Is there a way of having the first page be a splash page that does NOT list all of the galleries, but rather has just a login or search box where a viewer can type in the gallery name and be directed there? I don't want everybody to see all of the galleries, but rather just the one I have made for them...
I hope somebody has an answer...

What you actually want is to put the printPasswordForm() function before the next_album loop. To only display the album(s) that are assigned to a specific logged in user use within the next_album loop `if(isMyAlbum($_zp_current_album->name, ALBUM_RIGHTS)) { <normal album display stuff> }`. (not only toplevel albums can be assigned to users).

More info about user rights and the functions as always on our user guide.

You can also use the "gallery index page link" feature. Renamne your current index.php script to some other name, set the gallery index page link to that page and create a new index.php script that has your splash screen and a links to the gallery index page

@sbilliard.
default theme is using printHomeLink() which works with the "gallery index page link" option.
ZenPage theme is using getGalleryIndexURL() wich doesn't care about this option.
For the record & future searchs on the same topic:
* "gallery index page link" is located under "options" > "theme options" in admin UI
* Linking to an alternate page to be something like: href="/?p=alternate" ( without extension ) and not href="/alternate.php"

You missunderstand that option probably. That option is to set the gallery index where to toplevel albums are shown to another page, in the exampel gallery.php. This does not automatically set a page as the slash page. But if you set that you can use the theme's index.php page for something else as the gallery index.

The Zenpage theme has another option to create a homepage. But that must be an unpublished Zenpage page that might not give you enough freedom to design as it uses the pages.php template file.

The real strenght of Zenphoto lies in theming, not everything can be done by checking an option.

[i] Linking to an alternate page to be something like: href="/?p=alternate" ( without extension ) and not href="/alternate.php"
[/i]
FYI, we call that "custom page" and it is documentated on theming tutorial.

You're absolutely positively true! ( and i'm a lazy dev )
)
Thanks Acrylian - I was editing at the same moment you responded.
for those passing by: I was saying that this doesn't work with zenpage theme, then edited to document the solution to make it work. At the same moment Acrylian answered.