I want to publish my travel journal text
too, and there is just not enough room below each
photo for text.
Most text blocks are expandable, though in the photo template that may be different. There's always the blank page "template" and you can do whatever you want in that one.
Then I tried the blog format instead. If only I could
tell iWeb how large to make my photos and what color
to make my text before the entries are created.
It's very tedious to go through each of 93 posts and
change these things as I add text. Can anyone really
read light gray text on a white background?
Adjusting these parameters are fairly trivial with the Inspector at hand. Though I imagine with 93 posts...well, most people probably aren't doing 93 of them in one sitting.
Worse, I can't change the order of the entries. I
don't want the last picture (most recent) to appear
first. I want to make the entries go first to last,
like a travel log.
Easy to do by fiddling with the date parameter...double click on the date to be presented with a calendar to choose from. You'll have to make up the dates and hide them from view since you are manipulating them just to get the blog order reversed. Earliest entry to latest entry is the convention of the blog format, though. You can suggest a sort order feature to Apple.
Because of these things, I must continue using
coppermine. I can't even use the photos I edited with
iPhoto (without using Photoshop) because there is no
way to optimize them for the web.
The only function available in iPhoto is to scale photos down to a maximum width or height on export. I usually export the photos that I want to use from iPhoto in their full res and then use another app called "Downsize" which not only scales but also can vary the jpg compression...makes for pretty tiny jpgs.