blue-twilight/app/Http/Controllers/Gallery/AlbumController.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers\Gallery;

use App\Album;
use App\Facade\Theme;
use App\Facade\UserConfig;
use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use App\Http\Requests;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;

class AlbumController extends Controller
{
    public function index($albumUrlAlias)
    {
        $album = AlbumController::loadAlbum($albumUrlAlias);
        $photos = $album->photos()
            ->orderBy(DB::raw('COALESCE(taken_at, created_at)'))
            ->paginate(UserConfig::get('items_per_page_admin'));

        return Theme::render('gallery.album', [
            'album' => $album,
            'photos' => $photos
        ]);
    }

    /**
     * @param $id
     * @return Album
     */
    private static function loadAlbum($urlAlias)
    {
        $album = Album::where('url_alias', $urlAlias)->first();
        if (is_null($album))
        {
            App::abort(404);
            return null;
        }

        return $album;
    }
}