Create a Slideshow of Your Grad Through the Years

When a friend told me she was doing this for her daughter's high school graduation party, I had to add it to the mix of ideas for grads this graduation season: Create a slideshow celebrating your grad through the years.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to load photos onto a digital frame, which are definitely easy to find. But even though they have come down in price, they still start at around $150. And if you've got a graduation, possibly followed by years of college tuition, a digital frame may not make it onto the list.

No worries. There are several free ways to make a slideshow on your PC. I am focusing on PCs because that's what I use. Apple users have some terrific tools through iPhoto, as well as through some of the methods recommended below. That said, like many PC users, I haven't made the leap to Vista yet, so these include pre-Vista options.

• Windows Movie Maker - Has some simple tools to make a slideshow quickly. Open it up, and you'll quickly see the option to import photos on the top left hand side of the screen. Import your photos, then drag them into a storyboard or timeline, whichever you choose, below. You can add transitions and visual effects by clicking on the Collection tab, and import music and audio to accompany the photo presentation. When your slideshow is complete, you can burn it onto a DVD if you choose. Basic and easy.

• Photo Story 3 - Microsoft offers this as a free download. You'll find more features in Photo Story 3 than in Movie Maker to make slideshows with lots of special effects. For example, there are 48 transitions to choose from. You can add text to every image in the slideshow, and the program generates synthesized music as well as incorporates music you import. The one downside: No tool for burning the slideshow to a DVD.

• Google Picasa - Many Picasa users love how easily it organizes photos. Once you have created a folder or an album with the photos you want for your slide show, you can click the "Slideshow" button, which will open the slideshow player. Click the "Play" button to start the slideshow and the controls disappear. You can hit the spacebar or move the mouse on the screen to make the controls reappear. You can rotate photos, change the time duration each slide is shown, and display captions by checking the captions box.

• Flickr slideshow - If you're an avid Flickr user, you probably know this already: You can make a slideshow on Flickr. Create a new set with the photos you want include in the show, then select the set. Click on one of the photos in the set, then click on "View as a slideshow," and the slideshow will begin.

•  Web-based slideshow programs: Check out Smilebox, JAlbum, and One True Media for lots of nice options for personalized slideshows set to music and set apart with many effects and templates to frame photos. Each site has easy-to-follow directions.

Those are a few ways to pull together a memorable slideshow. The hardest part is pulling together all the photos from baby togs to graduation gowns. If you've got a favorite program for creating slideshows, please share below. There's still time before the bands strikes up Pomp and Circumstance.

Related: Put Together a Digital Photo Slideshow