| In an earlier article on this site "What to do with all | | | | bit daunting, reconsider using a service provider. They |
| those digital pictures?", we talked about our system of | | | | will be able to handle the scanning of your photographs |
| using the marvels of digital photography to take | | | | for you. They can then provide you with an electronic |
| thousands of shots. | | | | album of your photos, or create the slideshow for you, |
| We created folders in "our pictures" directory on our | | | | or both. |
| computer, one for each month of the year, and simply | | | | For digital pics, select all of the digital photos you want |
| off-loaded the camera's media into the appropriate | | | | for a particular show, and copy them into a folder you |
| month folder as it became full. | | | | have created for the purpose. Once you have the |
| This process provided a historical time reference for | | | | copies in there, rename them from one and up, in the |
| any photos stored on the computer. In a year or two | | | | order you want them presented on your show. |
| we could still correlate a specific photo to the month | | | | Create a word .doc with the text for each caption |
| and year in which it was taken. A helpful process for | | | | beside the corresponding number of your photo should |
| those of us who's memory is starting to get a little | | | | you wish captions visible as the slides are shown. |
| wonky! | | | | Do you wish any chapter headings, a cover shot for |
| Now, what to do with all these photos? | | | | the slideshow? Make a note of these. |
| Make digital slideshows with them, that's what. | | | | What about music? Select the music you would like as |
| Our "DVD" case is full of home made slideshows | | | | background for your slideshow. Try to get music long |
| created from paper and digital photographs. | | | | enough (or a number of pieces of music that are long |
| Some slideshows contain all the pictures from a | | | | enough) to last the length of your show. |
| complete calendar year, with the months of that year | | | | Each slide in your show should play for about 6-8 |
| as the chapters for that show. | | | | seconds. That's ample time to see the shot and to |
| Others are slideshows of specific events; family | | | | read the caption without the picture becoming boring. |
| gatherings, a trip to Upper Canada Village in Ontario, | | | | Therefore, if your slideshow has 30 pictures in it, your |
| Canada; you get the idea. | | | | music selection should be around 3 1/2 minutes. |
| Not only does having slideshows provide hours of | | | | Please note that if your slideshow is for other than |
| entertainment for gatherings at our home, having the | | | | personal use, you cannot use copyrighted music, which |
| slideshows on Cd's provides a back up should any of | | | | is pretty much all the popular music of the day. If your |
| the original digital or paper pictures be lost. | | | | slideshow is for business use, consider finding public |
| So, how do you make slideshows? | | | | domain, copyright free music for your show. It's |
| For those folks that haven't the time, or the inclination | | | | available if you Google those search terms. |
| to learn some software the easiest route is to contact | | | | Before you begin building your slideshow, decide if you |
| a provider of digital slideshow services. Their | | | | want voice-over narration instead of word text. Or |
| professional experience will ensure an excellent | | | | maybe you want both? Your call. |
| outcome for your shows. | | | | Limit each of your slideshows to about 3-5 minutes so |
| If you are more adventurous, and would like to tackle | | | | that viewers don't get trapped into watching for huge |
| making slideshows yourself, here are a some tips. | | | | lengths of time. Unless they have a vested interest in |
| If it's paper photos you want converted into digital, or | | | | the show (for example, they were with you on the trip |
| it's existing digital photos you want converted to | | | | to that luxury resort) most folks won't hold the same |
| slideshow, first select all of the photos in question. | | | | interest in your photos as you do. |
| On the back of paper photos, number them from one | | | | So how do we convert paper photos or digital |
| and up, in the order you want them to appear on your | | | | photographs into a marvelous screen slideshow that |
| slideshow. Decide if you want on-screen captions for | | | | you'll be proud to display for guests or at the next |
| some or all the photos. If so, write the text for that | | | | company function? |
| caption on the back of those you wish. | | | | That's for the next article; "Making a slideshow". |
| If you are converting paper photographs into digital | | | | As always, questions about the process are welcome. |
| format, which is necessary for making a slideshow, | | | | Feel free to contact us through our website. |
| you will need access to a scanner. If that becomes a | | | | |