Adding an image gallery to a WordPress blog doesn't have to be difficult. Even a beginner can follow the instruction to create their own gallery of beautiful images. You may have searched for a plugin to create your gallery and there are plenty of choices, but you don't need a WordPress plugin to create an image gallery. 

<h2>How to Create an Image Gallery in WordPress</h2>

The first setup in creating your image gallery is to create a new blog post. Simply log into your WordPress dashboard and go to <strong>Posts &gt;&gt; Add New</strong>. You can also add the image gallery to an existing post by selecting that post and opening the edit screen. 

After you have started your new posts, you want to click on the "Add Media" button.

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/AddMediaButton.png" alt="Add Media Button" width="537" height="213" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6402" />

This button will give you the WordPress media uploader and from here, you will need to click the "Create Gallery" link on the left side of your screen. From this screen, you can either upload images from your computer or select existing images in your media library for your gallery. Just select the images you want to add with the check marks and each image will show up in your gallery. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/WordPressImageGallery.png" alt="WordPress Image Gallery" width="1098" height="517" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6403" />

Now that you have selected all the images you want in your gallery, just click the "Create a New Gallery" button. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CreateNewGallery.png" alt="Create New Gallery" width="294" height="236" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6404" />

Once you've created your gallery, you will be taken to a screen that will give you the ability to add a caption to each of the images. You can also reverse the order of the images from this screen and change any other gallery settings necessary. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/AddCaptionToImages.png" alt="Add Caption To Images" width="824" height="374" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6405" />

Once you have completed any changes you want to make to your WordPress image gallery, click the "Insert Gallery" button. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/InsertGallery.png" alt="Insert Gallery" width="306" height="178" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6406" />

The media uploader will now close and you will get the necessary code within the post for your new image gallery. If you're using the visual editor, this is what you will see:

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ImageGalleryInVisualEditor.png" alt="Image Gallery In Visual Editor" width="495" height="272" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6407" />

If you are using the text editor, you will see a simple code that looks like this:

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ImageGalleryInTextEditor.png" alt="Image Gallery In Text Editor" width="213" height="118" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6408" />

You can check your gallery by using the post preview button. If you need to make any changes, just click the "Add Media" button again and edit your gallery settings. After you have made all the necessary changes, you can publish your gallery. 

<h2>Creating a WordPress Image Gallery with a Plugin</h2>

Of course, you don't have to use a plugin to create an image gallery for a WordPress blog. However, if you want to gain a few extra options and use a responsive WordPress gallery plugin, the Envira Gallery plugin is the best choice. This plugin isn't free, however. They have four packages ranging from $19 to $249, depending on the features you need. 

When you choose a plugin for your image gallery, you will gain many other settings and options compared to the built-in image gallery in WordPress.  This specific gallery plugin will allow you to create flexible galleries and put them just about anywhere on your page. The plugin even comes with a widget. 

<h2>Turning Your WordPress Image Gallery into a Carousel</h2>

There are a couple of different ways to turn your image gallery into a Carousel. If you're using the plugin <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/">Jetpack by WordPress.com</a>, you can use the Carousel section of this plugin for this task. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/JetpackCarousel.png" alt="Jetpack Carousel" width="364" height="441" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6409" />
Just go to the Jetpack section in the sidebar and you will see "Carousel" in the list of options. You don't actually have to do anything with this carousel option to get it to work. It will automatically turn any standard WordPress image gallery into a carousel for you.

Another option, if you're not using the Jetpack by WordPress.com plugin, is the <a href="http://wordpress.org/plugins/carousel-without-jetpack/">Gallery Carousel Without JetPack plugin</a>. This plugin will allow you to transform any standard gallery into a full-screen carousel very easily. 

Once you've installed this plugin, you simply go to <strong>Settings &gt;&gt; Media</strong>, within your WordPress dashboard. In this section, you will see a new "Image Gallery Carousel" area. 

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ImageGalleryCarousel.png" alt="Image Gallery Carousel" width="653" height="219" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6410" />

You can make any changes necessary from here. Now, you can view your gallery and see how it looks with the carousel settings.

Adding an image gallery to a WordPress blog can be very helpful. This can increase the user experience and make the overall look of your site better. Use the instructions and plugins above to create your beautiful WordPress image gallery today.
