fixed picture size and text frame areas in Dreamweaver CS3

[#1]

I am trying to get to grips with Dreamweaver CS3, to re make my website, as a few of you have said not to use MS Publisher.  So far, I have managed to make a Web Page Template, and the first four pages of my site.... Now comes the tricky bit.  For those of you who have not seen my site, it may be difficult to understand what I am trying to do.... I want to make a copy of my site as it is now in Publisher, but using Dreamweaver CS3.  (see my site  www.nemsophotography.co.uk for reference.) ....
I need to make another template web page which includes the original heading, and the navigation bar, but underneath that, I need a text area, to describe the photograph gallery, and below that I need to insert about 25 photographs in three columns with the title underneath.
  I have tried using the table set up, however, when I import a photograph, it takes up  half the page. It needs to be resized down so that I can get three photographs across the page. 
As I have about 500 photographs I want to put on the site, this is going to take a very very very long time, and I don`t want to re-size them all before  importing them...
The second point about this,  I need to be able to have the facility to "click" on the photograph to bring up a "normal" size photograph for the viewers.
Please don`t tell me to write the instructions in html, as I don`t understand it..... I do understand Morse Code,  but if I spoke to you in Morse, you would not understand it ....
I need a "noddy`s guide" on how to put a framework down to make a template, so I can insert the photographs relative quickly as in "drag and drop".
Any help please?

[#2]

That was quite a long winded question, but in fairness you will want (have) to resize all your images.
Using 'resized' full images on your website will increase the loading of your website no end!
Not what you wanted to hear, but using full size photographs is pretty much a no no.
Secondly, it sounds like you might want to do something like ive done on my image gallery, using the Lightbox 2 Script is a really nice way to present images.
Take a look at the gallery on my page Here.
Its pretty simple to setup as you can see from the Lightbox website, copy the 3 lines of text into the [head] of your page, download the files and your pretty much away.
email me adam.venn @ bridgesltd.co.uk if you want any further help with the above.

[#3]

Thanks to both for replies....
I have sent you a long email ! ! !..
and Yes, I am running on XP.....
I have a superb image resizer called  Fast Image Resizer. It was free from a download site, and you can set the size, and the quality, and the destination folder (even use the same folder)  All you do is drag and drop the files on to it, and it does the rest.... resizes and renames them too !....
However, I have already done that, and the photos are down to 640X480  or 800X600, and the problem is not the file size, as I said, I have 480 photographs on the site at the moment, and that takes only 160 mb of my allocation of 250mb...
The problem is in making the "table cell" a fixed size and then the photographs should stay within the cell wall so to speak.
when they are "imported" to the cell....  so that I do not have to re-size the cell every time I drop a photograph into it.

[#4]

640x480 is very, very big for an index page.
Don't forget that quite separately from the 250MB limit for the size of your website you have a 250MB daily website traffic allowance. If all the pictures on your index page are the size you currently have it will not take many visitors to blow that and your website will be taken off-line and archived.
You really need to have them down to thumbnail size on the index pages.

[#5]

Create the tables as you have done.
Add the picture
resize by clicking on the picture and then click and hold on the points and drag it to the size you want.
If you have the properties pane open bottom left you can see the size in 2 boxs with W and H.
Now just add the next picture but you dont need to drag it from now on alter the 2 numbers to the size of the last one and it will resize its self.
Copy the text from the SCR box next to the W down to the links box and then it will be shown full size if anyone clicks on it.
Below the link is a target box click on that and choose _blank this will make it open in a new window full screen like my site

[#6]

Thanks to both for info and will have another go at the resize issue..... Have found a nice free photoalbum type program, which I am playing around with at the same time as this problem.... will update when I am happy with the results.
Thanks again guys