While I can appreciate that you want a certain look to the gallery, for each item that you would rather take out, there is probably someone else that wants to show it. There is no way for me to make a look that fits everyone's taste, so if someone wants something different, a template edit is a possibility. As for the upload link, it should show when you view a category or your own files. Try the
online demo and please let me know if something is amiss. As to category, PhotoPlog nests thumbs by default so the listed category won't necessarily be the same for all files.