I understand what you're saying. I don't have any solutions for you, but I'd recommend Picasa which is available through Google. You have the option of storing your information on the web, but it's not required. You also have Picnic available as a photo editing tool which is straight forward and simple to use. You have the option of making your pictures available to everyone, just your friends, anyone who you share the link with, or you only.
Here's an example.