diff --git a/app/models/album.rb b/app/models/album.rb
index 7d791c4c8..e7847e033 100644
--- a/app/models/album.rb
+++ b/app/models/album.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 class Album 
+  require 'lib/common'
   include MongoMapper::Document
+  include ROXML
+  include Diaspora::Webhooks
+  include Encryptable
 
+  xml_reader :name
+  xml_reader :person, :as => Person
+  xml_reader :_id
   key :name, String
 
   belongs_to :person, :class_name => 'Person'
diff --git a/app/models/photo.rb b/app/models/photo.rb
index 59a72f4cd..f4914cf8a 100644
--- a/app/models/photo.rb
+++ b/app/models/photo.rb
@@ -2,10 +2,21 @@ class Photo < Post
   require 'carrierwave/orm/mongomapper'
   include MongoMapper::Document
   mount_uploader :image, ImageUploader
+  
+  xml_reader :remote_photo
+  xml_reader :album_id 
 
   key :album_id, ObjectId
   belongs_to :album, :class_name => 'Album'
   timestamps!
 
   validates_presence_of :album
+
+  def remote_photo
+    image.path
+  end
+
+  def remote_photo= remote_path
+    image.store! open(remote_path)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/album_spec.rb b/spec/models/album_spec.rb
index def77bacf..58dbb0927 100644
--- a/spec/models/album_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/album_spec.rb
@@ -71,6 +71,26 @@ describe Album do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'serialization' do
+    before do
+      @album.person = @user
+      @album.save
+      @xml = @album.to_xml.to_s
+      @photo_one = Photo.create(:person => @user, :album => @album, :created_at => Time.now)
+      @photo_two = Photo.create(:person => @user, :album => @album, :created_at => Time.now+1)
+      @photo_three = Photo.create(:person => @user, :album => @album, :created_at => Time.now+2)
+    end
+    it 'should have a person' do
+      @xml.include?(@album.person.id.to_s).should be true
+    end
+    it 'should have a name' do
+      @xml.include?(@album.name).should be true
+    end
+    it 'should have an id' do
+      @xml.include?(@album.id.to_s).should be true
+    end
+
+  end
 
 
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
index 4baf36a2a..b17192f39 100644
--- a/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/photo_spec.rb
@@ -59,4 +59,25 @@ describe Photo do
     end
     
   end
+
+  describe 'remote photos' do
+    it 'should write the url on serialization' do 
+      @photo.image = File.open(@fixture_name)
+      xml = @photo.to_xml.to_s
+      xml.include?(@photo.image.path).should be true
+      remote_photo = Photo.from_xml xml
+      @photo.destroy
+      remote_photo.image.read.nil?.should be false
+
+    end
+    it 'should have an album id on serialization' do
+       @photo.image = File.open(@fixture_name)
+      xml = @photo.to_xml.to_s
+      xml.include?(@photo.album.id.to_s).should be true
+      remote_photo = Photo.from_xml xml
+      @photo.destroy
+      remote_photo.save.should be true
+      remote_photo.album.nil?.should be false
+    end
+  end
 end