s/o: How do you make a photo story?

[MoJo]

I've been wanting to do this for a couple of years. I have songs picked out (but they are personal, involving names) and photos, but I don't know how to actually put them together, and I'm not sure what to call it to try to search for instructions online.

If I could add words to the pictures, or screens with words between photos, that would be nice too.

I have the songs on CDs right now, so I'd also need to know how to put them on the computer/use them legally.

TIA!

[infomama]

It's just a slideshow set to music. If you use Picasa here is a link. http://picasa.google.com/support/bin...n&answer=11238
To get the music on your computer, I would use iTunes. Just rip the CD to your library.

[lalasmama]

I use Picasa too. For what its worth, my family loves getting these "Lala movies". I do credits at the beginning and end, and tell a whole story throughout it.

[Reyadawnbringer]

I used windows movie maker. it was free and already installed on my pc. I imported songs to the program through itunes. It was super easy and it let me add words to the screen and set my pictures to change at certain intervals. It was extremely easy to use. I also had credits at the end, and an opening title. It also let me set up a dvd menu screen.

[MoJo]

Right, infomama, I was thinking of a slide show set to music. It's just that searching for that tells you how to make an old fashioned slide show with slides, not how to make one on the computer.

I think we have or had Picasa on the other computer. . . I'll have to check. I think DH just used it for tweaking photos; I didn't know you could do more with it. And I know DH mentioned the Windows Movie Maker, but I've never seen it used.

So, an embarrassing question for someone who isn't as up to speed on common modern technology as she could be: is iTunes something you can use even if you don't have an iPod or other iDevice?

DD LOVES the slide shows without music that DH has on his cell phone, or that I sometimes put on the computer. So I know she'll like them set to music. . . and the rest of the family might, too.

Thanks again!

[infomama]

iTunes can be used by anyone, you don't need an iPod to use it. Just go to iTunes.com and download it. You can buy music and burn it to CD's or listen to it on your computer.

I'm a little confused about your Picasa question. Do you have all your pictures ready to go for the photo story? Do you have Picasa on your computer?

[sunshine873]

Since you have the CD, you have purchased the music and that gives you the right to use it in your personal slideshow. iTunes is great and what I use, but if you're not ready to do that you have other options. You can just download the music files to your computer from the CD. Insert the CD, open up the drive & copy paste the file to a folder on your hard drive.

I have a Mac & used iDVD to create DVDs of my slideshows (complete with menus, etc.) So much fun and the family LOVED it! Good luck!

Now that there's all this talk, I think I'm going to try to make a new movie for Mother's Day for MIL.