diff --git a/include/api.php b/include/api.php
index 22ed066baf..c59ecd016a 100644
--- a/include/api.php
+++ b/include/api.php
@@ -3961,7 +3961,7 @@ function api_fr_photoalbum_delete($type)
 	}
 
 	// now let's delete all photos from the album
-	$result = DBA::delete('photo', ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album]);
+	$result = Photo::delete(['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album]);
 
 	// return success of deletion or error message
 	if ($result) {
@@ -3995,11 +3995,11 @@ function api_fr_photoalbum_update($type)
 		throw new BadRequestException("no new albumname specified");
 	}
 	// check if album is existing
-	if (!DBA::exists('photo', ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album])) {
+	if (!Photo::exists(null, ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album])) {
 		throw new BadRequestException("album not available");
 	}
 	// now let's update all photos to the albumname
-	$result = DBA::update('photo', ['album' => $album_new], ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album]);
+	$result = Photo::update(['album' => $album_new], ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album]);
 
 	// return success of updating or error message
 	if ($result) {
@@ -4099,14 +4099,8 @@ function api_fr_photo_create_update($type)
 	} else {
 		$mode = "update";
 
-		// check if photo is existing in database
-		$r = q(
-			"SELECT `id` FROM `photo` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `resource-id` = '%s' AND `album` = '%s'",
-			intval(api_user()),
-			DBA::escape($photo_id),
-			DBA::escape($album)
-		);
-		if (!DBA::isResult($r)) {
+		// check if photo is existing in databasei
+		if (!Photo::exists($photo_id, ['uid' => api_user(), 'album' => $album]) {
 			throw new BadRequestException("photo not available");
 		}
 	}
@@ -4135,47 +4129,40 @@ function api_fr_photo_create_update($type)
 
 	// now let's do the changes in update-mode
 	if ($mode == "update") {
-		$sql_extra = "";
+		$updated_fields = [];
 
 		if (!is_null($desc)) {
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`desc` = '$desc'";
+			$updated_fields['desc'] = $desc;
 		}
 
 		if (!is_null($album_new)) {
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`album` = '$album_new'";
+			$updated_fields['album'] = $album_new;
 		}
 
 		if (!is_null($allow_cid)) {
 			$allow_cid = trim($allow_cid);
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`allow_cid` = '$allow_cid'";
+			$updated_fields['allow_cid'] = $allow_cid;
 		}
 
 		if (!is_null($deny_cid)) {
 			$deny_cid = trim($deny_cid);
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`deny_cid` = '$deny_cid'";
+			$updated_fields['deny_cid'] = $deny_cid;
 		}
 
 		if (!is_null($allow_gid)) {
 			$allow_gid = trim($allow_gid);
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`allow_gid` = '$allow_gid'";
+			$updated_fields['allow_gid'] = $allow_gid;
 		}
 
 		if (!is_null($deny_gid)) {
 			$deny_gid = trim($deny_gid);
-			$sql_extra .= (($sql_extra != "") ? " ," : "") . "`deny_gid` = '$deny_gid'";
+			$updated_fields['deny_gid'] = $deny_gid;
 		}
 
 		$result = false;
-		if ($sql_extra != "") {
+		if (count($updated_fields) > 0) {
 			$nothingtodo = false;
-			$result = q(
-				"UPDATE `photo` SET %s, `edited`='%s' WHERE `uid` = %d AND `resource-id` = '%s' AND `album` = '%s'",
-				$sql_extra,
-				DateTimeFormat::utcNow(),   // update edited timestamp
-				intval(api_user()),
-				DBA::escape($photo_id),
-				DBA::escape($album)
-			);
+			$result = Photo::update($updated_fields, ['uid' => api_user(), 'resource-id' => $photo_id, 'album' => $album]);
 		} else {
 			$nothingtodo = true;
 		}
@@ -4224,16 +4211,12 @@ function api_fr_photo_delete($type)
 		throw new BadRequestException("no photo_id specified");
 	}
 	// check if photo is existing in database
-	$r = q(
-		"SELECT `id` FROM `photo` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `resource-id` = '%s'",
-		intval(api_user()),
-		DBA::escape($photo_id)
-	);
-	if (!DBA::isResult($r)) {
+	$r = Photo::exists($photo_id, ['uid' => api_user()]);
+	if (!$r) {
 		throw new BadRequestException("photo not available");
 	}
 	// now we can perform on the deletion of the photo
-	$result = DBA::delete('photo', ['uid' => api_user(), 'resource-id' => $photo_id]);
+	$result = Photo::delete(['uid' => api_user(), 'resource-id' => $photo_id]);
 
 	// return success of deletion or error message
 	if ($result) {
@@ -4343,7 +4326,7 @@ function api_account_update_profile_image($type)
 	// change specified profile or all profiles to the new resource-id
 	if ($is_default_profile) {
 		$condition = ["`profile` AND `resource-id` != ? AND `uid` = ?", $data['photo']['id'], api_user()];
-		DBA::update('photo', ['profile' => false], $condition);
+		Photo::update(['profile' => false], $condition);
 	} else {
 		$fields = ['photo' => System::baseUrl() . '/photo/' . $data['photo']['id'] . '-4.' . $filetype,
 			'thumb' => System::baseUrl() . '/photo/' . $data['photo']['id'] . '-5.' . $filetype];
diff --git a/mod/item.php b/mod/item.php
index 4617dfa02e..cc9de0dd60 100644
--- a/mod/item.php
+++ b/mod/item.php
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Model\Conversation;
 use Friendica\Model\FileTag;
 use Friendica\Model\Item;
+use Friendica\Model\Photo;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Diaspora;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Email;
 use Friendica\Util\DateTimeFormat;
@@ -456,16 +457,18 @@ function item_post(App $a) {
 				// Ensure to only modify photos that you own
 				$srch = '<' . intval($original_contact_id) . '>';
 
-				$condition = ['allow_cid' => $srch, 'allow_gid' => '', 'deny_cid' => '', 'deny_gid' => '',
-						'resource-id' => $image_uri, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
-				if (!DBA::exists('photo', $condition)) {
+				$condition = [
+					'allow_cid' => $srch, 'allow_gid' => '', 'deny_cid' => '', 'deny_gid' => '',
+					'uid' => $profile_uid
+				];
+				if (!Photo::exists($image_uri, $condition)) {
 					continue;
 				}
 
 				$fields = ['allow_cid' => $str_contact_allow, 'allow_gid' => $str_group_allow,
 						'deny_cid' => $str_contact_deny, 'deny_gid' => $str_group_deny];
 				$condition = ['resource-id' => $image_uri, 'uid' => $profile_uid];
-				DBA::update('photo', $fields, $condition);
+				Photo::update($fields, $condition);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mod/photos.php b/mod/photos.php
index c72b66f259..3ccd3fa111 100644
--- a/mod/photos.php
+++ b/mod/photos.php
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ function photos_post(App $a)
 		}
 
 		if (DBA::isResult($r)) {
-			Photo::delete(['resource-id' => $r[0]['resource-id'], 'uid' => $page_owner_uid]);
+			Photo::delete(['uid' => $page_owner_uid, 'resource-id' => $r[0]['resource-id']]);
 
 			Item::deleteForUser(['resource-id' => $r[0]['resource-id'], 'uid' => $page_owner_uid], $page_owner_uid);
 
diff --git a/src/Model/Contact.php b/src/Model/Contact.php
index 52bcc3b54b..1dac5dbf41 100644
--- a/src/Model/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Model/Contact.php
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ class Contact extends BaseObject
 			'gender' => $profile['gender'], 'avatar' => $profile['photo'],
 			'contact-type' => $user['account-type'], 'xmpp' => $profile['xmpp']];
 
-		$avatar = DBA::selectFirst('photo', ['resource-id', 'type'], ['uid' => $uid, 'profile' => true]);
+		$avatar = Photo::selectFirst(['resource-id', 'type'], ['uid' => $uid, 'profile' => true]);
 		if (DBA::isResult($avatar)) {
 			if ($update_avatar) {
 				$fields['avatar-date'] = DateTimeFormat::utcNow();
diff --git a/src/Model/Item.php b/src/Model/Item.php
index 95256219a1..f4290aab97 100644
--- a/src/Model/Item.php
+++ b/src/Model/Item.php
@@ -1030,7 +1030,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 		 * generate a resource-id and therefore aren't intimately linked to the item.
 		 */
 		if (strlen($item['resource-id'])) {
-			DBA::delete('photo', ['resource-id' => $item['resource-id'], 'uid' => $item['uid']]);
+			Photo::delete(['resource-id' => $item['resource-id'], 'uid' => $item['uid']]);
 		}
 
 		// If item is a link to an event, delete the event.
@@ -2737,8 +2737,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 				if ($x) {
 					$res = substr($i, $x + 1);
 					$i = substr($i, 0, $x);
-					$fields = ['data', 'type', 'allow_cid', 'allow_gid', 'deny_cid', 'deny_gid'];
-					$photo = DBA::selectFirst('photo', $fields, ['resource-id' => $i, 'scale' => $res, 'uid' => $uid]);
+					$photo = Photo::getPhotoForUser($uid, $i, $res);
 					if (DBA::isResult($photo)) {
 						/*
 						 * Check to see if we should replace this photo link with an embedded image
@@ -2762,9 +2761,7 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 							}
 						}
 						if ($replace) {
-							$data = $photo['data'];
-							$type = $photo['type'];
-
+							$photo_img = Photo::getImageForPhoto($photo);
 							// If a custom width and height were specified, apply before embedding
 							if (preg_match("/\[img\=([0-9]*)x([0-9]*)\]/is", substr($orig_body, $img_start, $img_st_close), $match)) {
 								Logger::log('scaling photo', Logger::DEBUG);
@@ -2772,14 +2769,12 @@ class Item extends BaseObject
 								$width = intval($match[1]);
 								$height = intval($match[2]);
 
-								$Image = new Image($data, $type);
-								if ($Image->isValid()) {
-									$Image->scaleDown(max($width, $height));
-									$data = $Image->asString();
-									$type = $Image->getType();
-								}
+								$photo_img->scaleDown(max($width, $height));
 							}
 
+							$data = $photo_img->asString();
+							$type = $photo_img->getType();
+
 							Logger::log('replacing photo', Logger::DEBUG);
 							$image = 'data:' . $type . ';base64,' . base64_encode($data);
 							Logger::log('replaced: ' . $image, Logger::DATA);
diff --git a/src/Model/Mail.php b/src/Model/Mail.php
index deedadeb0f..b47d4ac8e3 100644
--- a/src/Model/Mail.php
+++ b/src/Model/Mail.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\Logger;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Friendica\Model\Photo;
 use Friendica\Network\Probe;
 use Friendica\Util\DateTimeFormat;
 
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ class Mail
 					}
 					$image_uri = substr($image, strrpos($image, '/') + 1);
 					$image_uri = substr($image_uri, 0, strpos($image_uri, '-'));
-					DBA::update('photo', ['allow-cid' => '<' . $recipient . '>'], ['resource-id' => $image_uri, 'album' => 'Wall Photos', 'uid' => local_user()]);
+					Photo::update(['allow-cid' => '<' . $recipient . '>'], ['resource-id' => $image_uri, 'album' => 'Wall Photos', 'uid' => local_user()]);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/Model/User.php b/src/Model/User.php
index 2effb660fb..4fc17ae82d 100644
--- a/src/Model/User.php
+++ b/src/Model/User.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use Friendica\Core\Protocol;
 use Friendica\Core\System;
 use Friendica\Core\Worker;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
+use Friendica\Model\Photo;
 use Friendica\Object\Image;
 use Friendica\Util\Crypto;
 use Friendica\Util\DateTimeFormat;
@@ -701,7 +702,7 @@ class User
 				}
 
 				if (!$photo_failure) {
-					DBA::update('photo', ['profile' => 1], ['resource-id' => $hash]);
+					Photo::update(['profile' => 1], ['resource-id' => $hash]);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/Worker/CronJobs.php b/src/Worker/CronJobs.php
index b13afffd9a..ca50e0e75f 100644
--- a/src/Worker/CronJobs.php
+++ b/src/Worker/CronJobs.php
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class CronJobs
 			}
 
 			$condition = ['`uid` = 0 AND `resource-id` LIKE "pic:%" AND `created` < NOW() - INTERVAL ? SECOND', $cachetime];
-			DBA::delete('photo', $condition);
+			Photo::delete($condition);
 		}
 
 		// Delete the cached OEmbed entries that are older than three month