Tag: Proshow Gold

Exporting Lightroom slideshows to the web

Jason3 Comments

After yesterday’s post to Youtube of my photo walk with Scott Kelby, and the fact that I mentioned that it was created first in Lightroom – I’ve gotten many emails asking me how I created it. The answer was quite simple – if you own a Mac.  Here’s how you can export Lightroom slideshows to the web is less than twenty steps:

  1. Create your slideshow as you normally do in Lightroom.
  2. Export the show to jpg files in a folder of your choosing.
  3. Close Lightrooom
  4. Open Garage Band
  5. Mix a track of audio music that will fit the theme of your slideshow
  6. Export that audio track to the folder with the pictures.
  7. Close Garage Band
  8. Open Photoshop CS3 (or your favorite pixel based image editor)
  9. Create an intro and closing image for your slideshow and save as jpgs to the folder
    *Hint* Make sure you keep the dimensions consistent with your previous images so you don’t get pixelation
  10. Close Photoshop
  11. Open iPhoto
  12. Import the photos from the folder you created earlier with the jpgs to a new album
  13. Create a slide show from said album
  14. Rehearse timings and check for image/audio quality
  15. Export to desktop (it will export as a Quicktime movie file by default)
  16. Take said movie file and upload to YouTube
  17. Add titles, descriptions as needed…
  18. Voila!

The key to this is iPhoto.  You don’t necessarily need Garage Band to make a legal audio track.  Many open sourced audio files are available for use, though a lot of that content is classical.  iPhoto has the built in ability to export slideshows as a movie than other applications like Lightroom, Powerpoint, Photoshop, and others.  Lightroom is also rather key too though as the backgrounds and text effects for the titles and everything were done in there.

On Windows, it’s a whole different story – you can do the Lightroom thing, but then you have to go out and buy a slideshow program to accomplish this for you.  While there are many options, and at varying levels of price entry, the ones that I’ve used that are good are Proshow Gold and Camtasia, from Photodex and Techsmith respectively.  The former prices out at $80 while the latter runs for a pricey $299 but allows you to also do screen captures, and lots of other stuff.  Either way, shelling out additional money to do something that is native on the Mac gives just another reason to consider the bundled functionality that Apple brings to the table with it’s computer lines.  (And this is coming from someone who has worked in Windows almost exclusively for the better part of ten years… as I tell people these days though, I work in Windows and play on my Mac!)

Finally, as we head into the weekend, there’s a couple fellow photographer/blogger types that are hosting contests and seminars in the upcoming weeks and months.  So, if you’re interested in improving your craft, there’s no better way than to either participate in a seminar and learn something new, or submit to a juried contest…and that’s just what Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography is doing and Scott Eccleston, of Weekly Photo Tips!  Rob is hosting an impressive summer photo contest, and Scott is runing a Maine Photography Workshop that is sure to ignite the creative energies.  Act soon on Scott’s as registration is almost over!  Make sure you take these guys into consideration when planning out your summer activities!

That’s it for this week – I am off Monday for the holiday, so there may not be a blog post then.  Next week is the last week for the Lightroom giveaway contest though, so be sure you are getting your entries in to the Flickr page to win your own free copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom – a $300 value!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here on either Monday or Tuesday!

Slideshow Secrets

Jason4 Comments

As I thought about the tutorial for today, I pondered doing a quick set of tips for Photoshop, like CTRL+J for a duplicate late, CTRL=ALT+SHift+E to stamp all visible layers on to a new layer, and other such trinkets.  While debating which ones to include I was continuing the process of winnowing down the last of my photo magazines to just the articles I wanted to keep.   I was also thinking that perhaps a subject would come to me that could add a new dimension to the blog, when as luck would have it – the subject came to me.

From back in October of 2006 – nearly two years ago, I saw an article in PCPhoto that took a look at tips for making great slideshows.  Written by Chuck Summers, it reminded me of the days of yore when my dad would crank up a slide projector to have us watch slideshows of ourselves in Florida, the Grand Canyon, and other family adventures.  Well, the digital age is most definitely upon us, and one area I’ve not gotten into much is that of slideshows.

Chuck did a great job with this article, and I’ve condensed it down here to the nuts and bolts of each tip (twelve total, which makes for great alliteration – it pains me to dodge the obvious usage!)  Anyway, here’s his 12 Slideshow Tips:

  1. Determine the Theme and Purpose of Your Show
  2. Set a length
  3. Methodically edit your images
  4. Maximize image effectiveness
  5. Prep images
  6. Set Image Order
  7. Determine transitions
  8. Title Slides
  9. Choose music to set the mood
  10. Time the Presentation
  11. Preview, Evaluate and Revise
  12. Test Projection Needs

While very informative, and logical in layout (I like logic!), what the article did not present is software recommendations.  I’ve read various bits and pieces around but have not had reason to delve into it thus far.  However, with a cross country move coming up, I thought it might be fun to take images that capture the trek from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains and compile them into a slideshow when done.

To do that though, I need some software that is designed for slideshows.  I know Photoshop and LR can do these functions, but as an old hat, I like a specially designed piece of software for each function.  Thus, I can’t help but wonder what would be the best software to accomplish these ends.  I recall Proshow Gold as a name, but forget who produces it.  In the interests of full disclosure, I feel that I should also state that I actually have not really tried the slieshow functions in either PS or LR, so am appropriately ignorant on both counts.

So, what should it be?  Should I use Proshow Gold, Photoshop, Lightroom (I am using the Beta 2 via invite), or is there some other software out there that is better purposed to these ends?  Any slideshow superstars care to share their own secrets on software and other tips for making great shows?  Feel free to educate me in the comments.

Meanwhile, happy shooting, watch those apertures, and see you here again tomorrow.  (Perhaps a video tutorial is in the air for then…ya never know! 🙂 )