srt101fan wrote:
Use software like ProShow Gold to make slide shows to put on your computer, TV or YouTube. Add text, other graphics like simple maps, scanned memorabilia, etc. Add music. The software allows you to include a large variety of transitions, zooms, pans and other effects. The so-called "Ken Burns effect" is a good one to try.
This is exactly what I do as well. I also enjoy selecting appropriate music to accompany the video. I burn the whole video to a DVD (flash drives are another option, of course). I typically start with 1000-1200 photos from a 2-3 week vacation, select the best 100 or so, combine them into the video (with a few montages, maps, itinerary slides from PowerPoint as needed), so that the whole video is ~15 minutes. That's a reasonable enough length for people to sit through without getting bored, and it also gives a pretty good overview of the trip. It also looks good when put on a 50" flat screen HDTV.