diff --git a/generate.php b/generate.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f1b208
--- /dev/null
+++ b/generate.php
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+
+// todo: look for images in a directory
+// for each image, see if a thumbnail exists in a thumbnail subdirectory
+
+$photos = [];
+
+foreach (scandir('./images') as $inode) {
+    var_dump($inode);
+    
+    $file_name = basename($inode);
+    
+    if ( ! file_exists("./images/thumbnails/$file_name")) {
+        // todo: make thumbnail - needs imagick/gd or something
+    }
+    
+    // maybe each photo can have a text file associated with it, for a description / alt text / etc?
+    //     can this be stored in jpeg metadata?
+    
+    // could generate a "view photo on its own" kinda HTML page with a mid-size version of the photo
+    
+    $photos[] = sprintf(
+        '
+            <div class="photo">
+                <a href="%s">
+                    <img src="%s" alt="%s">
+                </a>
+            </div>
+        ',
+        'todo: full-size image or photo page',
+        'todo: thumbnail filename',
+    );
+}
+
+file_put_contents(
+    'index.html',
+    sprintf(
+        file_get_contents('template.html'),
+        'Whee'
+    )
+);
diff --git a/style.css b/style.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1f5155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/style.css
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/**
+ * classless CSS
+ */
+
diff --git a/template.html b/template.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7232d5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template.html
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en-gb">
+    <head>
+        <meta charset="utf-8">
+        <title>Photos</title>
+    </head>
+
+    <body>
+        <h1>Photos</h1>
+
+        <main>
+            %s
+        </main>
+    </body>
+</html>
