What kinds of photos can be used for photo to DVD transfer? What sizes?
We can use any size photo print up to a maximum of 8"x10", black-and-white or color. Small photos, slides, and negatives are fine too. We can also use digital photos from your camera or scans you have made. If you have prints larger than 8"x10", we recommend using a local scanning service to digitize the image, and sending it to us as a JPEG.

For good types of photos (candid, horizontal, etc.), see our Photo Montage page.

Can other types of objects and memorabilia be used in the video album?
Anything that can be scanned can be included. This includes newspaper articles, announcements, diplomas, certificates, brochures, flyers, ticket stubs, licenses, invitations, drawings, artwork, letters, and cards. We have even scanned those fuzzy school "letters"! Anything that is smaller than 8"x10" and relatively flat can be included.

Can I send photos in frames or scrapbooks?
No, you must remove photos from frames or scrapbooks. If it is impossible for the photos to be removed, please have them scanned locally and send us the digital images as JPEGs. If you live in southeastern Pennsylvaniam, you absolutely cannot remove your photos from frames or scrapbooks, and you are dropping off your project, we can accept them – but that is the only exception. Please do not mail any frames or scrapbooks.

Can I take a digital picture of a print and send the digital picture instead?
No, please do not take a picture of a picture. The image quality will be poor, since all photos have a certain amount of paper distortion and do not lie perfectly flat. In addition, any glare off a glossy photo, photo album page, or glass will distort the image further. The only exception to this would be if you have pictures in frames, albums, or scrapbooks that cannot be removed, and you are unable to scan them.

Will photos be cropped in the slideshow?
We try to concentrate on the main subject in each photo, which provides a more powerful, focused slideshow. However, we never crop people out of a photo unless you have instructed us to do so. Also, we do not crop important background features, such as in a photo of your family standing in front of Mount Rushmore. (Cropping means to cut out part of the photo to either center or level out the subject matter.)

If I have photos that I want cropped, do I have to cut them myself?
No – don't cut your photos! If you have any photos that you want to be cropped (such as to avoid having a person shown in the photo in the slideshow), or ones you specifically do not want to be cropped, just indicate it on your order form.

Photo to DVD - labeling, scanning, restoration

How should I label print photos to indicate their order?
Number the first photo "1" and count up. Every photo should have a unique number. If there are 100 photos, the first one in the show should be "1" and the last should be "100." Number the photos by putting small labels or sticky notes on the BACK of each photo. For more detailed information, see Step 3 on our How to Order a Photo Video page. For packaging and shipping information for prints, see our Shipping and Order Production page.

How should I send digital photos?
Digital photos or scanned photos can be sent on a CD-R, memory card, or flash drive. Change the number of each digital photo to be its correct position in the slideshow, such as "025.jpg" or "101.jpg". We prefer photos in JPG format, but other graphic formats are accepted as well. All CDs, cards, and drives are returned to you with your finished DVD. Keep in mind that if your digital pictures are low resolution quality (such as from a camera phone), they will be low quality in the slideshow too.

Does Timeless DVD scan my photos? Can I scan my photos myself?
Scanning service is included in our regular $2 per photo price, and we advise that you allow us to scan your photos if at all possible. As a photo slideshow maker, we use a professional-quality scanner, high-resolution settings, and special dust-minimization techniques in order to ensure your photos look their absolute best in your show. Plus, it's easier and faster than doing it yourself!

Nevertheless, you are welcome to scan photos yourself for the $1.50 digital photo price. Please be aware that this price does not include some of the features of our regular photo optimization service (such as dust removal). Please read our Photo Scan page for guidelines on how you should scan photos so they are suitable for digital picture slide show use. Scanned photos may be provided on a CD-R, Flash drive, or memory card.

Can I e-mail my photos to you?
Sorry, we do not accept e-mailed photos. Please provide your scanned or digital photos on a CD-R, memory card, or flash drive.

Do you do photo correction and retouching?
Yes. Minor Photoshop correction is included for every photo we scan (minor work also done to digital photos). Before setting up your slideshow, we fix every photo's contrast and color, buff out dust and scratches, and fix problems such as rips, creases, folds, "red eye," and crooked angles. The majority of photos simply require this level of correction, which ensures they look great onscreen! (We do similar work with a processing amplifier and other hardware when we convert video.) We can often make decades-old photos look better than they did originally!

Does photo retouching hurt or alter my original photo?
Absolutely not! We do nothing to your original image except scan it into our computers. We then work with the scanned image and place your original safely back in your original packaging.

Can you fix major photo damage?
Possibly. It depends on what repair work is needed, and whether we have the ability to handle it. If you want extensive work done for a specific photo, please indicate it. We will decide if the photo is actually a simple job that will be covered by our regular photo optimization, if it will require an additional fee for extra work, or if the photo cannot be fixed in-house.

Can I get my finished photos on a CD? Can I download them?
Yes, we can provide your photos on CD. We offer a "Restored Photo CD" for just $20. It includes all of your scanned and optimized photos. We scan every photo in high resolution, which means that you can easily make new prints, either with your computer and printer at home or at a photo processing center. Photos are saved as JPG images, the same digital image format used by digital cameras, so they are readable by any computer and graphics program. The Restored Photo CD also includes a contact sheet showing thumbnail images of all your photos.

We do not offer downloading because the file size of the photos is usually very large, due to the high quality at which we scan.

DVD Presentation - photo editing

How long will each photo appear on the screen?
Since our slideshows are custom-edited, there is no set time. However, the average time for each photo is 6 seconds. This average varies depending on the tempo of the music and the content of the photos. For instance, we allot more time to group shots, which often include pans so everyone in the photo can be seen. Also, we devote longer times to photos with captions so the text can be easily read. Using different time lengths for different photos results in a more interesting slideshow. In the end, photos generally vary in time from 4 seconds to 15 seconds.

Do you zoom in and pan across photos ("the Ken Burns effect")?
Absolutely!!! Movement is the key to a dynamic DVD slideshow, and adds significant visual appeal without detracting from your photos. We include zooming and panning with every photo and every slideshow. Moreover, we utilize focal points on each photo to direct the motion – it's not random but carefully editing. In fact, this is one way you can tell the difference between a professional presentation and an amateur one. The amateur will not take the audience to and from focal points on the photo but rather set random movements that do not direct emotion. We animate your photos individually to highlight the key person or feature, as well as ensuring that your photos flow together in the slideshow as a whole.

FYI: Photo movement is commonly called "the Ken Burns effect" in honor of Ken Burns, a documentary filmmaker who pioneered the technique of panning across still photographs to add life and motion to his productions. Some of Burns' famed documentaries are "The Civil War," "Jazz," and "The National Parks."

What are transitions? What types of transitions between photos are used?
Transitions are the way the slideshow moves from one picture to the next, and can be range from a simple dissolve to a crazy explosion. We believe the best slideshows are the simplest. We typically either use a dissolve, fade, or straight cut between photos, depending on the accompanying music and the photos' content. This is the most elegant approach and honestly, looks the best, especially when you want to make a DVD slideshow professional.

One of the ways you can tell the difference between a professional slideshow from an amateur one is the transition style. The amateur uses many types of transitions, thinking it adds to the presentation – but it usually does the opposite. People become engrossed in the transitions, and they pull the audience away from photo content and emotional intent of the production. Look at most movies and TV shows: very few use all the crazy transitions available in video editing programs. We will occasionally use more unusual transitions – very sparingly – for a special effect when the music calls for it. But by primarily using simple transitions like cuts and dissolves, the audience will focus on your photos, and not on splashy video effects.

How do I choose the order for my photos?
We will prepare your project in the exact order of photos you provide. First, we recommend figuring out the larger sections that will comprise your slideshow before selecting individual photos. Most slideshows are organized either chronologically or by specific topics or themes. Once you decide on the larger sections that will make up your show, it will be easy to select photos and divide them up accordingly. For detailed information on organizing your photos, please see Step 2 on our How to Order a Photo Video page.

How do I choose start and end photos for my picture slide show?
The photos that start and end your show should be your best shots: clear, meaningful photos that strongly convey the main purpose of the slideshow. Ideally, they should evoke an emotional response.

Can Timeless DVD meet with me to help organize my photos?
Sorry, we cannot organize your photos for you. We do not know the people in your photos, where they were taken, or anything about your friends and family. So we wouldn't have any idea what order the photos should be in or what songs are meaningful to you or your loved ones. For this reason, we do not offer organization meetings for DVD slide shows as a service.

Do I have to organize my materials?
Yes, you must have your photos in order and numbered. Only you know the order in which you'd like your photos shown! We will charge a $70 per hour rate if we have to organize messy photo collections or files on CDs.

Video Album - length

How long should my slideshow be?
The ideal length of the slideshow depends on where you are showing it. Remember your audience. Will everyone be sitting down at one time to watch the production? Will it be playing continuously in the lobby? Is it a gift that someone will be watching at his or her leisure? Consider these factors when determining the length of the production.

If your slideshow will be shown to an audience at a party, we advise planning for a 10–20 minute show. Each photo is onscreen for an average of 6 seconds, or 10 photos per minute, so this works out to be about 100–200 photos. Generally, if an audience is involved, we advise not exceeding 20 minutes in length.

However, if you are creating a slideshow as a gift for a loved one, or compiling a slideshow that will trace the history of a family or organization, the slideshow can be as long as you like. These slideshows can last a half-hour or even longer. The longest slideshow we have created lasted 55 minutes, with over 450 photos, 30 songs, 90 video clips, and countless captions and titles.

How many photos do I need? How many photos can I use?
The number of photos you need largely depends on how long you want the slide show to be. Generally, each photo is onscreen for an average of 6 seconds, so that works out to be about 10 photos for each minute. That's about 100 photos for 10 minutes of slideshow, 150 photos for 15 minutes, and 200 photos for 20 minutes. Remember, these are only rough estimates, since we custom-edit the length of each photo to best fit with the music you have chosen.

We suggest that you first decide on the photos you would ideally like to use. Then, figure out how many will fit into the slideshow length you prefer, keeping in mind that 10 photos equal roughly one minute. Last, excise photos as necessary to achieve the general length you desire.

There is no limit regarding how many photos you can include or how long your slideshow can be. Most slideshows have at least 50 photos, and fewer have more than 250. But we have done slideshows with more than 400 photos, and the DVD still had plenty of room. At least 1,000 photos fit very comfortably on a DVD. It's unlikely that your slideshow will be longer than that!

How many photos do I need for a 5, 10, or 20 minute production?
50 photos = 5 to 7 minutes
100 photos = 10 to 12 minutes
150 photos = 15 to 18 minutes
200 photos = 20 to 23 minutes
250 photos = 25 to 28 minutes
500 photos – 50 minutes to an hour

To approximate a length, simply divide the number of photos you have by 10. That is the minimum minute length the show will be.

Do you guarantee the show to be a specific length?
No. We do not believe that editing a slideshow to be a certain length is the best way to create an appealing and dynamic production. We would rather take your specific photos and music and edit a slideshow that best portrays your exact elements. That's why we remind you that the "1 photo=6 seconds" estimate is only an estimate. The finished DVD slideshow always ends up being a custom length because your photos and music are a unique creation when edited together!

Can I specify a specific length?
Sure, we can shoot for a specific length, if that's what you prefer. However, giving us a range, such as a length of 18-22 minutes rather than 20 minutes exactly, will allow us to be more creative when customizing your slideshow.