Photo Software

[Padkapow Guy]

Does anyone have any recomendations on a photo software that they have use and really liked.

I have only used Pro Show Gold and while it does work it is not the easiest to use.

I am looking for something more user friendly and hopefully will be able to buy at Pantip plaza.

I want to burn all my pic's to a cd so i can watch them on the TV set with the dvd player. It would be a plus if I would be able to add text to the pic.

I know just enough about this to be dangerous so anybody's help would be appreciated.

Thanks

PKG

[Kathe]

I've used Nero StartSmart Programm, not so complicated and I always burn myself Photo CDs or Audio CD. It works well and fast too. ( I am absolutely Technic dummy )

[Padkapow Guy]

Thanks for the fast reply.

I wil put that one on my list to check out.

Thanks

PKG

[TizMe]

Googles Picasa has an option "Create a Gift CD"

Creating a gift CD/DVD allows you to copy your pictures to a CD or DVD that you can give to friends or family. With a gift CD/DVD, you can also include an auto running slideshow and a copy of the Picasa installer, so you can share the software.

1. Select the pictures you wish to copy to a gift CD/DVD.

2. Click "Gift CD" button.

3. If you want to include the auto-running slideshow, make sure "Include Slideshow" is checked.

4. If you wish to include a copy of Picasa on the CD/DVD, make sure "Include Picasa" is checked.

5. You can add more pictures to the gift CD by clicking the "Add More" button.

6. If you wish to resize the pictures, you can do so using the "Picture Size" drop down. If you do not wish to resize your pictures, make sure to select "Original Size".

7. Enter a name or title for your gift CD.

8. When you are ready, click "Burn Disc" button.

If you only want to give the intended recipient the straight picture files, uncheck "Include Slideshow" and "Include Picasa". This will burn the folders of your pictures. This format might be a good idea if you want to take the CD to a photo lab to have the pictures printed.

When Picasa is creating the image to be burned to the CD or DVD, Picasa will show "Calculating" in the blue bar above the "Burn Disc" button. Please wait until this message goes away (it should state how many files and folders are ready to be burned) before pressing the "Burn Disc" button.

[Padkapow Guy]

Googles Picasa has an option "Create a Gift CD"

Creating a gift CD/DVD allows you to copy your pictures to a CD or DVD that you can give to friends or family. With a gift CD/DVD, you can also include an auto running slideshow and a copy of the Picasa installer, so you can share the software.

1. Select the pictures you wish to copy to a gift CD/DVD.

2. Click "Gift CD" button.

3. If you want to include the auto-running slideshow, make sure "Include Slideshow" is checked.

4. If you wish to include a copy of Picasa on the CD/DVD, make sure "Include Picasa" is checked.

5. You can add more pictures to the gift CD by clicking the "Add More" button.

6. If you wish to resize the pictures, you can do so using the "Picture Size" drop down. If you do not wish to resize your pictures, make sure to select "Original Size".

7. Enter a name or title for your gift CD.

8. When you are ready, click "Burn Disc" button.

If you only want to give the intended recipient the straight picture files, uncheck "Include Slideshow" and "Include Picasa". This will burn the folders of your pictures. This format might be a good idea if you want to take the CD to a photo lab to have the pictures printed.

When Picasa is creating the image to be burned to the CD or DVD, Picasa will show "Calculating" in the blue bar above the "Burn Disc" button. Please wait until this message goes away (it should state how many files and folders are ready to be burned) before pressing the "Burn Disc" button.

This sounds fairly easy, can you add text to it?

[Jai Dee]

Googles Picasa has an option "Create a Gift CD"

Sounds like a handy bit of software TizMe.

Does it also handle text files?

I'm looking for somthing similar, but I'd like to add a commentary slide as well.

For example, I have a lot of photos from my recent wedding, and I'd like to add a commentary slide to explain the goings on in the photos as part of the slide show.

Apart from Powerpoint, do you know of any photo management software that can do this as well?

[hughden]

Sony Vegas will let you do anything you can imagine (almost).

It displays a timeline and you drop pictures or video into that timeline; you can then decide how long you want each photo to appear. You can fade or add effects between the images, add text, zoom in and out of the image or move around (for example pan across faces in a wedding shot). You can have as many audio tracks as you want, perhaps one with background music and one with your commentary. Volume levels are individually controlled and you can fade in and out and do endless other audio tricks I have yet to play with.

It is a meant as a product for professional production houses; but it is dead easy to use; no need for a manual. My girlfriend, who is not the most computer aware person in the world, uses it with no problems (almost).

Once you have finished your creation you render it to the file type of your choice. We then use Sony DVD Director ,which happened to come on the same disc, to burn the result onto a DVD where you can add cool stuff like menus and a background image and music.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Chang_paarp]

Most DVD burners come with a simple movie making programme, eg Power DVD, Hot Burn. This should allow you to do what you need. I have used several, they have simialr features but different ways of getting to them with their interface.

At the top end you can use Adobe premier, and just like powerpoint you can add audio channels where and when you like, vary the length each image is shown and add various disolves from one slide to the next. You can also add text any place on the screen. Premier has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the general idea you can go and make your presentation.

I got a copy of the complete Adobe suite from a highly reputable stall on Koa San Rd, so Pantip should have your needs. It was not the latest and greatest but had what I wanted.

[Tywais]

I'm looking for somthing similar, but I'd like to add a commentary slide as well.

For example, I have a lot of photos from my recent wedding, and I'd like to add a commentary slide to explain the goings on in the photos as part of the slide show.

The new version allows adding captions to your slides. So you can create a blank slide and caption it.

http://picasa.google.com/index.html

[Guest endure]

I'm looking for somthing similar, but I'd like to add a commentary slide as well.

For example, I have a lot of photos from my recent wedding, and I'd like to add a commentary slide to explain the goings on in the photos as part of the slide show.

The new version allows adding captions to your slides. So you can create a blank slide and caption it.

http://picasa.google.com/index.html

It doesn't actually say that you can create a DVD that will play in a DVD player rather than a computer though.

[Tywais]

It doesn't actually say that you can create a DVD that will play in a DVD player rather than a computer though.

Good point, I missed that. I have another suggestion that does the job very well and that is "ULEAD DVD MovieFactory 3.5". Allows captioning, transitions, background music, menus, use microphone and add voice annotations to each slide, etc.

Edited February 20, 2006 by tywais

[ScubaDuc]

It doesn't actually say that you can create a DVD that will play in a DVD player rather than a computer though.

Good point, I missed that. I have another suggestion that does the job very well and that is "ULEAD DVD MovieFactory 3.5". Allows captioning, transitions, background music, menus, use microphone and add voice annotations to each slide, etc.

In reality, I have ULead Movie studio on my PC but I have grown very frustrated by loss of synchronization in editing, having to convert music file to window sound files which are huge, etc. I went out and bought a little Mac Mini. Best money I have ever spent in a computer! All the software needed is included and iMovie works great. All my pictures are in iPhoto (about 9,000) and I can create album, slide shows, add music (directly from iTune) and so on. And with iWeb, I even get really cool web sites templates ready to upload.

P.S. I don't have stock in Apple and I still use PC for my work so I am not being biased: just objective