Building a Photographer’s Dream Site in PHP with Katerina WordPress Theme

As a PHP / WordPress developer, I’ve built more “portfolio” sites than I can remember, and most of them started with the same problem: the client is a photographer with stunning work, but the theme they chose treats images like decoration instead of data.

You’ve probably seen this pattern:

• A bloated, multipurpose theme with 200 options, 3,000 lines of custom JS, and absolutely no respect for WordPress template hierarchy.

• Hard-coded markup in random files, making even small layout changes feel like surgery.

• Gallery shortcodes that can’t be extended from PHP, so you end up hacking things in JS.

The longer I did this, the more I wanted a photography theme that I could treat like a real PHP codebase—not a visual toy. That’s exactly what pushed me to try the Katerina WordPress Theme on a real client project and then dig into the underlying PHP structure to see how far I could push it as a developer.

What follows is my experience from a low-level perspective: directory structure, hooks, template overrides, performance tuning, and how it compares to rolling my own theme or abusing a generic multipurpose / e-commerce base.

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Why “Pretty But Opaque” Themes Don’t Work for PHP Developers

Before switching this client’s site to Katerina, here’s what I was fighting against:

• No clear template hierarchy
  Templates were dumped into one directory, naming conventions ignored single.php, archive.php, page-{slug}.php, etc. If you wanted to override just the gallery layout, you had to touch a giant page-builder.php monolith.

• No reusable partials
  The theme used copy-pasted HTML in multiple templates instead of get_template_part(). Fix an accessibility issue in one gallery block, then hunt down the same markup in three other templates.

• Inline CSS and JS scattered across PHP files
  As a PHP dev, I want logic in PHP, presentation in templates, and assets in enqueued files. This “franken-theme” did the opposite.

• Zero hooks for extension
  No do_action() or apply_filters() in key places. If I needed to inject EXIF data or dynamic copyright into the image overlay, I had to literally edit the vendor’s PHP.

For a photographer who lives or dies by the quality of their images and how they’re showcased, that kind of technical debt becomes a business problem very fast.

So my minimum requirements for the next theme were:

1. Clean adherence to WordPress template hierarchy.

2. Reasonable splitting of templates into partials.

3. Proper script/style enqueues.

4. Some hook points (even minimal) to extend.

5. A UI that photographers like—but a PHP layer I can live with.

Katerina managed to tick those boxes more often than not.

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Installation & Setup: From Composer / CLI to a Working Photography Theme

Theme Installation from a Developer’s Perspective

My current workflow for WordPress projects is:

• Git repo per project

• Composer for vendor packages (if needed)

• WP-CLI for basic operations

Dropping Katerina into that workflow was trivial:

# typical dev stack (simplified)
wp core download
wp config create --dbname=photo_db --dbuser=root --dbpass=secret
wp core install --url="https://example.test" --title="Photo Site"
  --admin_user=admin --admin_password=pass --admin_email=me@example.com

# activate theme after uploading it (via sftp / repo)
wp theme activate katerina

From the dashboard, activating the theme triggers the usual “recommended plugins” message—you know the pattern—but from a dev POV nothing felt weird or proprietary.

Creating a Child Theme (Non-Negotiable for PHP Work)

First thing I did was create a child theme. If you’re going to touch PHP in a third-party theme, this is non-negotiable:

mkdir wp-content/themes/katerina-child

cat > wp-content/themes/katerina-child/style.css <<'CSS'
/*
Theme Name: Katerina Child
Template: katerina
*/
CSS

cat > wp-content/themes/katerina-child/functions.php <<'PHP'
<?php
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', function () {
    // Load parent styles first
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'katerina-parent-style',
        get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css'
    );
});
PHP

After that:

wp theme activate katerina-child

Now I’m free to override templates, register hooks, and add functionality without touching core theme files.

Initial Configuration for the Client

From here, I did the more typical admin-style configuration—but always with an eye on what’s happening in PHP:

• Set permalinks to “Post name” (clean URLs for portfolio items).

• Created custom pages: Home, Portfolio, About, Contact.

• Assigned Home as the static front page via Settings → Reading.

• Walked through the theme’s customizer panels for colors, fonts, and logo.

Nothing in this step felt like it was fighting the WordPress way; Katerina mostly uses Customizer + standard options pages instead of some bizarre proprietary system.

---

Under the Hood: Template Hierarchy and PHP Structure in Katerina

Template Layout and File Organization

One of the first things I do with any theme is scan its structure:

• header.php, footer.php, index.php – as expected.

• single.php, page.php, archive.php – all present.

• Specific templates like single-portfolio.php or equivalent for photography items (naming may differ, e.g., single-project.php or via a page builder template).

• A /template-parts/ directory with partials for headers, loops, galleries, etc.

The important part: I could override just the portfolio single layout by copying a file into my child theme and adjusting the PHP there, for example:

cp wp-content/themes/katerina/template-parts/content-portfolio.php
   wp-content/themes/katerina-child/template-parts/content-portfolio.php

Then in that child template, I can restructure HTML, change where metadata appears, or inject my own PHP logic.

Using WordPress Loop and WP_Query Correctly

Katerina’s portfolio and gallery sections are built with standard WP_Query usage—no mysterious custom DB access or weird ORMs. That’s good news if you’re a PHP dev:

<?php
$query = new WP_Query([
    'post_type'      => 'portfolio',
    'posts_per_page' => 12,
    'paged'          => get_query_var('paged') ?: 1,
]);
?>
<?php if ($query->have_posts()) : ?>
    <div class="katerina-grid">
        <?php while ($query->have_posts()) : $query->the_post(); ?>
            <?php get_template_part('template-parts/content', 'portfolio'); ?>
        <?php endwhile; ?>
    </div>
    <?php
        the_posts_pagination();
        wp_reset_postdata();
    ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Even if the actual file names differ slightly, the pattern is exactly what you’d expect. This makes it easy to:

• Modify queries via pre_get_posts.

• Inject additional conditions.

• Replace the loop for specific taxonomies or filters.

For example, in my child theme I filtered the portfolio archive to show only public-facing items:

<?php
add_action('pre_get_posts', function ($q) {
    if (!is_admin() && $q->is_main_query() && is_post_type_archive('portfolio')) {
        $q->set('meta_query', [
            [
                'key'   => '_katerina_is_public',
                'value' => '1',
            ],
        ]);
    }
});

That sort of fine-grained control is only possible when the theme uses WordPress the way it’s meant to be used.

Hooks and Filters: Extending Without Forking

Katerina isn’t a framework like Laravel, but it does expose enough hooks in the right places that you don’t need to fork the entire theme to tweak output.

Typical examples (names are illustrative):

do_action('katerina_before_gallery');
do_action('katerina_after_gallery');
$title = apply_filters('katerina_portfolio_title', get_the_title());

In the child theme, I can hook into those:

<?php
add_action('katerina_before_gallery', function () {
    echo '<div class="katerina-gallery-intro">';
    echo esc_html__('Scroll for the full series ↓', 'katerina-child');
    echo '</div>';
});

add_filter('katerina_portfolio_title', function ($title) {
    // Append year from EXIF or custom meta
    $year = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), '_shoot_year', true);
    return $year ? "$title ($year)" : $title;
});

For a PHP-centric audience, this is huge. You get to write normal WordPress code instead of bending to some opaque builder’s rules.

---

Working with Images: Sizes, Lazy Loading, and EXIF in PHP

Photography sites are fundamentally about images, so the PHP layer must handle them intelligently.

Custom Image Sizes for Grids vs Fullscreen

Katerina registers its own image sizes so the front page grid doesn’t naïvely request full-resolution photos:

<?php
add_action('after_setup_theme', function () {
    add_theme_support('post-thumbnails');

    add_image_size('katerina_grid', 800, 600, true);   // cropped for masonry grid
    add_image_size('katerina_full', 2000, 0, false);   // large but not insane
});

If I want to adjust these for a specific project, I can override or add new sizes in my child theme:

<?php
add_action('after_setup_theme', function () {
    // Extra size for retina hero images
    add_image_size('katerina_hero_retina', 2400, 0, false);
});

Then update template partials to use katerina_hero_retina in the hero section only.

Lazy Loading and Markup

Because WordPress now supports native lazy loading via loading="lazy", the theme mostly stays out of the way, which I appreciate. The typical gallery markup looks like:

<img
    src="<?php echo esc_url($src); ?>"
    alt="<?php echo esc_attr($alt); ?>"
    loading="lazy"
/>

If I need to augment this—for example, to add srcset or custom data attributes for a lightbox—I can override the template and adjust the PHP:

<?php
$sizes = wp_get_attachment_image_srcset($attachment_id, 'katerina_grid');
?>
<img
    src="<?php echo esc_url($src); ?>"
    srcset="<?php echo esc_attr($sizes); ?>"
    sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"
    alt="<?php echo esc_attr($alt); ?>"
    loading="lazy"
    data-lightbox="katerina-gallery"
/>

Again, the fact that this is in PHP templates, not some black-box shortcode, is a big win for us.

EXIF and Metadata: Pulling Data in PHP

Photographers often care about showing technical details: camera body, lens, aperture, shutter speed. With Katerina’s clean structure, I added a small EXIF snippet:

<?php
add_filter('katerina_portfolio_metadata', function ($meta, $attachment_id) {
    $exif = wp_get_attachment_metadata($attachment_id);
    if (!$exif || empty($exif['image_meta'])) {
        return $meta;
    }

    $image_meta = $exif['image_meta'];

    $extra = [];
    if (!empty($image_meta['camera'])) {
        $extra[] = 'Camera: ' . esc_html($image_meta['camera']);
    }
    if (!empty($image_meta['aperture'])) {
        $extra[] = 'f/' . esc_html($image_meta['aperture']);
    }
    if (!empty($image_meta['shutter_speed'])) {
        $extra[] = 'Shutter: ' . esc_html($image_meta['shutter_speed']) . 's';
    }

    return array_merge($meta, $extra);
}, 10, 2);

Now each image in the gallery shows extra metadata beneath the caption, with zero front-end hacks.

---

Performance & SEO: What the PHP Layer Lets You Tune

Script and Style Enqueues

One of my biggest complaints with many themes is how they enqueue scripts:

• Multiple copies of jQuery

• Enqueued assets on every page instead of conditionally

• Hard-coded <script> tags in templates

Katerina uses wp_enqueue_scripts properly. In your child theme, you can unhook or modify enqueues:

<?php
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', function () {
    // Dequeue a gallery JS we don't use
    wp_dequeue_script('katerina-fancy-gallery');

    // Enqueue our lighter alternative
    wp_enqueue_script(
        'katerina-custom-gallery',
        get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/assets/js/custom-gallery.js',
        ['jquery'],
        '1.0.0',
        true
    );
}, 20);

This matters a lot when you start profiling TTFB and total load time.

HTML Structure and Schema Markup

Because templates follow a clean hierarchy, it’s easy to inject simple structured data where needed. For example, wrapping portfolio items as CreativeWork:

<article <?php post_class(); ?> itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/CreativeWork">
    <meta itemprop="name" content="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>">
    <?php the_post_thumbnail('katerina_grid', ['itemprop' => 'image']); ?>
    <div class="entry-content" itemprop="description">
        <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
    </div>
</article>

You can add this in your child theme’s content-portfolio.php. Clean PHP + semantic HTML = easier SEO work.

Preloading Key Assets via PHP

Another nice PHP-level optimization: preloading the hero image in the <head> when on a single portfolio page.

<?php
add_action('wp_head', function () {
    if (!is_singular('portfolio')) {
        return;
    }
    $id  = get_post_thumbnail_id();
    $src = wp_get_attachment_image_url($id, 'katerina_full');
    if (!$src) {
        return;
    }
    echo '<link rel="preload" as="image" href="' . esc_url($src) . '">';
});

These are the kinds of tweaks LearnKu’s PHP audience tends to appreciate: small, targeted improvements entirely in PHP, with no messy theme hacking.

---

Comparing Katerina with DIY Themes and Generic Multipurpose Bases

Versus a Custom, From-Scratch Theme

As a PHP dev, I’ve built pure custom themes too. Why not do that here?

Pros of DIY:

• Full control of PHP structure.

• No surprises from vendor updates.

• Very lean asset footprint.

Cons in this context:

• Time. Building all the gallery, lightbox, grid, pagination, and responsive layout logic from scratch is a lot of work.

• UX. Photographers often want polished animations, curated typography, and multiple layout variants; recreating all of that takes more than a weekend.

• Opportunity cost. The time spent re-creating a battle-tested layout is time not spent on unique logic (like EXIF integrations or automated social exports).

For this project, Katerina gave me ~85–90% of what I’d build in a custom theme—but in a fraction of the time. The remaining 10–15% I implemented in the child theme’s PHP.

Versus Generic Multipurpose / WooCommerce Themes

On the other side are the multipurpose monsters, often marketed as “do everything, including e-commerce, with one mega theme.” You might even pick one from a gallery of popular WooCommerce Themes and try to force it into a photography portfolio.

The typical issues there:

• Overly complex options panels that treat WordPress like an afterthought.

• Template hierarchy subverted by proprietary “builder templates,” making your PHP knowledge less useful.

• Performance overhead from unused modules and third-party dependencies.

• Layouts tuned for product grids and checkout funnels, not for immersive photo storytelling.

Katerina takes a more opinionated but cleaner approach:

• It’s specifically designed for photography & portfolio use cases.

• It respects WordPress conventions so your PHP skills apply directly.

• It doesn’t bring a ton of unnecessary WooCommerce baggage unless you choose to integrate it.

For this project, that trade-off made sense: we needed a focused, visual storytelling theme—not a Swiss Army knife.

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Real-World Use Cases Where Katerina + PHP Shine

Based on my experience, here’s where I think Katerina is a very strong base for a PHP developer.

1. Solo Photographer or Studio Needing a Custom-Feeling Site

If you have one main photographer or a small studio:

• Use Katerina’s default layouts for the bulk of pages.

• Use child theme PHP to add small, brand-specific touches (e.g., EXIF, custom copyright, dynamic series titles).

• Extend galleries with your own markup and assets for a unique lightbox or scroll behavior.

You get a “crafted” feel without reinventing the grid or gallery wheel.

2. Multi-Series, Story-Driven Photography

For photographers who shoot long-form stories (travel, documentary, weddings):

• Treat each series as a portfolio or custom post type entry.

• Add custom fields for locations, shoot dates, or narrative text.

• Inject those into templates via PHP loops and meta calls.

Katerina’s structured templates make it easy to preserve storytelling flow without messy hacks.

3. Developer-Maintained Photo Platform

If you’re a PHP dev maintaining multiple photographer sites:

• Standardize on Katerina as a base theme.

• Keep reusable PHP snippets and child theme patterns in your private repo.

• When a new client comes in, clone the stack, update branding, and adjust only what’s unique.

You end up with a mini “framework” of your own, layered on top of a theme that already looks good to clients at first glance.

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Day-to-Day Maintenance as a PHP-Focused Site Admin

The last test for any theme is how annoying it is three months later.

With Katerina:

• PHP updates are localized. Most of my logic is in the child theme. Theme updates rarely break my additions because I’m not editing vendor templates directly unless I really have to.

• Content changes stay non-technical. Photographers can add new galleries, portfolio items, and blog posts through the normal WP UI. I don’t get pinged for every content update.

• Performance tweaks are incremental. When Lighthouse or WebPageTest shows an issue, I can respond at the PHP layer: defer or preload assets, change image sizes, tweak queries.

• New features are additive, not destructive. If I want to add, say, a “favorite images” feature using cookies or user meta, I can wire that up in PHP without fighting the theme.

For a LearnKu-style PHP audience, that’s the real story: Katerina doesn’t stop you from being a backend engineer. It gives you a structured, photography-friendly frontend so you can spend your PHP time on the interesting parts.

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Conclusion: Why Katerina WordPress Theme Works Well for PHP Developers

I went into this project expecting “just another pretty photography theme” with lots of animation and very little respect for code. What I actually found in the Katerina WordPress Theme was:

• A reasonably clean implementation of WordPress template hierarchy.

• Template partials that can be overridden surgically via a child theme.

• Enough hooks and filters to add metadata, markup, and behavior without forking.

• Sensible image handling (custom sizes, lazy loading, thumbnails) that can be tuned in PHP.

• Asset enqueues that respond well to optimization and profiling.

Is it perfect? No theme is. But from a PHP developer’s perspective, Katerina hits a rare balance: designers and photographers love how it looks, and I don’t feel like I’m fighting the underlying PHP every time I need to extend or optimize it.

If you’re active in the PHP community, especially the WordPress corner of it, and you’re looking for a base you can confidently build serious photography portfolios on—without disappearing into front-end builder hell—Katerina is genuinely worth putting into your toolbox. It lets you apply real PHP skills, write clean extensions, and still ship something that clients are proud to show off as their visual identity.

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