Since then, the block editor has come a long way, with many new features and a streamlined editing experience. The vast majority of features and enhancements that have come to WordPress over the last several years have been in the Block Editor. As we continue to develop ProPhoto, we have also run into more and more hurdles in maintaining compatibility with both editors. So, in order to best utilize our time and resources, and to best align with the direction of WordPress moving forward, ProPhoto will be dropping support for the Classic Editor plugin on August 17, 2024.

To clarify, this does not mean that you have to stop using the Classic Editor plugin, or that the plugin won’t work with ProPhoto. We are however removing ProPhoto integration from the Classic Editor, so you will no longer be able to add ProPhoto Grids and Galleries to your posts/pages from that editing screen.

If adding ProPhoto Grids and Galleries to your posts/pages is part of your workflow, then you will want to switch to the Block Editor by the date above. We think you’ll find that once you familiarize yourself with the Block Editing experience, you’ll find it very easy to work with.

I’m writing this guest post to let you all know about a brand-new software product I created — a Mac app called “Gertrude”. It’s similar to ProPhoto in one sense: I started both of them because of a problem I had.

In 2005 my wife was getting into the photography business, and we couldn’t afford a high-end custom blog. With Gertrude, I was frustrated trying to ensure that my teenage kids only had access to the parts of the internet they needed for school.

More and more these days, kids are doing a large part of their school or homework online. The internet is fantastic for education, but we all know it has many dark corners. A widely-cited statistic says that 37% of the internet is pornography.

There are many parental control or internet filter apps out there, but the vast majority of them work by trying to block certain categories of websites. This is a great idea in theory, but it has a fundamental flaw: there are just too many websites. 1.9 billion last time I checked, and that number grows by 250,000 every day. Sadly therefore, trying to block categories of the internet will never be truly effective, there will always be huge loopholes that a motivated kid can and will find.

The only way to really be safe with the internet is to take the opposite approach: block everything by default, and safe-list just the sites you specifically want to allow. Unfortunately, this approach also has a fundamental problem: it’s really hard to do. A couple years ago, I started using the best of the few options I could find that allowed me to do this, and it was almost unbearably hard to use. And it intermittently failed. That’s when I started working on Gertrude.

The core idea of Gertrude is that it should be possible for parents with average computer skills to lock down the internet entirely, except for the sites they have specifically allowed. Like I said, this is harder than it sounds, but instead of giving up and settling for the illusion of safety, we’re digging in and tackling the problem head-on with a suite of tools aimed at making this manageable, and hopefully easier every day.

Right now it’s available for early access. You can try it for 60 days with no credit card, and then after that it’s just $5/month for an entire family. You can start a trial or find out more at our website:

https://gertrude.app

This is a final reminder message to all ProPhoto 7 users that support for ProPhoto 7 will be ending on December 31, 2022. Be aware that this does not mean that ProPhoto 7 will stop working after that date. It only means that ProPhoto 7 will no longer be updated or supported by us. So you are free to continue using ProPhoto 7 as long as you would like, just be aware that you will be on your own after 2022.

As of today’s date (November 4, 2022), ProPhoto 7 is fully compatible with the latest WordPress and PHP versions (WordPress 6.1 and PHP 8.1). However, after 2022 ends, ProPhoto 7 will not be updated for any new WordPress or PHP releases.

While it is sad to close this chapter in ProPhoto’s history, we are extremely excited about the growth we have seen in 2022 for our new hosted ProPhoto subscription service. Many ProPhoto users (including P7 users) have made the switch to hosted ProPhoto and have been extremely impressed with their site’s improved speed, new ProPhoto improvements, and our top-notch support. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, make sure to head over to our website, or contact us directly.

UPDATE: March 11, 2022 – Per WordPress’ 5.9.2 release yesterday (March 10, 2022), this issue has not been resolved. Instead, WordPress decided to push the fix back to their 5.9.3 release (release date TBD). So ProPhoto users should avoid updating to WordPress 5.9.2.

TLDR: Do not update to WordPress 5.9.1. We will provide additional information when it is safe to update WordPress again.

Yesterday, February 22, 2022, WordPress released update 5.9.1. This update contained a change intended to ensure fully responsive behavior for older uploaded images. However, the way it was implemented was very broad in scope and can cause issues with how certain images display in ProPhoto (specifically image layers in tiles and gallery images). As such, we are recommending ProPhoto customers do not update to WordPress 5.9.1 for now.

Since the release, a bug ticket has been created (as the change affected a lot of other WordPress users) and it appears a fix may be implemented, possibly in WordPress 5.9.2. But how and when the fix will be implemented exactly, we are not yet sure. We will keep track of the situation and communicate when it is safe to update WordPress again.

If you have already updated to WordPress 5.9.1, and are seeing issues with images on your site, please contact us and we will be happy to help you get rolled back to WordPress 5.9. (Or, if you feel comfortable doing it yourself, there is a plugin you can use to downgrade as well.)

What if my site doesn’t get the update, or does update, but then breaks?

If your site does not update to this latest version of ProPhoto 7, then you will want to make sure and read our previous ProPhoto 7 update post. That update helped prepare sites for this 7.7.19 release and the post explains how you will need to contact your host to have them change the PHP version on your server, then re-enable automatic updates in ProPhoto 7.

For those that never logged in to perform that last ProPhoto 7 update (7.7.18), if your site now updates to the latest version (7.7.19) and you see any sort of fatal errors on your site, you will want to contact your webhost right away and have them change the PHP version on the server to the latest available (PHP 7.3 or higher). All reputable webhosts should be providing PHP 7.3 or higher at this point.

Also Included

Besides changing the minimum PHP requirement and ensuring PHP 8.0 compatibility, this latest ProPhoto 7 update also includes a fix to help maintain Instagram account authorization and avoid frequent broken connections.

How do I update ProPhoto 7 on my site?

Assuming you have auto-updating enabled in the “ProPhoto > Settings > Advanced > Miscellaneous” area, the next time you login to your site, you should see it auto-update, like this:

After ProPhoto has updated, you can look in the lower right corner of your WordPress admin to see which version of ProPhoto is running.

You’ll want to make sure it shows ProPhoto 7.7.18.

Alternatively, you can view your ProPhoto 7 version number in the “ProPhoto > Settings > Advanced > Miscellaneous” area and/or trigger an automatic update from there if needed. And if your site is not auto-updating for any reason, you can update your ProPhoto 7 theme files manually.

Why is this update important?

This new release of ProPhoto 7 (7.7.18) includes a built-in checker to see what version of PHP your host’s server is currently running. The reason for this is that the next ProPhoto update we release (September 1, 2021) is going to raise the minimum PHP requirement for ProPhoto 7 to PHP 7.3 and will also ensure ProPhoto 7 compatibility with PHP 8.0.

If our checker determines that your server is running PHP 7.2 or older, you will see this banner at the top of your admin:

ProPhoto 7 will also disable automatic updates for you in “ProPhoto > Settings > Advanced > Miscellaneous” so that you do not receive future updates (which could cause your site to break). You will want to follow the steps below to resolve.

If you do not see this banner in your admin area, there is nothing you need to do. You are all set and your site is ready for future ProPhoto updates! (A majority of ProPhoto 7 users are already running PHP 7.3 or higher and won’t see the banner.)

I see the PHP warning banner, now what?

If you see the warning banner shown above, you will want to contact your webhost and request that they increase the PHP setting on your hosting plan to PHP 7.3 or 7.4. Most reputable webhosts offer these PHP versions so having them make the switch should not be a problem. (In fact WordPress itself strongly recommends a minimum PHP version of 7.4.) Once your webhost updates the PHP setting, the warning banner from us in your WordPress admin will disappear. Then, you will want to go to the “ProPhoto > Settings > Advanced > Miscellaneous” area and enable ProPhoto auto-updates once again. Your site is now ready to receive future ProPhoto updates!

If for any reason your webhost can’t update your server’s PHP version to the 7.3 minimum, your ProPhoto 7 software will still work, but just be aware you will not be able to get future updates. Not to mention that older PHP versions are far less secure. So if you fall into this situation, it would be worth looking at switching to a different webhost, or checking out our hosted ProPhoto option where you’ll never have to worry about PHP or updates again!

Can I update to PHP 8.0 now?

No, you will not want to update your PHP setting to 8.0 just yet. After our next ProPhoto 7 update is released on September 1, 2021, then your site will be ready to run on PHP 8.0. However, if you really want to update your site to PHP 8.0 before then, contact us directly so we can help.

What else is included in the ProPhoto 7.7.18 update?

Other items included in this ProPhoto 7 update are:

• Update to ensure correct display of fixed background images on “pro” iOS devices.
• Compatibility updates for WordPress 5.8 release.

We’ve heard your feedback on our new pricing structure and we’re excited to announce that we’ve reduced the monthly subscription from $49/month to $39/month effective immediately!

Want more good news?

Your first year is only $25/month with the discount code FIRSTYEAR. Sign up here to take advantage of the current offer.

How are we able to offer this new price?

As more users continue to join, our backend costs go down. While we could pocket this money for ourselves, we built ProPhoto to support photographers with small businesses and big dreams. We want to pass our savings onto you so you can continue to grow your platform with the comfort that we’ll be there to keep your site running smoothly!

Questions?

You can always contact us directly on our site, and we will be more than happy to help!

Matt Thompson Photography

This modern, colorful design by Matt Thompson is a beautiful example of what you can do with a little bit of color and some fun design elements!

Meggan Harrison Photography

Meggan has done an excellent job customizing Swoone’s Free Spirit template for ProPhoto. She used some of the existing design accents to compliment her brand and photography.

June Lion Photography

We love this simple, bold, design that June Lion created using one of La Lune Creative’s templates.

JO PHOTO

The Flying Muse created this beautiful website for JO PHOTO with large beautiful backgrounds and modern minimal design.

Suffice it to say, we are coming to the end of what will likely be one of the craziest years of our lifetimes. Our hearts go out to all of you that have suffered, both personally and professionally, in 2020.

This year has been a wild ride for us as well, but we are excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us and so we really wanted to share where ProPhoto is headed and how we hope to serve you and your business even better in the years to come.

So Long ProPhoto 6…

ProPhoto 6 was publicly released in May of 2016 and was probably the most challenging update for our company to develop as we moved into creating a fully responsive, fully customizable theme. We know it was a difficult transition for many users, and not favorable to some. However, it really helped pave the way for ProPhoto 7 and what is yet to come.

We released an update for ProPhoto 6 (the week of December 14, 2020) to ensure compatibility with WordPress 5.6. But, effective March 31, 2021, development and customer support will be ending for ProPhoto 6. You are free to continue using ProPhoto 6 after support ends, just be aware that we will no longer be actively updating ProPhoto 6, or answering any technical questions about it.

Does this mean ProPhoto 6 will stop working after support ends?

No, not at all. In fact, ProPhoto 6 may continue to work for a good while after support ends. (For example, there are plenty of users of older ProPhoto versions that have continued to use them for many years beyond the end of support. Which is part of the reason our pricing model is no longer viable , more on that below.)

Just be aware that ProPhoto 6 is not compatible with PHP 7.4 or beyond. As such, if your webhost updates your server to PHP 7.4, and provides no option to revert back to an older PHP version, your site will not work. However, if your host offers PHP version 7.3 or older, your ProPhoto 6 site will work just fine. As of the date of this post, most standard webhosts have been and are still offering older versions of PHP.

What if I’m on ProPhoto 5 or older?

You must like to live your life on the edge If you’re on P5 or older, your version of ProPhoto hasn’t been supported for a good while now. Hey, we get it, not everyone wants to update all the time. You might be playing with fire though and if things stop working, sorry, we can’t help.

What’s next? Hosted ProPhoto!

The reason support is ending for ProPhoto 6 is that we are now focusing all efforts on the future of ProPhoto, hosted ProPhoto sites! After 12+ years of developing and supporting ProPhoto to work on just about every webhost that exists, we decided it was time that our customers deserved better. Are there some good hosts out there? Absolutely. However, the vast majority of our customers continue to suffer from underperforming sites and not getting quality support when they need it most.

So we’ve chosen to take our experience and create a hosted, all-in-one solution that gives customers what they deserve. Super-fast dedicated servers dialed in specifically for WordPress and ProPhoto? Check. The fully-customizable, totally-flexible ProPhoto theme, with free updates for life? Check. Our best-in-class support team here to help you with every aspect of your website? Check!

To say we’re excited about hosted ProPhoto would be a major understatement. We’ve always strived to provide the best product and support that we can to our customers. With hosted ProPhoto, we can serve you and your business even better! No more middle man…ProPhoto is now your entire website Get all the details on our hosted ProPhoto sites landing page.

Why is ProPhoto switching to this hosted subscription model now?

The main reason for this change is that our prior pricing model (one-time fee) is just no longer sustainable for our business. For years we have incurred great costs trying to develop and support ProPhoto to work on a countless number of web hosts. Couple this with more and more customers not upgrading their ProPhoto software and choosing to run on old versions and the model just doesn’t work.

What about the pricing? Why it is higher than my current hosting?

We realize that at first glance, the pricing ($39/month full price) may seem high when compared to normal webhosting. However, it’s important to note that this subscription isn’t just hosting, but includes:

• Optimized, fully dedicated WordPress/ProPhoto hosting for a well-performing site. This isn’t basic Managed WordPress Hosting, but top-end hosting that would generally cost a minimum of $20-$30/month elsewhere.
• Items like SSL, backup, security, etc. which many other hosts charge extra for.
• The ProPhoto theme, with continuous updates.
• Our support to help you with all aspects of your site (hosting, WordPress, ProPhoto, etc.).

For folks that want a great performing site that they don’t have to worry about, we think it provides a lot of value. Cheap hosting generally means underperforming sites, paid add-ons, no theme and “less than adequate” support.

Will my existing design still work on hosted ProPhoto?

Absolutely! All ProPhoto 6 and ProPhoto 7 designs will import over and work just fine on hosted ProPhoto.

What new features will be coming to hosted ProPhoto first?

Site speed and optimization is our first priority for hosted ProPhoto. While WordPress and ProPhoto are already faster out of the box on our hosted platform, our development team is hard at work to make hosted ProPhoto sites even faster. Making sure that your site is well optimized for today’s standards is our top priority. Folks on our hosted platform will be getting these and all future updates as they are released.

What if I don’t want to use your hosted option? Will there be a self-hosted ProPhoto product going forward?

Truthfully, we don’t yet know the answer to that question. We realize there are a number of customers who are still happy with their host and/or don’t want to make a hosting change. As such, we have been discussing and considering the possibility of offering a self-hosted ProPhoto subscription license in the future. If possible, we would like to make this happen.

However, there are some important questions to be answered. The primary one being, what should/would support look like for a self-hosted ProPhoto option look like? We will continue exploring the possibility of a self-hosted option, but for the immediate future, our efforts are focused on our hosted sites solution.

We will likely know whether a self-hosted option will be possible in the first half of 2021.

So what about ProPhoto 7?

ProPhoto 7, our first version to offer the Visual Builder, has been many of our users’ favorite release yet. It is a feature rich, rock solid theme that we are still actively supporting and updating. Just be aware that ProPhoto 7 will not be receiving any new features. Instead, all new features that we are developing will be going to those on our hosted ProPhoto platform.

We are still selling ProPhoto 7 for those that are not yet ready or able to switch to our hosted platform, and we will continue to do so for a while. We do not yet have a date when we will stop offering ProPhoto 7, but it will also likely be sometime in the first half of 2021.

How’s ProPhoto 7 support going to work then?

Don’t worry, if you purchase ProPhoto 7 now, it will still be fully supported by us for one year after the date we stop selling ProPhoto, whenever that is. So for example, if we happen to stop selling ProPhoto 7 on April 1, 2020, you would still get support for ProPhoto 7 until April 1, 2021. Again, we do not yet know what that date will be, but realistically, ProPhoto 7 will still be supported at a minimum for the next 15-18 months.

Will ProPhoto 7 stop working once support ends?

No, ProPhoto 7 will likely continue to work just fine for a good long while after support ends. (Again, we have lots of customers on old ProPhoto versions who are using them many years after support has ended.) When support ends, it only means we will stop actively developing and providing technical support.

Should I buy ProPhoto 7, or switch to hosted ProPhoto instead?

That is totally up to you Again, ProPhoto 7 is a great theme that is fully supported. However, it isn’t going to be receiving any new features and we won’t be supporting it forever. If you’d like to make the change in the future, but right now isn’t a good time for you, ProPhoto 7 may be a nice stop gap until you can switch.

Otherwise, hosted ProPhoto is really the best option for most folks. It ensures your site is running smoothly, is always up to date and is fully supported by us. Which ensures a better experience for you and your business!

Quick Overview

On June 29, 2020, Instagram stopped providing access to their old API, which allowed 3rd party apps (like ProPhoto) to access and display personal Instagram feeds. This old API is what ProPhoto used to allow ProPhoto 6 and ProPhoto 7 users to authorize and display their Instagram feed using the ProPhoto grid functionality.

We have been working hard to incorporate the new API access into ProPhoto 7 and while it will allow you to continue to display your Instagram feed as before, there is a step required by you the site owner, and several items to note (see below starting with “What you need to do…“).

For ProPhoto 6 however, we have made the decision not to incorporate the new API since P6 is nearing end of life from a support standpoint. See the “Alternative Options” section below for other ways to continue displaying an Instagram feed on your P6 site.

What you need to do…

To continue displaying your Instagram feed via your ProPhoto 7 grid, you will need to re-authorize your Instagram account in order to utilize their new API. To re-authorize, head to the “ProPhoto > Settings > Site Settings > Social Media” area AFTER you see your ProPhoto theme files automatically update (Version 7.7.15). (If your site hasn’t updated for any reason, you can manually update as shown here.)

Here, you will click the button to “De-authorize”.

After you have de-authorized, simply click the “Authorize” button to re-authorize your account again. That’s it! Your previously placed grid will continue to show your Instagram feed as before.

What to be aware of…

Because of how Instagram’s new API works and provides feed data, it has required some changes to ProPhoto internally. The biggest change it that ProPhoto now has to fetch and download your Instagram feed images, so that it can display them in your grid. These downloaded images will be stored in your “Media > Library,” just like any other image that you would upload to your site. If you try deleting any of these images, be aware that ProPhoto will keep downloading and storing them. So just leave them as they are in the “Media > Library.”

This downloading of Instagram images to your own site will happen the very first time you try loading your site after re-authorization. As a result, be aware that it could take a while on that initial load for your Instagram grid to display, since there is a lot of behind the scenes working going on. But after the Instagram grid finally loads, going forward, it should load much faster as it will only have to download any new Instagram post images.

Alternative options

If you decide you’d rather not use the built-in ProPhoto Instagram functionality for any reason (or you are a P6 user), be aware there are alternative options available. You are free to search for and use a WordPress plugin that provides for an Instagram feed widget. (Smash Balloon is popular.) Or, you can look into 3rd party applications, like Lightwidget or Snapwidget that provide you with embed code that you can use to display your Instagram feed.

If using a plugin, ProPhoto 6 users will likely want to use a Plugin Widget and ProPhoto 7 users a Widget Module to display. If using embed code, P6 users can use a Text Widget and P7 users a Widget Module to display the code within their site design.