Photo slideshow or a video where the photos move into each other: which fits your event?

Most people looking for a photo slideshow for an event want the same thing: family photos, a song that matters, and a big screen at the venue or the TV at home. The difference is what happens between one photo and the next.

In a slideshow every photo stands still. It drifts or zooms a little, then fades into the next one. In a video where the photos move, there is no transition at all: every two neighboring photos become a five second clip in which the first photo moves and becomes the second. The clips join into one video, and you watch one person grow up from start to finish. The full explanation is in photos that come to life.

Either way you end up with a video file you play at the event or send on WhatsApp. So the real question is not which is "better", but whose story it is, which photos you have, and how much time is left.

• Little or no cost. Plenty of phone and desktop editors add zooms, fades and music.
• Full control. You decide how long each photo stays on screen, where the chorus lands and which text shows when.
• Any photo fits. Group shots, landscapes, a wedding invitation, a diploma, a handwritten letter.
• No surprises. What is in the photo is what is on screen.

The cost is time. A slideshow that looks good, with pacing that follows the song, usually takes a full evening and often more. And even the best one is still a row of frozen moments.

It is built around one person, or one couple. You upload their photos in age order, from childhood to today. A one year old becomes a four year old in one movement, then a teenager, then an adult. No fades, no cuts, and that is usually the moment the whole room goes quiet.

• No editing. No timeline, no software. Upload, put in order, pick music, write a dedication.
• Length follows photo count. About 12 photos per minute, about 72 for six minutes. The full math is in how many photos you need.
• Everything is built in. A personal opening with their name, an opening title, a closing dedication and music: from the library, your own song, or a new song written just for them.
• One-time price. From USD 19.90 for one minute to 74.90 for six, no subscription, with a 30 day full refund. All prices are on the pricing page.

Not every event needs this kind of video. Sometimes a slideshow simply fits better:

• Mostly group photos with different people. The video needs the same person, or the same couple, in neighboring photos. An album of friends, trips and class photos works better as a slideshow.
• Documents, letters and places. A diploma or the house they grew up in will not turn into a person. In a slideshow they fit right in.
• No budget at all and a free evening. A slideshow is a sensible pick.
• You want to control every second. If you love timing each photo to a lyric, an editing app is your home.

• Very blurry photos or tiny faces come out weaker.
• Group photos with many faces are harder. One person or a couple works best.
• A very large age jump between two neighbors looks less smooth. One photo in between helps.
• Not every clip is perfect on the first try. Make it again. Retries are included in every pack.

Only have prints from an old album? Scan them or take a photo of them with your phone. The guide to scanning old photos with your phone shows how.

1. Whose story is it? One person or a couple across the years: a moving photo video. Many people and places: a slideshow.
2. Count your photos. Gather one per period. Twelve with clear faces already make a minute.
3. Be honest about time. A free evening and no budget: a slideshow. A busy week before the event: a video you do not have to edit.
4. Try before you decide. Your first video is on us, with two photos and no credit card.

Going with the video? The song does half the work, so read how to choose music for a photo video. Planning a bar or bat mitzvah? There is a whole page on bar and bat mitzvah videos.