Video Slideshows

Another one of the cool new features that has been added to Lightroom 3 is the ability to export HD quality video slideshows. Combine this with a Vimeo pro account and you have yourself a powerful marketing tool.

I have found from experience that prospective new clients love the images we put on the blog, but sometimes they would prefer more images or larger images. I also found that wedding guests aren't that interested in browsing a gallery of several hundred images, but would be interested in watching the ‘favourites' slideshow created by the photographer. Since launching our Randall Photography Vimeo channel (http://vimeo.com/channels/randallphoto) the number of people contacting us with complimentary comments has increased. I think the slideshow helps them better appreciate the amount of work that goes into shooting a wedding as well as enjoying the experience of reliving the day.  

As this is also an important part of our online presence we have made the creation of HD slideshows a key part of our workflow. Fortunately the process is simple, especially as we have already ‘picked' the blog, and now also, slideshow images during the editing phase.

The process is easy. Create a new collection from the picks. In the slideshow module select some royalty free music and click the button to fit the slideshow timings to the length of the track. Click "Export Video". I use the 720p preset. Save the video slideshow and then upload to Vimeo or your favourite online video sharing site. Send the link to your clients and include the link in your blog post. Why not also Twitter and Facebook the link. If you're a proud owner of an Apple iPad you can also transfer the video to the iPad and use it as a fantastic presentation tool.

It's a great feature and incredibly simple to integrate into your workflow.

As a closing summary this is how these steps work as a sequence in my business.

1. Choose blog and slideshow picks (P key) whilst editing the images
2. Use the Watermark Editor to create a nice branded watermark
3. Export all of the corrected and edited images as low resolution watermarked JPGs
4. Upload low resolution images to a gallery and encourage clients to download and share
5. Using the Print Module create blog composite images
6. Export HD video slideshows and upload to Vimeo and iPad
7. Write blog post, add composite images and link to Vimeo channel.

I hope you found this useful. Please feel free to leave comments below.

Biography

Stewart is one of the most tech-savvy social photographers in the UK and a rising star in wedding photography.  After graduating from the Annabel Williams CPT Bespoke Programme six years ago Stewart left the corporate world to start his own business - Randall Photography.

Stewart has an instinctive grip on how photography can benefit from technology and successfully runs his business using highly effective workflow solutions, social networking tools and business processes.  Now an Annabel Williams CPT Bespoke Trainer himself, he regularly teaches other photographers on digital photography techniques, workflow, colour management and Photoshop, as well as photographing weddings at prestigious venues all over the UK and abroad.

For more information on Stewart and his photography business:
www.randallphotography.co.uk/blog

For more information on Stewart and his photography training:
www.annabelwilliams.com

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