In this video we’ll share with you 21 of the Best WordPress Photography Themes for
2018 and 2019.
We’ve analyzed hundreds of themes based on speed, design, functionality, ease of use,
and mobile responsiveness, so regardless of whether you use photography as a form of expression,
or as a vehicle for making money - we’ll help you find the right WordPress theme for
you.
Some of the WordPress themes featured in this review include:
Pinhole, Photography,
Border, And Lense - just to name a few.
So let’s go take a look!
We’ve created a post that you can follow along with on the OHKLYN blog.
A direct link will be in the description below and available via the info card for this video.
Here you’ll find the links to the themes covered in this video, as well the summary
stats for each theme we’ve analyzed.
The links will also be available in the description below, some of which will be affiliate links
that will help fund future free videos like this one, so we appreciate you using the links
provided.
Up first is Pinhole with a score of 9 out of 10
Of all the themes on this list, Pinhole scored the highest in terms of page load speed.
Deemed a WordPress Gallery theme for photographers, this theme is ideal for anyone wanting to
showcase their art photography portfolio, create a clean photography blog, or offer
their photography as a service.
With client login areas, photo download capabilities, and photo proofing all built in, this theme
is sure to impress.
With a rich feature set, Pinhole provides access to plenty of design elements and widgets
usually reserved for multipurpose themes.
This includes over 30 gallery designs to choose from, tools to design how metadata for images
are displayed, and image optimization to improve loading time.
The minimalist design is on trend, however, may not suit everyone.
In honesty, that’s our attempt to find something wrong with this theme, which is hard.
This theme is easy to use, looks and functions great on all devices, and ticks the boxes
in terms of speed, design, and functionality.
In second place is Salient, also scoring 9 out of 10
Salient scored really high in our design, functionality, and ease of use categories.
It’s a multipurpose WordPress theme with over 200 design templates and features a unique
photography template.
It comes with a vast range of animation effects, fonts, icons, and elements that you can leverage
easily using the Salient Visual Composer.
For those wanting to sell online, this theme is WooCommerce compatible and will integrate
seamlessly.
Salient scores really well across all categories, however, the only thing that could be improved
is the page load speed.
This isn’t uncommon for multipurpose themes, and for many, will be a trade-off worth making.
We then have the Photography WordPress theme scoring 8 out of 10.
Aptly named, photography comes packed with just about every feature you could hope for
in a comprehensive photography WordPress theme.
Scoring a perfect 10 for functionality, and above average scores in all the other categories,
this theme will be hard to go past.
Dedicated entirely to the photography niche, this theme comes with a number of pre-designed
layouts that can be leveraged via a one-click demo importer.
This theme is WooCommerce enabled, features a client proofing area, and includes premium
lighboxes and uniques hover state options.
Photography, is an all-in-one photography WordPress theme for anyone who makes a living
out of this niche.
Up next is Kreativa with 8 out of 10
Kreativa is a unique theme from start to finish and certainly stands out from the crowd.
It comes with many exciting features like the ability to play/pause the image sliders,
handy drag and zoom tools, password protected galleries, and widgets with options on gallery
images.
You can also “proof” images by selecting and deselecting them to be displayed in a
sequence within the image slider.
The design itself is also something new with the sidebar menu like a ribbon over the page.
It’s just too bad that much of this functionality is not available on the mobile display.
Other than that, the mobile responsiveness is more than adequate.
To top it off, you have a decent selection of page layouts to choose from.
The best way to see just how fun and unique this theme is, is to go play around with the
theme yourself.
Next on the list is Border with 8 out of 10
Right from the get-go, we love the look and feel of this theme.
With its use of full-screen images, this theme is all about the image content.
The text overlays and animations on images are also tastefully done, and the photo proofing
feature is excellent.
A compact menu design also fits in beautifully with the rest of the theme.
Another fantastic touch is the ability to disable the ‘right-click’ feature on images,
protecting your copyrighted work.
The unique design might not be the easiest for some users to your site to use, or for
you to plan a site around.
However, it’s tremendously stylish and well polished.
There is also a good variety of demo content to choose from that serve even more specific
niches.
From an aesthetic perspective, it would be almost impossible to go wrong with this theme.
Next is Coastline with 8 out of 10
Coastline pulls off a flat navigational architecture flawlessly.
Generally speaking, a flat navigational hierarchy works very well for photography themes as
it’s primarily supposed to act as a showcase of your work for visitors to flip through,
like an album.
Using a horizontal layout for this type of navigation also turns out to be a brilliant
move by the developers.
You can easily navigate between blogs, galleries, portfolios either through the sidebar menu
or left and right arrow buttons.
The posts that consist of a piece of text to the left and the image slideshow on the
right help reinforce its focus as a photography site or blog.
This means that it’s lack of features isn’t a con, but comes across more like a conscious
design choice.
Coastline looks great, feels smooth, and pulls off its intended purpose with class.
Up next is Shutter with 8 out of 10
Shutter is a well-built theme and has been designed for photographers, designers, photo
studios, or photo bloggers.
With a number of pre-designed layouts and demos to choose from, Shutter’s minimalist
approach is sure to appeal to a number of users.
If we had to be critical, our only concern is that the default design may be a little
too barebones for some.
However, for many, this will allow your content to shine through.
With an impressive mobile responsiveness score, this theme could be a good option.
We then have Bokeh with 8 out of 10
Bokeh distinguishes itself through its use of minimalist masonry layouts and clean design.
It has one of the best and most functional image galleries, is intuitive to use, and
still has all the utility you expect from a quality photography theme.
Animations and parallax effects are used throughout the theme to provide some life and promote
engagement.
The intrinsically simplistic design (especially on mobile) might not suit all tastes, but
for those looking for a minimalist approach, this is one for you.
The page load speed could be improved, however, it makes up for this shortfall with its design,
ease of use, and functionality scores.
We then have Olins scoring 8 out of 10
Olins is a straight-shooting portfolio theme that will resonate with many photographers.
It’s one of those themes where it’s dedication to minimalism, and a single purpose feels
more like a good thing than a sacrifice.
You could also use this theme as an online portfolio or CV, as it would do an excellent
job of promoting your work, skills, and experience in a tasteful manner.
This theme doesn’t really have a weakness as such, just a caveat.
Olins is intended to be used as an online portfolio for your photography and doesn’t
come with the extended functionality that other themes on this list have.
However, it’s flawless in its simplicity and worthy of your consideration if your website
is to serve as a photography portfolio or professional CV.
Next is Lens with 8 out of 10
Lens is a WordPress theme tailored to the photography niche and scores well in terms
of design, ease of use, functionality, and mobile responsiveness.
Full of animations, hover states, and transitioning effects this theme feels alive and incredibly
engaging.
There is very little wrong with this theme, and the only criticism we have is that page
load speed could be improved.
However, all the big-hitting features like photo proofing and a store are present, making
this a fully-geared photography theme.
Up next, we have Divi scoring 8 out of 10
Divi is a complete multi-purpose theme.
To put it succinctly, it can be pretty much whatever you want it to be, photography theme
included.
Once you have the Divi theme, you will have access to a few layout packs tailored explicitly
for a photography marketplace or showcase via their free Divi layout packs.
You will then be able to customize these layout packs to the most minute detail using the
Divi Page Builder.
Divi’s page load speed is the only slight concern, however, it makes up for this with
its extensive range of design options, level of functionality, and seamless experience
on all devices.
You also have access to a wide range of documentation and excellent premium support.
If you want endless possibilities at your fingertips, Divi is the theme for you.
Review our free WordPress tutorials page to access one of our free tutorials using Divi.
The next theme on the list is Ultra with 8 out of 10
Ultra is the flagship Themify theme and in their own words the most powerful and flexible
theme created.
It’s also one of our favorite multipurpose themes that provide its user with unbridled
control over their website or blog.
That means that Ultra can be whatever you want it to be, even a photography website,
portfolio, or blog.
It comes with all the image animation and gallery options you can hope for, and more.
Some of the pre-made demos like Wedding and Restaurant already make excellent use of images.
You will need to put in a fair amount of work to turn it into a photography centered blog,
but nothing is impossible with Ultra.
We highly recommend this theme if you are comfortable working with comprehensive page
builders as it gives you unrivaled control over the look and feel of your photography
website.
Once again review our free WordPress tutorials page to access a free tutorial using the Ultra
Theme.
Next is Creatively with 8 out of 10
This theme was made to be an online portfolio and is incredibly well suited to the photography
niche.
Like many other themes on this list, it has a few unique design quirks to ensure your
site stands out from the crowd.
Its main eye-catching feature is how the typography overlaps with the images to create a unique
look.
The tiered mega menu is always a welcomed bonus, but we wish it were just as good as
the rest of its responsiveness on mobile.
Taking everything into account, it’s a theme that comes with all the necessities that are
packaged in an attractive skin.
A good all-rounder that just might be worth considering.
We then have Aster theme scoring 8 out of 10
Another theme that’s aimed at those who offer photography services for events, Aster
approaches this niche with a more elegant and feminine approach.
This makes it even more suited towards wedding, baby, or birthday photography.
The Client’s Area is a password-protected online portfolio where clients can view their
photos.
Graceful animations and rich typography make sure that this theme is very soft on the eye.
The only downside to this theme is that it doesn’t offer many extra features.
However, it caters to the photography niche adequately and comes with a simple yet effective
services page for those wanting to list packages or services.
Next is PhotoProof, with 8 out of 10
PhotoProof is a photography theme with a very eclectic concept.
The creators opted for a horizontal design that suits the purpose of the theme well.
You will also immediately be greeted with the fantastic horizontal parallax scrolling
effect on the central display area.
If you prefer something a little different, there are various albums with equally unique
and enjoyable effects to choose from.
The black and white color scheme helps to highlight the images and keep the design stylish
and professional.
If we have any criticism, it’s that this theme doesn’t offer many extra features
or design possibilities.
However, it fulfills its primary purpose beautifully.
It also deserves credit for translating elegantly to mobile.
If this is your style, you can’t do much better than Photoproof to create your photography
site.
Also scoring 8 out of 10 is Vega
Vega is a complete WordPress theme.
It can be used for a variety of purposes but has more than enough to offer someone looking
for a site focussed on their photography.
There are a few different demo sites that each have a unique layout and architecture.
Vega 4 is one that we particularly like because it makes use of large images, especially on
the homepage.
It looks complex at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will see just how attractive
and intuitive the design elements are.
The demo sites are slightly confusing when it comes to their page layouts, but this is
something you can change when you start building your own website from the theme.
There are 15 different galleries to choose from.
To top it off, Vega comes with a complete shop, portfolio, and blog that all also have
variations and layout options, making it a complete photography theme.
Next up is Mochi, with 8 out of 10
Mochi is a straightforward online photography portfolio with enough of its own design quirks
and unique elements to ensure your site stands out.
Scoring well in our page speed tests and from an ease of use and design perspective, Mochi
could be a real contender.
It’s a very basic theme but comes with a universally attractive design and intuitive
user experience that more than makes up for its lack of features.
If you are a solo photographer, blogger, or small studio, Mochi could be the theme you
are looking for to showcase your portfolio in a unique and effective way.
We then have Neto with 7 out of 10
We included this theme for those who want to combine a store with their photography
website or blog.
Neto has been featured in our top eCommerce themes review for its prowess in that regard.
Images are featured as very prominent design elements and as marketing for categories or
products.
It’s simple, bold design also makes it very easy to use.
It’s not a fully-fledged photography theme, however, it is very well suited for those
wanting to sell photography or art online.
Blog posts come with functional galleries that can help show off your designs and draw
users to your products.
As always, CSSIgniter has nailed the mobile responsiveness, and the theme is easy to use
on all devices.
Next is Erwitt with 7 out of 10
For those who want to make images the center point of their navigation and to tell a story,
Erwitt is the theme to use.
The demo shows the best way to utilize it by presenting the theme as a gallery for wedding,
travel, editorial or agency photos.
It’s as if visitors follow the event or story through the images which are a unique
concept and an intuitive way to showcase work.
It’s a theme that addresses a particular need, and as such, may not work for all purposes.
In keeping with the rest of this theme, the blog is shown as a timeline of journal entries,
and a simple index gives a broader perspective on the content structure.
So, if you want to use your images to tell a story, Erwitt may be the theme you were
looking for.
We then have Noah with 7 out of 10
Noah is one extremely classy theme.
The design takes elegance and minimalism to the next level.
It creates the perfect stage for your photos with great use of animation adding to the
luxurious feel.
Scoring well across the board, Noah is certainly worth considering.
Our only critique is that it may not be as feature rich as other themes which may be
a deal-breaker for some.
However, this theme responds great on mobile and may even look better on mobile than desktop.
It’s a solid theme that’s well built and topped off with a classy, timeless design.
In the last spot of our best WordPress themes for photography review we have Lense
We regularly feature themes from CSSIgniter because they are more often than not high-quality
purpose-built themes.
Lense is their attempt at a fully-fledged photography theme, and it maintains their
standards well.
When it comes to design, this theme is exceptionally straightforward which is good if you want
your images to be the center of attention.
Few themes handle mobile displays as well as Lense, and this is reflected in its score.
We would have liked to see more niche specific functionality included in this theme, however,
it’s simplicity and elegance is alluring.
Much like a good lense, this theme will go a long way to help you frame your work in
the best light.
And, that completes our review of the 21 best photography WordPress themes for 2018 and
2019.
We hope that you enjoyed this video and found a theme for your next project.
Leave a comment and tell us which themes you liked or didn’t like and any feedback for
how we can improve future videos.
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