Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you happen to be hiding out there on the globe today! Coming to you LIVE from…

We’ve got a couple of great in-depth plugins to cover for you: Pixellize Image Optimizer that automatically converts your images to WebP on upload and makes your whole site load faster with almost zero effort, and FolioBlocks — a photographer-built solution that gives you beautiful, modern photo and video galleries that finally feel right at home in the block editor!

And of course we’ve also got some recent news in both the WordPress World and the Tech World in general with additional WordPress Tips!

Hoping everyone out there is enjoying the beginnings of summer! We are having a bit of ‘June-u-ary’ going on where we hang out around 10 for a bit before spiking back up to 25 and 30. For our American listeners that’s around 50, before spiking up to 77 and 86.

A few reminders before we start the show today….

Reminders:

• Join us here in person every Monday at 12:00 pm Pacific Time to enjoy our show!
• Show notes are added to wppluginsatoz.com within 24 hours of the show airing; you can find them either on the home page, or in the Podcast Vaults!
• This is a value for value show dear listeners, help us get some loven’ by hitting some like buttons, sharing an episode or two, or just turn our show on really loudly. We will catch somebody’s attention!

If you stick around until the end, you will have a chance to hear some good questions – sometimes meant for the greenies, sometimes meant for the very experienced – and sometimes the questions are just completely random. Stick around and have a listen, might help! Or at least entertain!

(Don’t feel shy about sending in a message just to say hi! Send along suggestions, questions, recommendations, news, art – we always love to hear from our listeners!)

 

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Let’s start the show with this weeks Featured Artist:

Artist: 

Who is our artist today?!?

Today is…. Grok! Looks like they gave back his artistic & creativity skills.

We would love some new art from our Producers out there! If you are so inclined, you can send it into us at amber@wppro.ca or john@wppro.ca. If you need some inspiration, you can always go to our site wppluginsatoz.com and check out our Art Vaults – you will find the link for it on the left hand menu.

We can NEVER have too much art!

 

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Breaking News in the WordPress World at large!! 

If you have anything you think should be added please send it into me at amber@wppro.ca!

News this week:

WordPress Vulnerability Report from PatchStack
https://patchstack.com/database/ – These guys are great, keeping up with the info, they always have the latest info waiting there for you so you have what you need at your fingertips!

WP Maps Pro Vulnerability Exploited to Take Over WordPress Sites https://www.securityweek.com/wp-maps-pro-vulnerability-exploited-to-take-over-wordpress-sites/ – This is news from June 1st, so if you have not heard about this be aware that WP Maps Pro is currently being exploited in the wild , allowing unauthenticated threat actors to create new administrative accounts to take over vulnerable sites. If you have not updated already you should do so immediately – and if you cannot update for any reason deactivate immediately.

Gutenberg 23.3 Ships Experimental Customizable WordPress Dashboard
https://www.therepository.email/gutenberg-23-3-ships-experimental-customizable-wordpress-dashboard – Gutenberg 23.3 has shipped with an experimental and customizable dashboard letting users add, move, resize and rearrange widgets on the WordPress admin’s home screen. Nice quality-of-life upgrade for the everyday users!

WordPress.org overhauls 20-year-old jobs board, adds career features to profiles
https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-org-overhauls-20-year-old-jobs-board-adds-career-features-to-profiles – The official WordPress Jobs Board just got a major refresh! Better profiles, improved search, and more modern features. Nice upgrade if you hire freelancers or are looking for WordPress work yourself.

SiteGround Auto-Installs AI plugin on customer sites, calls WordPress 7.0 a ‘Watershed Moment’ as customers push back
https://www.therepository.email/siteground-auto-installs-ai-plugin-on-customer-sites-calls-wordpress-7-0-a-watershed-moment-as-customers-push-back– SiteGround started automatically installing an AI plugin on customer sites. There’s been quite a bit of pushback from customers all over as they say there is no justification for installing software on their sites without asking.

(Go visit WP Shout Comics  OR Word Chronicles OR  MonkeyUser.com for a fantastic brain break – my favourite today is this one!)

Some Extras – check out our Facebook or Twitter!

WordPress.org overhauls 20-year-old jobs board, adds career features to profiles
https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-org-overhauls-20-year-old-jobs-board-adds-career-features-to-profiles

Court orders Silver Lake to run financial search terms, denies WP Engine’s motion against Audry
https://www.therepository.email/court-orders-silver-lake-to-run-financial-search-terms-denies-wp-engines-motion-against-audrey

WordPress.com launches free telegram agent to help attendees navigate WordCamp Europe 2026
https://www.therepository.email/wordpress-com-launches-free-telegram-agent-to-help-attendees-navigate-wordcamp-europe-2026

U.S court orders WP Engine to Reveal Strategy Deck sentence, finds Mullenweg was “evasive” in deposition
https://www.therepository.email/us-court-orders-wp-engine-to-reveal-strategy-deck-sentence-finds-mullenweg-was-evasive-in-deposition

What Happened at WordCamp Europe 2026
https://wordpress.org/news/2026/06/wceu-2026-recap/

Contributors launch FSE-Style outreach program to get real-time collaboration ready for WordPress 7.1
https://www.therepository.email/contributors-launch-fse-style-outreach-program-to-get-real-time-collaboration-ready-for-wordpress-7-1

Microsoft is ditching password-based authentication tomorrow (June 4th) – Edge browser will switch to Windows Hello access https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/microsoft-is-ditching-password-based-authentication-tomorrow-edge-browser-will-switch-to-windows-hello-access

Browser vendors pen open letter to Microsoft saying “enough is enough”
https://www.neowin.net/news/browser-vendors-pen-open-letter-to-microsoft-saying-enough-is-enough/

WhatsApp Disrupts NSO-Linked Cyberattack Targeting Users with Pegasus Spyware
https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-disrupts-nso-cyberattack/

Review Signal Publishes 2026 Hosting Benchmarks
https://www.therepository.email/review-signal-publishes-2026-hosting-benchmarks-after-three-year-gap-powered-by-its-own-open-source-load-testing-platform

Leaving Windows? Swap your favorite apps with these 5 Linux alternatives
https://www.howtogeek.com/leaving-windows-swap-your-favorite-apps-with-these-5-linux-alternatives/

Check Point links VPN zero-day attacks to Qilin ransomware gang
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/check-point-links-vpn-zero-day-attacks-to-qilin-ransomware-gang/

WP Engine and Automattic Trade accusations of witheld evidence in flurry of court filings
https://www.therepository.email/wp-engine-and-automattic-trade-accusations-of-withheld-evidence-in-flurry-of-court-filings

Five for the future gets its biggest overhaul in years with new pledge and profile pages
https://www.therepository.email/five-for-the-future-gets-its-biggest-overhaul-in-years-with-new-pledge-and-profile-pages

Matt Mullenweg uses WordPress’s 23rd birthday to appeal directly to Silver Lake: “You’ve won. I submit.”
https://www.therepository.email/matt-mullenweg-uses-wordpresss-23rd-birthday-to-appeal-directly-to-silver-lake-youve-won-i-submit

The WP Community collective launches state of the community survey
https://www.therepository.email/the-wp-community-collective-launches-state-of-the-community-survey

Patchstack CEO warns WordPress 7.0 could trigger “absolute rush” to steal AI API keys
https://www.therepository.email/patchstack-ceo-warns-wordpress-7-0-could-trigger-absolute-rush-to-steal-ai-api-keys

Slow Computer? It’s Probably Your Browser. 7 Ways to Speed Up Google Chrome
https://ca.pcmag.com/browsers/16123/slow-computer-its-probably-your-browser-7-ways-to-speed-up-google-chrome

AI brands as bait: How threat actors are using the AI hype in social engineering
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/06/08/ai-brands-as-bait-how-threat-actors-are-using-the-ai-hype-in-social-engineering/

Microsoft will deliver Defender EDR updates via Microsoft Update, enabling faster security improvements independent of Windows patches.
Microsoft making much needed change to Windows 11, 10 Patch Tuesday security updates

Microsoft is pushing 15 new Outlook features, but Classic users have had most of them for years
https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/06/07/microsoft-wants-classic-outlook-holdouts-to-switch-with-15-productivity-features-in-new-outlook-for-windows/?shem=dsdf,sharefoc,agadiscoversdl,,sh/x/discover/m1/4

Microsoft is launching a dedicated app to access, filter, and review meeting recaps inside Teams.
Microsoft confirms a new, useful Teams’ app is coming very soon

Microsoft answers what you must do as Windows 11 Secure Boot deadline hits in days
https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/06/08/microsoft-answers-what-you-must-do-as-windows-11-secure-boot-deadline-hits-in-days/

 

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Rogue’s Corner News and Extras

Be sure to go and check out the new and unique plugins now available from WPProAtoz.com!

Rogues Corner & Tip of the day

WordPress and Related News

Kadence and Liquid web drops even more balls:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1tzzad6/avoid_liquid_web_plugins/
Summary Kadence / Liquid Web Acquisition Drama – Major Red Flags in WP Ecosystem
TechEarlyWeb Rule Application: Straight technical breakdown, no fluff, focus on real-world dev impacts, migrations, support realities, and actionable lessons from the trenches. Early web ethos: reliable tools matter more than shiny features when client sites are on the line.

Core Issue from the Reddit Thread (r/Wordpress, posted ~June 8, 2026)

The post warns developers to avoid Liquid Web-acquired plugins (rebranded under Kadence, including Kadence Memberships (formerly Restrict Content Pro), Kadence Events (formerly The Events Calendar / TEC), GiveWP, LearnDash, and others).⁠Reddit
Primary Complaint (OP):
A near-launch client site required a paid add-on only available via validated license. Post-acquisition, Liquid Web altered license authentication poorly. Result: no license key works, support ticket open for
two weeks with zero response, sales chat equally unresponsive. Outcome: developer rebuilding significant site portions for free due to lost confidence. Pre-acquisition purchases didn’t need portal licenses; now forced into a broken system.⁠Reddit

Widespread Community Echoes (54+ comments, strong upvotes)

• Licensing & Portal Migration Disaster: Many report inability to download purchases or activate licenses. Old lifetime licenses and pre-acquisition setups broken by new portal. Field shows “1 website” but key generation fails. Described as “kindergarten level mistakes.”⁠Reddit
• Support Collapse: Massive layoffs (including dedicated per-plugin teams replaced by overworked generalists/offshore). Ticketing system overhaul = “clusterfuck.” Hundreds of unanswered tickets. Former support staff confirmed: pre-2025 excellent (tickets at ~0 daily); post-layoffs and migration = chaos. Another round of cuts despite backlog.⁠Reddit
• Performance & Code Quality Regression: TEC updates bloating DB, tanking site performance (multiple reports). Added licensing/tracking code making plugins resource-heavy. Conflicts, debug spam with unhelpful “hide the errors” advice. Sites that ran cleanly for years now problematic.⁠Reddit
• Acquisition Pattern: Consistent theme — plugins like TEC (Modern Tribe era praised for quality, 10-15+ years reliability) declined sharply after sale to Liquid Web/Nexcess. Similar stories for GiveWP, Kadence products. Users avoiding updates on lifetime licenses, facing eventual rebuilds.⁠Reddit

Other Notes from Thread:

• Kadence Theme/Blocks users worried about hooked elements and lock-in.
• Alternatives suggested: Blocksy, GeneratePress, Ollie, Greenshift for themes; Pie Calendar for events (with caveats for Eventbrite imports/large datasets).
• Broader discussion on AI/custom code vs. third-party plugins, but consensus leans toward support quality as the real risk for agencies/freelancers.⁠Reddit

Takeaways for WP Plugins A to Z Audience

This highlights classic acquisition risks: short-term revenue focus over product stability and support continuity. Liquid Web (once known for strong hosting support) appears stretched thin across plugins + hosting. For devs: audit dependencies now, especially pre-launch or high-event sites. Test alternatives early. Lifetime licenses offer temporary buffer but aren’t future-proof.
This fits the pattern we’ve covered on Plugin Pulse — ecosystem consolidation creating pain points. Worth monitoring Kadence/Liquid Web updates closely, and consider building resilience with ACF + custom code for critical features where ROI justifies it.

This Shows Featured Promotion

I will be promoting a premium plugin I’d like to help get others to buy it.
This week the Feature is:

ClickTock

https://friendlywebguy.co.uk/
https://friendlywebguy.co.uk/clicktock-time-tracker/

The Lowdown:
Simple time tracking built into your WordPress admin.
Stop guessing how long tasks took. ClickTock tracks your time directly in WordPress.

• One-click tracking – Timer runs right in your WordPress admin bar
• Organized by category – Development, Design, Meetings, Admin work
• Visual reports – Charts and CSV exports for billing
• Weekly / monthly emails – Automated emails with the period summary
• Sync across sites – Great for agencies, sync client site data to a central location for team wide reporting.

V for V for the show

If you get any value out of this show then donate that value back to the show. You can do so through time, talent, or treasure – or all 3!! – through our website wppluginsatoz.com.
Click on the ‘Treasure Donations’ link on the left-hand menu, or on the ‘Time, or Talent‘ pages to find out more!
Note to our listeners out there using Overcast you are the winners for the most downloads.

Talk about us WPProAtoZ.com as an agency and what we do
Follow WP Plugins A-Z on X @wppluginsatoz and Facebook WordPressPluginsA2Z

Upcoming Interviews and Available times:

Reminder that we have more interviews coming up in the coming weeks with more developers and community members https://wppluginsatoz.com/book-an-interview-on-wp-plugins-a-to-z-podcast/
Upcoming Interviews: Marcus Burnette on July 27
Available interview dates:  July 13th, Aug 10th & 24th  2026.

Other Shows and places to get WP Info & Training

The WP Builds Podcast
https://wpbuilds.com/
WP Roads
https://www.youtube.com/@wproads
WP-Tonic
https://www.wp-tonic.com/podcast-episodes/
Worlds Worst Web Developer
https://www.youtube.com/@WorldsWorstWebDeveloper
WP Mayor
https://www.youtube.com/@WPMayor
wp Minute
https://thewpminute.com/
The WP Week newsletter
https://wp-content.co/newsletter/archive/270/
Kitchensink WP
https://kitchensinkwp.com/

 

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Dragon Rating Time with John!

John’s Plugin

Pixellize Image Optimizer

https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/comments/1ts4pda/free_i_made_a_wordpress_plugin_that_autoconverts/
https://wordpress.org/plugins/pixellize-image-optimizer/

The Lowdown:
Pixellize Image Optimizer is a fast, lightweight, and beginner-friendly WordPress plugin that automatically converts uploaded images into modern WebP format.

It ensures that your website loads faster by replacing original image URLs across your entire site — including post content, image tags, and responsive srcset.

⚡ No manual conversion. No complex setup. Just upload and optimize.
🔥 Key Features

✅ Automatic WebP conversion on image upload
✅ Bulk optimize images already in your library, with a live progress bar and background processing
✅ Optimize a single page’s images on demand from the admin toolbar
✅ Supports JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and AVIF
✅ Skips images already in WebP format
✅ Smart fallback to Imagick if GD is unavailable
✅ Adjustable WebP quality (0–100, default: 85)
✅ Optional maximum image dimension to scale down large uploads before conversion
✅ Replace image URLs in:

Attachment tags
srcset (responsive images)
Post/page content

✅ Keep originals and add WebP for every size, or replace and delete to save storage
✅ Restore a single image back to its original from the Media Library
✅ Keeps original file safe if conversion fails
✅ Prevents duplicate conversions
✅ Activation blocked if no supported library (GD/Imagick) is found

Rating 5 Dragons

 

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WordPress Tips

We would love to hear some tid bit tips from some of our producers out there – what did you figure out by breaking something? Or what did you need to learn in order to help someone? You can send these tid bits into me at amber@wppro.ca

My tip to you today…

Don’t be afraid to dive into something you don’t understand head first.

Of course be at least a little smart about it like set yourself up on your sandbox, keep the safety net handy so you can run away screaming if it all goes horribly wrong – but be sure to dive in head first so you can’t back out.

It will likely feel absolutely terrifying and like an absolutely terrible idea – but once you are into it you may actually find you enjoy the new experience – like the icy water isn’t so bad in 40 degree weather after all!

The bonus to this is that so long as you allow yourself to flounder for a bit before running to the how-to guides, is that you are actually creating new neuron pathways within your brain that will make you sharper with your usual tools. You will be able to solve problems faster and easier on the stuff you already know after banging your head against the wall for a bit with the new stuff!

Don’t let yourself get stuck with just one builder, just one tool – forcing yourself to start over once in a while helps keep your brain rubbery and fresh… and it keeps the grumpy bear inside all of us at bay for a little bit longer!

 

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Dragon Rating Time with Amber!

Amber’s Plugin

FolioBlocks

https://folioblocks.com

The Lowdown:

This plugin was sent in by a Michael Campanella who is a professional photographer of 15 years! What Michael has to say:
I am a profession photographer of 15 years and FolioBlocks is my first WordPress plugin. I developed it because I felt most of the big photography plugins for WordPress were incredibly out of date and not really ideal for modern WordPress and the block editor. I wanted a plugin that was block editor first and took advantage of all the features available. When I could not find one I decided to build it.

There’s more to what Michael sent in, and you’re welcome to read the full description in the show notes!

FolioBlocks currently consists of 7 blocks (more are coming) for creating photo and video galleries. All galleries are built using inner blocks, our own custom video and image blocks. Which opens the possibility to drag and drop re-ordering in directly in the list view and a bunch of other features. You can add custom borders, shadow, and radii to images in real time. Enable filtering of galleries by adding keywords to the images and videos. You can even connect images and videos to WooCommerce products if you have it installed. 
All blocks are simple to use and easy to learn. We do recommend checking out the tutorial on the modular gallery block as that is the only gallery you build up one image at a time: https://folioblocks.com/blog/modular-gallery-block-for-wordpress/

Once I downloaded and activated it, I was taken straight to the FolioBlocks dashboard. You can also find it under “FolioBlocks” in the left-hand menu. The dashboard is really nicely laid out — you get a personal welcome, the available blocks, a changelog on the side (super useful!), quick links, and the latest news from their site.

Now there are some differences between the Free and Pro versions. Luckily they make it super easy — they have a dedicated Free vs Pro menu option right in the dashboard (along with Dashboard, System Info, and Upgrade). They laid it out really clearly and easy to understand.

Free version you get:
Before & After Block, Carousel Gallery Block, Grid Gallery Block, Justified Gallery Block, Masonry Gallery Block, and Video Gallery Block.

Your controls are more limited in the free version, but you still get the basics you need to actually use the blocks — things like responsive design settings and image resolution. The exact controls depend on each block, but the free version gives you enough to get going and create real galleries.

Pro version you get:
All of the above plus the Modular Gallery Block, and a lot more advanced controls (like show title on hover, WooCommerce integration, and others). With Pro there are basically no limitations — you get the full set of tools for each block.

When testing this out in Gutenberg – which admittedly I am not great with – I was able to figure out these blocks pretty easily – they are really straightforward and easy to use! My favourite one is the Before and After for sure – it is so cool! I love that effect on sites too!
One quirk I caught when I was playing with the Video Gallery block, I accidentally pasted a whole paragraph of text into the video URL field… and it actually accepted it with no error message. There was no little red warning or “that’s not a valid URL” bubble like I’m used to seeing in other plugins. When I went back later the field was just empty – so if you are using this you will probably want to double-check that you’ve put in a real video URL before you publish else your visitors and/or clients may be the ones who notice first.

Other than that it was smooth and easy to use – and loads of fun with all the controls I had to hand! This is fantastic for artists, photographers, really anyone who has anything they want to show off on their site!

I really like this plugin. From the dashboard all the way to the blocks, it’s designed to be easy and straightforward so anyone can figure it out. They did a fantastic job and I highly recommend it if you’re a Gutenberg user!

I only wish it worked with Elementor or Classic…

Rating: 5 Dragon

 

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Miscellaneous Announcements from all:

Have an announcement like a meetup, or to announce you’ll be on stage at a WordCamp? Let us know and we will add it here and help get your news out to the world!

WordPress Campus Connect Ribera del Duero – January 30 – June 17

WordPress Campus Connect Dhaka – May 10 – August 31

Nepal Photo Festival 2026 – May 16 – June 13

Uganda Website Projects Competition 2026 – June 9

WordPress Campus Connect Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) – June 11

To see the entire list you can follow the link here in the show notes, then click on ‘More WordCamps’ right below the list of the next 5. https://central.wordcamp.org/

If you are interested in finding a WordPress Meetup somewhere around the world you can go check out the places here: https://www.meetup.com/pro/wordpress/

Keep checking back every week to find out what else is going on!

 

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Make the Value for Value Pitch

V for V for the show

If this show saves you time, headaches, or helps level up your WordPress game, or if we have showcased a plugin you never knew you needed that wound up saving you hours of time – go out and plug people in!
Consider giving back through our V4V model: Time, Talent, or Treasure (or all three!). Head over to our site wppluginsatoz.com.
Click on the ‘Treasure Donations’ link on the left-hand menu, or on the ‘Time, or Talent‘ pages to find out more!

This show is supported by the V4V plan which means Time, Talent or Treasure.

How to Support the Show

Submit your Art work

Submit your art work or the best AI slop you can create submit it here https://wppluginsatoz.com/submit-plugin-review/

Donate Cash to the show this is our favourite way to get support
https://wppluginsatoz.com/donate-2/

Book yourself an interview, https://wppluginsatoz.com/book-an-interview-on-wp-plugins-a-to-z-podcast/
Get us to make your announcement for you, let the world know you have something to say or a company worth checking out!
Have a look through our site wppluginsatoz.com. Check out the Time, Talent and Treasure pages.

 

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Today’s Plugins we covered were:

John’s Plugin:

Pixellize Image Optimizer By Pixellize

• Automatic WebP Conversion Upon Image Upload
• Adjustable WebP Quality (0-100, 85 = default)
• Prevents Duplicate Conversions

Rating: 5 Dragons

 

Amber’s Plugin:

FolioBlocks by FolioBlocks

• Native Gutenberg Gallery Blocks (Grid, Masonry, Carousel, Justified, Before & After + more)
• Inner Blocks with Drag & Drop Reordering directly in List View
• Real-time Custom Borders, Shadows, and Image Radii

Rating: 5 Dragons

 

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How to reach us:

Feel like sending us something through the snail mail system? You can do that thanks to our brick and mortar address that we provide for you!
You can also reach us the more common way of the internets – have both of our internets available down below for ya!

Brick & Mortar Address
WP Plugins A to Z
C/O John Overall 
306 – 855 Ellery Rd. 
Victoria, BC  V9A 6X6 
Canada

Internets Addresses
John:

• My website:http://www.johnoverall.com/
• WordPress Emergency Support:http://wppro.ca/wpemergency
• email:john@wppro.ca

Amber:

• email: amber@wppro.ca

 

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Q & A Time with Amber – Catch this info on our YouTube Channel

If you have questions you would like to have asked on the show, send them in to me atAmber@WPPro.ca – !

• For those building out a new site in WordPress, would you recommend they focus on the speed and performance or on the beauty and usability first – and why?

• When you’re building out a new WordPress site, do you make preparations early for future plans — like multi-user setups, WooCommerce shops, or membership features? Do you install those plugins right away, set up the pages ahead of time, or is it a better option to just leave that until ‘it happens’?

Questions asked after closing credits:

• As a photographer yourself, what first bits of advice would you give to photographers who are new to building a site to showcase their work? What’s most important when getting their photos up and presented beautifully?

• How would you go about creating a timelessly beautiful site design that survives through all the era changes — from 90s to 2020s styles and beyond? What’s your approach to building a site that doesn’t look outdated no matter how trends shift?

 

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