Photoblog Themes

Any theme or template may be modified to suit your photoblog. However, if you are not keen to recreate the wheel, there are ready made photoblog themes and templates that have been prepared for you by generous members of the photoblog community. This website is simply a convenient collection of out-of-the-box themes and templates which you can use immediately in your photoblog or further modified to suit your tastes. Feel free to have a browse of the themes grouped by software (eg Pixelpost, Wordpress, Movable Type, Textpattern) and please contact me should you discover any new themes available for download.

If you are short on time, below is what I consider to be the best ten photoblog themes and templates that are available at the moment. I recommend them based on simplicity and style (which you should be aware is highly subjective and possibly wrong!).

Above all, get out there, take photos and start up a photoblog for self-inspiration and learning.

1. Dolichocephale by Dolichocephale (Pixelpost)

Simple and clean, the Dolichoephale template for Pixelpost includes background photos in Photoshop and Gimp format for modification and a random image feature (which requires the “Random Image” addon).

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Dolichocephale

2. 235 Skin by Ame235 (Pixelpost)

Ame235 created a very flexible Pixelpost template with fluid widths. This template also incorporates moo.fx for the groovy accordion effect.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing 235 Skin

3. Nautilus by Marine Girl (Wordpress K2)

Designed to take advantage of Flickr’s “blog this” function (images hosted on Flickr), MarineGirl’s Nautilus photoblog theme for Wordpress K2 can be used for manually uploading your images in the usual way. Nautilus is clearly elegant and simple. Of course, a photoblog with a Wordpress K2 backbone enables you to use K2 features and Marine Girl has posted a useful guide to Photoblogging with K2.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Nautilus

4. Polaroid by Taly (Wordpress)

One of the first photoblog themes for Wordpress, Polaroid by Taly remains a popular photoblog theme due to its ability to display photographs similar to the excellent polaroid format. Polaroid is also one of a series of Wordpress photoblog themes by Taly.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Polaroid

5. Grain by Mac (Wordpress)

Mac’s Grain photoblog theme for Wordpress is fixed-width and pure class. The Wordpress photoblog theme makes use of the Yet Another Photoblog plugin (which is included in the package for download). With beautiful and elegant backgrounds and borders, this theme has the capacity to make even my photographs look good.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Grain

6. Simple Visions by Yovko Lambrev (Pixelpost)

Yovko Lambrev’s Simple Visions Pixelpost template places emphasis on the photograph while making the site look unmistakenly beautiful.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Simple Visions

7. Hinagata by Taichi Kaminogoya (Movable Type)

Unfortunately, a theme change using MovableType involves a little clicking although your efforts will be well rewarded with Taichi Kaminogoya’s Hinagata photoblog template for MovableType. The results are a simple, interesting and effective photoblog template using MovableType.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Hinagata

8. Horizon by Cancerbox (Pixelpost)

Undoubtedly minimal but packed with style, Cancerbox’s Horizon template for Pixelpost is a no-fuss way to get your photoblog started. Horizon is sure to be versatile and complete, with a snazzy scroll-down information section (when you click on “info & comments”).

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Horizon

9. Nishita by Brajeshwar (Wordpress)

Elegance meets functionality with Brajeshwar’s Nishita photoblog theme for Wordpress. A browse through the demonstration of Nishita will reveal a simple, sleek, minimal and easy to install and customise Wordpress photoblog theme.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Nishita

10. Widescreen by James Pratt (Textpattern)

James Pratt’s Widescreen theme for Textpattern has an immediate WOW factor about it and makes up for the paucity of photoblog themes for Textpattern. The “W” may be due to the custom color field which allows you to pick a color from each photo and incorporate it into the design elements (lines and hover backgrounds) for that page. The “O” may be from the LiveSearch feature which produces live thumbnail results in a semi-transparent overlay. Finally, the “W” may be from the side captions and comment input form that is revealed when you scroll down and remains in a fixed position while scrolling. Together, James Pratt’s theme spells “WOW” and guarantees that my sub-average photographs look sub-average in a fine looking photoblog.

Click for more information on downloading and previewing Widescreen

Start a photoblog!