Jordy Meow

<p>Photographers simply want to have a nice portfolio with WordPress, with a beautiful theme, possibly linked to Lightroom, without spending too much time on the technical details. This is why Photography Core was made. It is possible to switch between any theme using the Photography Core and everything will still work, automatically. No need to work on the new theme every time. Everything in this plugin is light, efficient, but try to cover every part required by most photography websites.</p>
<p><strong><em>There aren’t many downloads or reviews because this plugin is actually part of the architecture of themes, so it’s probably not a plugin you would like just to download by itself. But you could, and develop your own theme on it.</em></strong></p>
<h3>FEATURES</h3>
<ul>
<li>Post Type: Collections</li>
<li>Taxonomies: Folders, Keywords</li>
<li>Featured Images for Folders</li>
<li>Drag & Drop ordering for Folders</li>
<li>Drag & Drop ordering for Collections (<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-types-order/" rel="ugc">Post Types Order</a> required)</li>
<li>SEO (doesn’t overdo it; basics which are good enough)</li>
<li>Internal API (to retrieve the collections, folders, their hierarchy, etc)</li>
<li>Gutenberg Blocks: Collections, Folders, Keywords, Section Header, Search</li>
<li>Shortcodes (the same as for the Gutenberg Blocks)</li>
<li>Seamless integration with WP/LR Sync (Lightroom)</li>
<li>Works with Polylang</li>
</ul>
<h3>THEMES RECOMMENDATIONS</h3>
<p>Currently, three themes are known to use Photography Core. But if you would like to build your own theme, do not hesitate to use this plugin and to contact us so that we can add you here.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://meowapps.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Hikari</a>. Used by the urban explorer <a href="https://thomasjorion.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Thomas Jorion</a> but also by <a href="https://jordymeow.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Jordy Meow</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://meowapps.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Yuzu</a>. Used by the very famous photographer <a href="http://yannarthusbertrand2.org" rel="nofollow ugc">Yann Arthus-Bertrand</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://meowapps.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Kurayami</a>. This one will be awesome, but currently in development.</li>
</ul>
<h3>PLUGINS RECOMMENDATIONS</h3>
<p>Those plugins aren’t requires by the Photography Core and are simply recommendations. Remember, avoid using too many plugins, as they slow down your website and increase chance of encountering issues.</p>
<ul>
<li>Gallery: Meow Gallery</li>
<li>Lightbox: Meow Lighbox</li>
<li>Lightroom: WP/LR Sync</li>
<li>Order Collections: <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-types-order/" rel="ugc">Post Types Order</a></li>
<li>Contact Form: Ninja Forms</li>
<li>Fonts: Google Fonts for WordPress</li>
<li>Google Analytics: Analytify – Google Analytics Dashboard</li>
<li>Multilanguage: Polylang</li>
<li>Better search: Relevanssi</li>
<li>More SEO features: The SEO Framework</li>
</ul>
<h3>AVAILABLE FILTERS</h3>
<ul>
<li>pcore_collections_order: Change the order of the collections. Override this filter and return either ‘date’ (default order, by Publish Date), ‘title’ (order by the Title of the collection) or by a custom ‘ORDER BY’.</li>
<li>pcore_folders_order: Change the order of the folders. Override this filter and return either ‘tax_position’ (default order, by position – this plugin has this feature built in), ‘title’ (order by the Title of the folder) or by a custom ‘ORDER BY’.</li>
</ul>


Photography Core

Photography Core is the heart of the themes made for image lovers. Features are the API, helpers, Gutenberg blocks, Lightroom, etc.

Thomas

<p><strong>Meow Gallery is the lightweight, polished gallery solution for WordPress.</strong> Built from scratch for simplicity, appearance, and speed. Features a Gallery Block, shortcode support, or works as an override for the standard WordPress gallery. It’s responsive, retina-friendly, with modern layouts, and tightly optimized.</p>
<p>Stop fighting bloated gallery plugins that turn your WordPress into a slower experience! 😘</p>
<p>Meow Gallery focuses on what actually matters: <strong>Beautiful Layouts</strong> and <strong>Performance</strong>. Check out <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/" rel="nofollow ugc">our official site</a> and see <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/layouts/" rel="nofollow ugc">the layouts in action</a> to get started.</p>
<h3>Core Features</h3>
<p>🎨 <strong>Beautiful Layouts</strong><br />
Choose from Tiles, Masonry, Justified (like Flickr), Square (like Instagram), Cascade, and Horizontal. Pro version adds Carousel and Map layouts.</p>
<p>🚀 <strong>Performance First</strong><br />
Built from scratch with modern code. No legacy bloat, no unnecessary features. Just clean, fast galleries.</p>
<p>🔌 <strong>WordPress Native</strong><br />
Works naturally with WordPress and Gutenberg without hacking it. Use the Gallery Block, shortcode, or override the standard WordPress gallery. Switch back anytime—no lock-in.</p>
<p>📱 <strong>Responsive & Retina</strong><br />
All layouts are fully responsive and retina-ready for crisp images on any device.</p>
<span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZyboZqZb9JQ?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span>
<h3>Compatibility</h3>
<p>Since Meow Gallery works with WordPress naturally, it’s compatible with most plugins and themes:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Lightbox</strong>: Use any lightbox you prefer. We recommend <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/" rel="ugc">Meow Lightbox</a> for the best experience.</li>
<li><strong>Lightroom</strong>: Fully compatible with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wplr-sync/" rel="ugc">Photo Engine</a> for media organization and Lightroom sync.</li>
<li><strong>External Links</strong>: Use <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/gallery-custom-links/" rel="ugc">Gallery Custom Links</a> to add custom URLs to your images.</li>
<li><strong>Audio</strong>: Add audio to images with <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/audio-story-images/" rel="ugc">Audio Story Images</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>SEO-friendly with automatic sitemap integration (works with Yoast SEO and others).</p>
<h3>Pro Features</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Infinite/Lazy Loading</strong>: Faster page loading and smoother experience</li>
<li><strong>Carousel Layout</strong>: Dynamic slider/carousel that can also work as a hero</li>
<li><strong>Map Layout</strong>: GPS-based photo display for travel galleries</li>
<li><strong>Animations</strong>: Bring your galleries to life with smooth animations</li>
</ul>
<p>You can find more information on <a href="https://meowapps.com/meow-gallery/" rel="nofollow ugc">Meow Apps: Meow Gallery</a>.</p>


Meow Gallery

Was working well out of the box in my Gutenberg editor, while another Gallery was giving me problems. Simple to use, but well done.

Very useful

I choose this gallery because if the plugin is abandonned, it won’t break every galleries. It’s simple to use with nice options and galleries look good.

Clean and easy gallery


After trying a few other gallery plugins (names omitted to protect the guilty), I tried out Meow Gallery. What I like about it: ease of use, slight learning curve, customizable, and fully functional. I cannot stand plugins where the free version is crippleware. That is NOT the case here. What I don't like: it isn't completely straightforward, and sometimes the image search through your media library doesn't find pictures. In the latter case, you have to search for unused items. 



Overall, I'd give it 4.5 stars. It's worth downloading and worth using. 


Easy to Use and Fully Functional

Tired of slow, bloated gallery plugins? You've earned a coffee ☺️ Polished, beautiful galleries that are blazing fast.

Photography Core vs Meow Gallery