Photo show help (Page 2): I use ProShow Gold by Photodex, but sadly Photodex has gone out-of-business. I still have and use ProShow since the software is good as-is forever. The...

bobbyjohn Loc: Dallas, TX

I use ProShow Gold by Photodex, but sadly Photodex has gone out-of-business. I still have and use ProShow since the software is good as-is forever. The employees of Photodex started a new company, Photopia, which is supposed to be good as or even better than ProShow. But to my dismay, Photopia is subscription based and I don't do subscriptions, EVER!

Here's a link to one such video I produced on ProShow Gold, with text embedded, and with music:

https://youtu.be/VmTMuCJb3kg

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

bobbyjohn wrote:

I use ProShow Gold by Photodex, but sadly Photodex has gone out-of-business. I still have and use ProShow since the software is good as-is forever. The employees of Photodex started a new company, Photopia, which is supposed to be good as or even better than ProShow. But to my dismay, Photopia is subscription based and I don't do subscriptions, EVER!

Here's a link to one such video I produced on ProShow Gold, with text embedded, and with music:

https://youtu.be/VmTMuCJb3kg

I read that you can pause the subscription at no cost and then re-start it. Needs to be verified though.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

petego4it wrote:

I need to make a life photoshow celebrating my wif... (show quote)

As a multi-image producer in the 1980s, I used 15 slide projectors, computerized dissolve units and controllers, a computer, a 4-track tape deck, and a lot of other gear to make corporate presentations.

TODAY, I can do the same sort of shows with 4K video produced on a MacBook Air in Final Cut Pro, a video editing software. You can also use DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro, or even iMovie or Adobe Premiere Pro Elements.

I use GarageBand on the Mac to edit audio. It has more tools than my old audio studio of the 1980s, and it comes free with every Mac.

As for copying old PRINTS, I use a home-brew replica of a professional copy stand, my MILC camera with a macro lens, and a couple of NEEWER LED panel lights I also use for video. I copy the prints to raw files and edit them in Lightroom Classic. For just a few at a time, I might use a scanner. But for dozens or hundreds, I set up the copy stand and batch originals by size.

To copy Black-and-White negatives, color negatives, and color slides, I use the process outlined in my white paper (PDF file attached below).

I'm extremely particular. I edit every image, to crop, adjust or restore color and tones, sharpen, remove blemishes and dust spots, etc. This can take hundreds of hours for a professional quality show. But the magic is worth it. I use Lightroom Classic and Photoshop to do that editing.

The use of video editing software allows plenty of flexibility. You can import both video and audio clips, along with still images. You can pan and zoom still or video images, with the Ken Burns effects. You can use hundreds of special effects, although I do so sparingly. You can add titles. You can import music from any digital source. Any sorts of things you might do for a simple motion picture can be done in video editing software.

Regarding music: Virtually ALL commercially available recorded music is copyrighted material. It is licensed for private, home use ONLY, unless you make other arrangements with the producer, composer, and performers, via a clearing house of some sort. If you use it without permission, in any sort of business or promotional context, you risk hefty fines and imprisonment. So proceed with caution.

If you upload to YouTube, music will be scanned automatically and your content may be rejected if you don't have the proper clearances.

I recently did a retrospective slide show for my Davidson College 45th Year Class Reunion, Class of 1977. I copied and restored dozens of classmates' snapshots, along with my own archives. We deliberately made the show silent to avoid the issue of the college getting sued for unauthorized use of music in alumni fund-raising (class reunions are MAJOR fund raising events). The show ran on big screens before, during, and after our class dinner. If you PM me, I'll send a link to a 1080P copy of that Davidson show. It's on a private channel on YouTube that I set up for my classmates who could not be at the reunion.

Plenty of "production music" is available for nominal licenses fees, if all you need is a simple music bed behind narration or images. I have used many libraries of such material. APM OmniMusic is my "go to" source: https://www.apmmusic.com/libraries/omnimusic-omn

Camera Scanning.pdf opens in your favorite PDF reader.
Attached file:
(Download)

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

bobbyjohn wrote:

I use ProShow Gold by Photodex, but sadly Photodex has gone out-of-business. I still have and use ProShow since the software is good as-is forever. The employees of Photodex started a new company, Photopia, which is supposed to be good as or even better than ProShow. But to my dismay, Photopia is subscription based and I don't do subscriptions, EVER!

Here's a link to one such video I produced on ProShow Gold, with text embedded, and with music:

https://youtu.be/VmTMuCJb3kg

Fascinating. Photodex couldn't keep it going when their licenses lasted forever. Once ProShow got really good, did customers not see a need to upgrade to new versions? Did too many customers give copies to their friends? That defines a risky cash flow roller coaster cycle. One weak upgrade and cash flow is a crisis.

Now the new company, with the same people, is 'renting' at $25 a month. Cash flow will be steady and budgeting for development investments will be possible.

Is it possible that software rental systems lead to better products?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

bsprague wrote:

Fascinating. Photodex couldn't keep it going when... (show quote)

I’m just glad my Pro Show Gold still works. I don’t need any more of their music or effects.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

bsprague wrote:

…Is it possible that software rental systems lead to better products?

In my experience with renting Adobe and Microsoft products, it does, although Microsoft Office is still a bloated mess, IMHO.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

burkphoto wrote:

In my experience with renting Adobe and Microsoft products, it does, although Microsoft Office is still a bloated mess, IMHO.

I've used Word ever since WordStar on CPM disappeared. With work, writing was necessary. Excel was useful for the simple things I did. I retired before I had to do a PowerPoint presentation.

I forced myself, kicking and screaming, into a new gamer laptop. My 2013 Office plan is perpetual but won't install with an error message that says there is a "later version" installed.

Rather than pay Microsoft for their "bloated mess", I seem to be doing OK, for what little I now do, with WordPad, Google Docs and Google sheets.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

bsprague wrote:

I've used Word ever since WordStar on CPM disappea... (show quote)

We have the Microsoft 365 family plan. My wife, daughter, and twins use it more than I do.

I used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for decades at work. I still use them occasionally, but they keep "rearranging the deck chairs," just to confuse me!

I could probably use Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers on the Mac instead. Pages is reminiscent of the old Aldus/Adobe PageMaker, which I loved from version 1.00 in 1985 to 7.x sometime in the 1990s. It's even better and more intuitive. I never liked QuarkXPress or In Design. I didn't get their metaphors. I learned graphic arts in the days of Kodalith Ortho line film, rubylith, amberlith, and galley paste-ups. PageMaker followed that metaphor.

petego4it Loc: NY

well done!! Helps to have a comely and willing partner!

petego4it Loc: NY

petego4it wrote:

well done!! Helps to have a comely and willing partner!

sorry this was to BobbyJohn...

petego4it Loc: NY

gvarner wrote:

Take a look at Photopia Director by Photodex. It’s subscription based. I used its predecessor, Proshow Gold, a stand alone program and it was great. Fairly easy learning curve with lots of help videos on their site. You can use their music or your own MP3 files. Plus adding in your own video clips.

thanks. I agree so far that this seems the best option.

petego4it Loc: NY

burkphoto wrote:

As a multi-image producer in the 1980s, I used 15 slide projectors, computerized dissolve units and controllers, a computer, a 4-track tape deck, and a lot of other gear to make corporate presentations.

TODAY, I can do the same sort of shows with 4K video produced on a MacBook Air in Final Cut Pro, a video editing software. You can also use DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro, or even iMovie or Adobe Premiere Pro Elements.

I use GarageBand on the Mac to edit audio. It has more tools than my old audio studio of the 1980s, and it comes free with every Mac.

As for copying old PRINTS, I use a home-brew replica of a professional copy stand, my MILC camera with a macro lens, and a couple of NEEWER LED panel lights I also use for video. I copy the prints to raw files and edit them in Lightroom Classic. For just a few at a time, I might use a scanner. But for dozens or hundreds, I set up the copy stand and batch originals by size.

To copy Black-and-White negatives, color negatives, and color slides, I use the process outlined in my white paper (PDF file attached below).

I'm extremely particular. I edit every image, to crop, adjust or restore color and tones, sharpen, remove blemishes and dust spots, etc. This can take hundreds of hours for a professional quality show. But the magic is worth it. I use Lightroom Classic and Photoshop to do that editing.

The use of video editing software allows plenty of flexibility. You can import both video and audio clips, along with still images. You can pan and zoom still or video images, with the Ken Burns effects. You can use hundreds of special effects, although I do so sparingly. You can add titles. You can import music from any digital source. Any sorts of things you might do for a simple motion picture can be done in video editing software.

Regarding music: Virtually ALL commercially available recorded music is copyrighted material. It is licensed for private, home use ONLY, unless you make other arrangements with the producer, composer, and performers, via a clearing house of some sort. If you use it without permission, in any sort of business or promotional context, you risk hefty fines and imprisonment. So proceed with caution.

If you upload to YouTube, music will be scanned automatically and your content may be rejected if you don't have the proper clearances.

I recently did a retrospective slide show for my Davidson College 45th Year Class Reunion, Class of 1977. I copied and restored dozens of classmates' snapshots, along with my own archives. We deliberately made the show silent to avoid the issue of the college getting sued for unauthorized use of music in alumni fund-raising (class reunions are MAJOR fund raising events). The show ran on big screens before, during, and after our class dinner. If you PM me, I'll send a link to a 1080P copy of that Davidson show. It's on a private channel on YouTube that I set up for my classmates who could not be at the reunion.

Plenty of "production music" is available for nominal licenses fees, if all you need is a simple music bed behind narration or images. I have used many libraries of such material. APM OmniMusic is my "go to" source: https://www.apmmusic.com/libraries/omnimusic-omn

As a multi-image producer in the 1980s, I used 15 ... (show quote)

>>thanks much for all the detailed comments and care. I can see I've got to budget my time carefully! I'm hoping to use her fave "real" music and not publish so as to avoid c/r problems. I'm very particular too!

petego4it Loc: NY

burkphoto wrote:

We have the Microsoft 365 family plan. My wife, da... (show quote)

>>I'm a Word person too. Not easy to change!

petego4it Loc: NY

CamB wrote:

I use Photomagico by Boinx. It’s not free but does... (show quote)

>>From past shows I totally understand the time=output equation. I think/hope this will be my last!! Thanks for the reminder!!