Choosing
the photos for your slideshow is probably one of the most challenging
steps of the entire process.
Organize
your photos chronologically or by a theme (or both). Try to
find the "best" photos for a specific time period. Usually we suggest 3 - 5 pictures at each
specific age. Obviously to keep the video at an appropriate
length, we will not be able to use every picture that you have.
If you are wanting a video that spans a lifetime of a particular
person (graduation video), you will want to start by finding
all photos... organize them by year, and then go back and select
your favorites for each time period. It might also help to
have a friend or relative (someone more objective) help you
in determining the best photos to use. It might require a third
time before you determine the ones that must be included and
which ones can be omitted.
If
possible, choose quality photos. Although we pride ourselves
in photo restoration and photo touch up, there are some photos
that cannot be enhanced. Before sending the photos, ask yourself
these questions:
A.
Is the photograph clear, not blurred or hazy? The blurring
and haziness will be enhanced the more enlarged the photo is.
B.
How is the lighting? Too dark or washed out?
C.
Is the photo too grainy? Grainy photos do not scan well.
D.
Has the photo been cut in an odd shape? – Although these work great for scrapbooking, they work poorly for slideshows.
Important
if you scan your photos: (and send to us on cd)
photos that are 4 x 6 or larger should be scanned at a minimum of 300dpi,
photos that are 3 ½ x 5 at a minimum of
400 dpi,
photos that are 2 ½ x 2 ½ at
a minimum of 600 dpi,
photos that are any smaller than this should be at a minimum of 720 dpi.
The higher the dpi, the better the quality. If too small of a dpi is used,
then the picture will not look good when displayed at a large size for television
screens.
Organizing
Photos:
1). If you want a definite order then each photo will need to be numbered.
You can write on the back of the photo with
a pencil or photo pen ( please do not use a marker or sharpie to mark your photos because these can
bleed through the photos). Or you can place a small sticky note on the back
of each photo.
2).
If you want to sort the photos by song, and do not care about
any the order of photos within the song, then simply place
the photos in a plastic baggie or envelope and label it with
the name of the song you want with those photos. A good rule
of thumb to use is 9 seconds per photo (which includes transaction
time).
3).
You can sort the photos by a specific time frame. For example:
All the photos in this envelope are from the year 1991and the
order doesn’t matter.
You
have two options for submitting your photos. You can scan your pictures yourself and send them to us on a CD or, you can
send your photos to us and we will scan them for $.50 a per
photo. If you are scanning your photos:
Thoroughly
clean the scanner to avoid any dust and fingerprint smudges
on the scanned photos.
Scan each photo and save it in .jpg format. Save
each picture with a 3 digit number indicating the order that you would
like for it to appear in the video. (001.jpg, 002.jpg, 131.jpg).
For best picture quality photos
follow these recommended scanning tips:
that
are 4 x 6 or larger should be scanned at a minimum of 300dpi
photos that are 3 ½ x 5 at a minimum
of 400 dpi
photos that are 2 ½ x 2 ½ at
a minimum of 600 dpi
photos that are any smaller than this should be at a minimum of 720 dpi
The higher the dpi, the better the quality. If too small of a dpi is used,
then the picture will not look good when displayed at a large size for
television screens.,
set the scanning resolution as high as possible. (300 DPI or higher). Put
the photos for each section/song in a separate folder on your disc. Name each folder the name of the song to be used.Number each folder in the correct
order for the video (i.e. "There She Goes 1", "My Girl" 2)
Send
the CD(s) of your images by priority mail.
If
you are sending photos to be scanned:
Number
each photo in the order you would like it to appear in
each song. Place a sticky note on the BACK of each picture or write the number on the BACK
of the picture. Do not put the sticky note or write on the front of your photos!Place your photos
in Zip-lock bags labeled by the song you want each group
of pictures to appear in.
You
photos will be returned to you when your video album is
shipped.
