I recently learnt about the
Ken Burns effect and wanted to use it in a slideshow I had to make. The Ken Burns effect is a mixture of pan and zoom effects to create a really professional slideshow. During my extensive search for a tool I looked at open source alternatives (such as the
dvd-slideshow tool for Linux) and proprietary software (
Microsoft Movie Maker which comes bundled with Windows XP is surprisingly useful), I finally landed on the page for
Microsoft Photo Story 3.
This tool is exactly what I was looking for. You customize start and end points in a photo, customize motion, add speech, audio, notes, and you're off. You can export your slideshow in a variety of resolutions (unfortunately, only in the
windows media video format).
I believe in giving credit where it is due. This is the second Microsoft software after Microsoft Excel that I appreciate. The next time you want to create a slideshow, give
Microsoft Photo Story 3 a run.