Style primer sought for Windows XP Photo Story

[Guest]

I see what can be done with Windows XP Photo Story (I think). However,
making up what to do using my untrained eye is not likely to produce the best
outcome. For example, which photos should have panning and zooming effects
applied and which should be left as is? What should be the center of zooming
when there are no people in the picture? What kind of cropping is best for
this approach: Should stills be cropped normally or is a larger field of
view preferred?

 

[John Inzer]

I see what can be done with Windows XP Photo Story (I
think). However, making up what to do using my untrained
eye is not likely to produce the best outcome. For
example, which photos should have panning and zooming
effects applied and which should be left as is? What
should be the center of zooming when there are no people
in the picture? What kind of cropping is best for this
approach: Should stills be cropped normally or is a
larger field of view preferred?

=====================================
Bottom line...if it looks good to you...it's correct.

Maybe the following sites will offer some ideas:

Beginner's Guide to Photo Story
http://www.windowsphotostory.com/

Make Your Pictures Come
to Life with Photo Story 3
http://tinyurl.com/a9amq

Windows Movie Maker 2 - Photo Story 3
www.papajohn.org

PapaJohn's Newsletter Archive:
http://tinyurl.com/4vb5p

Create a Story from a Single
Still Photo with Photo Story 3
http://tinyurl.com/3q9tn

--

John Inzer
MS Picture It! MVP

Digital Image
Highlights and FAQs
http://tinyurl.com/aczzp

Making Good Newsgroup Posts
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Guest]

I very much appreciate the references and I'll read all of them.

However, I cannot say I agree that "if it looks good to you...it's correct,"
at least for me. Although my first attempts at still photography looked
pretty good to me, it took me several years' work until my photos looked good
to experienced photographers and to a few editors. I have sat through--and
put on--too many boring slide shows to believe that what fascinates the
photographer will always interest the audience or even keep them awake.

Upon reflection, I think that the techniques to be used within XP Photo
Story have most to do with shooting videos. Still photos are the grist for
this marvelous technology. Off to learn video basics!

 

[Michael J. Mahon]

It's all about composition.

Once you understand what an attractive composition is, you can
see how to pan or zoom from one good composition to another.

Try things out--all it costs is time, and that's the only
way I know to get experience. ;-)

The "Ken Burns effect" of panning and zooming on still pictures
provides some explicit movement and interest for viewers. If you
keep your initial attempts short--less than 10 minutes--then you
will have a good chance to learn what works without inducing
boredom. An appropriate musical background is also great.

(Some people are so worried that they won't "understand" wine
that they're afraid to try it. That's an error of omission. ;-)

-michael

I very much appreciate the references and I'll read all of them.

However, I cannot say I agree that "if it looks good to you...it's correct,"
at least for me. Although my first attempts at still photography looked
pretty good to me, it took me several years' work until my photos looked good
to experienced photographers and to a few editors. I have sat through--and
put on--too many boring slide shows to believe that what fascinates the
photographer will always interest the audience or even keep them awake.

Upon reflection, I think that the techniques to be used within XP Photo
Story have most to do with shooting videos. Still photos are the grist for
this marvelous technology. Off to learn video basics!

--

-michael

Parallel computing for 8-bit Apple II's!
Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
tool--and it is seriously underused."