KMG PhotoVault — Client Galleries That Don't Embarrass You
Free + Pro · v1.0.2 · WordPress Plugin

Your client galleries
shouldn't make you cringe.

You've spent years mastering your craft. You deserve a delivery experience that looks as good as your work — not some generic gallery site you're embarrassed to send to high-end clients. KMG PhotoVault runs on your WordPress site. Your brand. Your domain. Zero monthly platform fees.

Works with Divi & Elementor Auto watermarking on upload No monthly platform fee Upgrade from inside the plugin
yoursite.com/galleries/smith-wedding-2026
KMG PhotoVault gallery frontend
Real talk

You're paying way too much to feel this underwhelmed

"I just sent my wedding client a Zenfolio gallery link. $200 a year, and the thing looks like it was designed in 2011. I was embarrassed."

Sound familiar? You're out here creating beautiful work, then sending your clients to some generic, ugly, third-party gallery that makes your entire brand look cheap. Meanwhile, you're dropping $200 every year on a platform that doesn't even feel like presenting. You already paid for a website. Why the hell are you still renting someone else's gallery?

The worst part? You already own a WordPress website. The infrastructure is sitting right there on your own domain, with your own branding. But you've been trained to think you need to pay someone else every month just to look professional.

You don't.

KMG PhotoVault gives you beautiful, fully branded client galleries that live on your own site. No third-party links, no ugly watermarks, no monthly fees. Your clients get a premium experience that actually matches the quality of your work, and you stop looking like every other photographer using the same tired platform everyone else is using.

Ready to stop being embarrassed by your galleries? Download PhotoVault free and see the difference yourself.

What it's costing you

Every week, this is what you're putting up with.

01

The Zenfolio Tax

$200 a year. For a clunky interface you dread logging into. For galleries that look like every other photographer's galleries. For a URL that sends your clients to someone else's brand instead of yours. You're paying to look generic.

02

The Watermark Nightmare

Export from Lightroom. Apply watermark preset. Export again. Realize it's white on a white background. Do it again. Upload to the platform. Wait. Repeat this every single delivery. This is not a workflow. This is punishment.

03

The Embarrassment

You send the gallery link. The client lands on a cookie-cutter Pixieset page with ads for Pixieset at the bottom. No password. No branding. No warmth. It doesn't look like you. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you know it.

04

The Platform Roulette

Tried Pixieset. Tried Pic-Time. Tried SmugMug. Each one with its own login, its own storage limits, its own pricing hike every renewal cycle. You're managing subscriptions instead of managing your business.

05

No Control Over Anything

Can't change the URL. Can't match your branding. Can't add your copyright terms where clients will actually read them. Can't tell who downloaded what without paying for a higher tier. You built a business. You deserve to own the delivery experience.

06

The Creeping Bill

$8 a month becomes $25 a month "to unlock the features you actually need." Then the renewal email hits and it's $199 for the year. For what? To host photos on a platform you don't own, that your clients aren't impressed by, that you can't fully control.

There's a better way
What if delivering client galleries felt as
effortless as taking the shot?

No more platform juggling. No more watermark re-exports. No more sending clients to someone else's website. KMG PhotoVault turns your existing WordPress site into a complete, professional photo delivery studio — in about ten minutes.

Automatic watermarking

Upload once. Never touch a watermark again.

The moment you drop your full-resolution JPEGs, PNGs, or WebPs into PhotoVault, the watermark is applied automatically — before storage, before delivery, before your client ever sees the file.

And it's smart about it. The auto-contrast engine samples the background brightness right where the watermark will appear, and picks white text on dark images, black text on light ones. It's always legible. Never invisible. You don't touch a thing.

  • Watermark applied on upload — no extra exports from Lightroom
  • Auto-contrast chooses white or black automatically
  • PNG / logo watermark on Pro — your brand, not your name in Arial
  • All four corner positions on Pro
  • Changed your logo? Re-watermark the entire gallery in one click
Auto-watermarking in action
Client delivery

A gallery that actually looks like you built it.

Your client gets a link to your domain. Not Pixieset's domain. Not Zenfolio's domain. Yours. They enter a password, and they're in a clean, fast, lightbox-enabled gallery that lives on your WordPress site.

You set a welcome message. You set a thank-you message. You pick the layout. You control the experience from first click to final download. That's what a professional studio looks like.

  • Password-protected gallery page created automatically
  • Mosaic/grid, list, and slideshow layouts (slideshow on Pro)
  • Full-screen lightbox built into every layout
  • Custom welcome & thank-you messages per gallery
  • Embed on any page with a shortcode — including your portfolio
  • Works with Divi, Elementor, Beaver Builder, and every theme
Password-protected client gallery
One-click delivery

Send the whole thing without leaving WordPress.

When you're ready to deliver, click "Send Gallery Link & Password" right inside your dashboard. Your client gets an email with the link, the password, and your welcome message — professionally formatted, from your site.

No copy-pasting URLs. No switching to Gmail to write a separate email. No "wait, what was the password again?" The whole delivery takes about 30 seconds.

  • One-click email delivery from your WordPress dashboard
  • Gallery link and password sent together automatically
  • Per-gallery page views and per-image download counts tracked
  • Archive when the delivery window closes — client loses access, you keep everything
  • Restore any archived gallery instantly
Send gallery to client
The real math

You're writing a check every year to people
who don't deserve it.

Here's what the gallery platform industry charges photographers just to deliver files they already own. Then here's what PhotoVault costs.

Zenfolio $180 per year (basic)
Pixieset $108 per year (Studio)
Pic-Time $168 per year (Starter)
SmugMug $150 per year (Basic)
vs. PhotoVault KMG PhotoVault $0 free version · Pro available

Platform pricing based on publicly listed plans as of 2026. Subject to change.

Feature PhotoVault Free PhotoVault Pro Zenfolio Pixieset
Annual cost$0Upgrade in-app$180+$108+
Lives on your domain
Auto watermark on upload
Password-protected galleries
One-click email delivery
View & download trackingPaid tier onlyPaid tier only
PNG / logo watermark
Copyright & licensing footer
Unlimited galleriesUp to 3 UnlimitedLimitedLimited
Works with Divi / ElementorN/AN/A
Pro feature
Pro

Your licensing terms. Where clients actually read them.

You send a PDF licensing agreement. Your client ignores it. You never see it again. Then six months later they're using your images commercially, and you have no paper trail on the gallery page itself.

PhotoVault Pro generates a professional Copyright & Usage Rights footer — license duration, territory, permitted media, exclusivity, usage type — and displays it directly on the gallery page. Where the images are. Where the client is. Where they'll actually see it.

  • License duration, territory & permitted media
  • Personal, editorial, or commercial usage types
  • Exclusivity settings per gallery
  • Built-in glossary: explains copyright vs. license to clients in plain English
  • Set defaults once, override per gallery anytime
Copyright and Usage Rights footer
Setup

Up and running before your next shoot.

Install, configure your watermark once, and you're done. There is no learning curve worth mentioning.

01

Install & Activate

Download PhotoVault, activate it in WordPress. Go to PhotoVault → Settings → Watermark and set your text. Takes three minutes.

02

Create a Gallery

Click + Add New Gallery, enter a name and client password. The plugin creates the password-protected WordPress page automatically.

03

Upload Photos

Drop in your files — JPEG, PNG, or WebP, up to 30 MB each. Watermarks apply instantly. Drag to reorder. You're done with post-processing.

04

Send in One Click

Hit Send Gallery Link & Password. Your client gets the email from your site with the link, password, and welcome message. That's it.

05

Client Downloads

Every file they download is watermarked. Originals never leave the server without your permission. View and download counts update in real time.

06

Archive When Done

Close the delivery window by archiving. The page goes Private — client loses access, you keep every file and stat. Restore anytime.

Admin — All Galleries
📁 All Galleries admin screen
Admin — Manage Gallery
🖼 Manage Gallery & upload
Admin — Send to Client
📧 One-click client delivery
Built for you

If you shoot it, PhotoVault delivers it.

Portrait photography

Portrait & Studio

Deliver headshot sessions and family portraits on your domain, with your branding, at zero platform cost. No Zenfolio ads. No third-party logo in the corner.

Wedding photography

Wedding & Events

Large galleries, drag-and-drop sequencing, expiry dates, and slideshow layouts — built for the volume and timeline of wedding deliveries. Keep originals on Pro for future re-edits.

Commercial and aerial photography

Commercial & Aerial

The Copyright & Usage Rights footer was made for commercial work. Clearly state the license territory, permitted media, and usage type on the gallery page itself — not buried in a PDF no one reads.

Everything included

The full feature set — no surprises.

Here's every feature in the free version and every upgrade in Pro. Nothing hidden.

💧
Free

Auto-Watermarking

Applied on upload via Imagick (GD fallback). No exports, no re-processing, no friction.

🔒
Free

Password Galleries

Each gallery gets its own WordPress page with a password gate. Zero accidental public exposure.

📧
Free

One-Click Email Delivery

Send gallery link and password from your dashboard. No copy-pasting, no switching apps.

🎨
Free

Auto-Contrast Watermark

Samples background brightness. White on dark, black on light. Always legible, never invisible.

🖼
Free

Mosaic, Grid & List

Three layouts, each with a full-screen lightbox built in. Pick what fits the work.

🔄
Free

Drag-and-Drop Order

Sequence the gallery exactly as you want it presented. Simple, immediate, no page reload.

📊
Free

View & Download Tracking

Page views per gallery, download counts per image. Know what's happening after you send the link.

📦
Free

Secure File Storage

Outside the Media Library. Never accidentally indexed. PHP passthrough — no server config required.

✉️
Free

Welcome & Thank-You Messages

Personalized messages per gallery. Small detail, big impression.

🖼️
Pro

PNG / Logo Watermark

Upload your actual brand mark. Four corner positions, per-gallery assignment.

♾️
Pro

Unlimited Galleries & Images

Free plan: 3 galleries, 50 images. Pro removes every limit. Deliver as many clients as you book.

🔄
Pro

Re-Watermark in One Click

Rebrand? Update your watermark and re-apply it to every image in a gallery instantly.

📁
Pro

Keep Original Files

Store unwatermarked originals in a protected subfolder. Only you can access them.

🎬
Pro

Slideshow Layout

CSS-transition slideshow — cinematic delivery for weddings, portraits, editorial.

Pro

Gallery Expiry & Archiving

Set galleries to expire automatically. Page goes Private. All data and images kept, fully restorable.

⚖️
Pro

Copyright & Usage Rights Footer

Professional license summary generated from your settings, displayed on every gallery. Per-gallery overrides supported.

🌐
Free

CDN Compatible

Works with WP Offload Media, Cloudflare R2, BunnyCDN. Watermarked files sync automatically.

🔧
Free

All Hosting Environments

Apache, Nginx, shared hosting. Tested on WordPress 6.0–6.7. PHP 7.4+. No server config required.

Free vs Pro

Start free. Scale when you're ready.

The free version is a complete, fully working photo delivery tool. There's no crippled trial, no time limit, no credit card. When you're ready for more — upgrade right inside the plugin.

Free

PhotoVault Free

$0
Forever free · No credit card · No expiry
  • Up to 3 active galleries
  • Up to 50 total images
  • Auto-watermarking on upload
  • Text watermark · Auto-contrast color
  • Password-protected gallery pages
  • One-click client email delivery
  • Mosaic/grid & list layouts with lightbox
  • Drag-and-drop image reordering
  • Page view & download tracking
  • Welcome & thank-you messages
  • Shortcode for any page or post
  • CDN offload compatible
  • Apache, Nginx & shared hosting
⬇ Download Free
FAQ

Real questions, straight answers.

Can my clients download the original, unwatermarked files? +
No. Every download link serves only the watermarked version. If you're on Pro and have "Keep Originals" enabled, the unwatermarked files sit in a non-public directory and are served only through a PHP passthrough that enforces the watermark rule. There is no path for clients to access the originals.
Does it actually work on shared hosting? +
Yes. The plugin uses PHP passthrough for file serving — no .htaccess directory blocks, no Nginx config, no server administration. It works on Apache, Nginx, and shared hosting environments out of the box.
Will it work with Divi? What about Elementor? +
Yes to both. The plugin creates a standard WordPress page and inserts a shortcode. Set the page to a full-width template in your builder. A FULL-WIDTH-SETUP.md guide is included in the plugin with step-by-step instructions for Divi, Elementor, Beaver Builder, block themes, and a universal functions.php snippet.
What image formats and sizes does it support? +
JPEG, PNG, and WebP. Maximum upload size is 30 MB per image, subject to your server's PHP upload limit. Watermarking uses Imagick with an automatic GD fallback, so it works on virtually any hosting environment.
What happens to my galleries if I archive them? +
Archiving sets the gallery page to Private — clients can no longer access it, even with the password. All images and data are kept intact. You can restore the gallery at any time from the gallery's Manage page or the gallery list.
How do I upgrade to Pro? +
Download and install the free version first. Then open your WordPress dashboard and find the Pro tab inside PhotoVault. From there you purchase your license at kennedymedia.com and enter your key. Pro features activate immediately — no plugin reinstall.
Does it work with CDN offload plugins? +
Yes. Watermarked images are stored in wp-content/uploads/kmg-photovault/ and will sync automatically to WP Offload Media, Cloudflare R2, BunnyCDN, or any compatible offload plugin. If you're on Pro with "Keep Originals" enabled, exclude the /originals/ subfolder from your CDN sync settings.
What's the Copyright & Usage Rights footer actually do? +
It's a Pro feature that generates a professional licensing summary — duration, territory, permitted media (print, web, social, commercial), exclusivity, and usage type — and displays it at the bottom of every gallery page. You configure your defaults once in Settings → Copyright & Usage. The plugin writes a plain-English paragraph for your clients. You can override the terms on any individual gallery. A built-in glossary also explains the difference between copyright and a usage license for clients who don't know the distinction.
You're still reading this.

That means you know you deserve better than what you've been using.

Download KMG PhotoVault right now. It's free. It installs in three minutes. Your next client delivery will go out on your domain, with your branding, with a watermark that actually works — and you'll never think about Zenfolio again.

Free forever · Pro upgrade inside the plugin · Divi & Elementor compatible · WordPress 6.0–6.7
Kennedy Media Group