Activity Three: Gathering Materials

Once you have your computer set up with PhotoStory, there are some other materials you will need to create a photo movie. 

Gathering Images:  If you are going to take your own photographs, you will need a digital camera and a USB cable to transfer the images onto your computer.  Other ways of gathering images include: -using a scanner to import printed images -searching the web for images  (See the Resources page for a list of sites that provide free images) -creating your own images using programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Paint, or Adobe Photoshop

Before you begin looking for images online or in print, please review the following Copyright and Fair Use laws. 

Copyright 101 for Educators
Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers

It is a good idea to save images to a fixed location, such as “My Pictures” and to organize images into folders by date or topic.

On many occasions, you may need to edit images before uploading them into PhotoStory.  Editing for images may include: crop, rotate, lighten/brighten colors, darken, painting/cloning, sharpening the image, and adding other effects.  There is a variety of software available to edit images.  (See the Resources page for a list.)

The following tutorials provide instructions on how to add images to your photo movie:

-Importing and Arranging Images
-Editing your Pictures and Photos
-Importing Pictures (video)
-Making Graphics (video)
-Microsoft Tips

Using Sound

If you plan on adding sound to your photo movie, you may need:

-a microphone
-a sound recording/editing software—not needed, but recommended (See the Resources page for a list)
-access to free music download sites (See the Resources page for a list)

When choosing music, try to pick a tempo that will compliment the speed of the picture transition as well as the content of the images.  Narration should be of an even volume level and spoken in a clear, even-paced manner.

The following tutorials provide instructions on how to add sound to your photo movie:

-Narrate Your Story
-Add Music to Your Story
-Recording Narration
-Adding Music
-Narrating Pictures

Try adding a low-volume song to the original slideshow that you created from activity one.  Set up your microphone and record narration to explain what is happening in the photos.

You are now ready to move on to Activity Four:   Teacher Created Photo Movies.