"The 12 Days of Christmas" using Photos and Making a Video

Here's part 2 of making a fun presentation which I created from my photos used in my own products.

First, I made a PowerPoint presentation, as detailed in the previous post.

Next, I clicked on the slide sorter icon towards the bottom right of the page.

I then clicked on Slide 1, held down the Shift Key and clicked on Slide 14 so that all the slides were highlighted.

Then it was click on File and Save As.

In the Save As box I kept the same File Name and file location in My Documents but instead of the Save as Type: PowerPoint Presentation, I clicked on the arrow and scrolled down till I found JPEG File Interchange Format and clicked the Save button.

A new box appeared on the screen and I clicked on the Every Slide button.

After that I clicked on the OK button so that each of the JPEGs could be saved in a separate folder.

I closed the PowerPoint file, went to My Documents and found the folder (not the PPt file) for "The 12 Days of Christmas" and opened it. There were all the slides from the presentation as JPEGs.

After that, I opened up my movie making program (you should have a free Windows Movie Maker program on your PC if you don't have access to a purchased program).

I inserted all the JPEGs, added the timings and did the basic fade in and fade out transition.

After that, I saved it as a Windows Media Audio/Video file (WMAV file) in the smaller format to be posted on the internet.

I uploaded to YouTube and was able to select a free soundtrack which approximately matched the length of the movie.

From below the uploaded file I clicked on Share, then on Embed and copied the Embed Code and inserted that in this blog post for you to enjoy. (You can also select the size of the video to suit the width of the blog post)

So now you can go off and use your photos to produce your very own Christmas spectacular!

You can check out my full length videos by clicking on the links to the left of this post (Alzheimer's Products and Digital's Great!).

If you found this post entertaining and/or educational please feel free to share it with others.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" using Photos and Slideshare

It's been quite a while now since I've written a post not connected to my bed & breakfast or work for aged care and early childhood (this entails creating DVDs, Photo Downloads, Kindle Books and Interactive Jigsaw Puzzles on CD).

The past year has been very traumatic and emotional watching my 95 year old mother decline in health and eventually pass away on Remembrance Day in November.

I not only wrote and delivered the eulogy but also created the audio visual presentation for the funeral service. Doing this really brought home how important photos are for our memories, not only of places but also of people, especially our loved ones. Here's the link.

Although I haven't been posting on the blog for several months, the visitors to this site have actually increased. The internet gurus say that to increase traffic to a website or blog, bloggers must keep posting at least once a week. I think that theory's just gone out the window!

However, when I look at how people arrive at this blog, it's usually via the images. So photos once again play a huge part in the lives of those of us who respond to the visual.

I'll continue to add photos for your enjoyment and give you a few hints as well.

Here's a fun Slideshare presentation which I created from my photos used in my products.

First, I made a PowerPoint presentation, then created a PDF.

Next, I uploaded it to www.slideshare.net (a free service for uploading all sorts of documents and presentations).

After that, I got the embed code and I put it in my blog for you to enjoy.

Why don't you do the same with a few photos in a presentation for Christmas (or whatever special occasion you like)?

The 12 days of christmas 2012, by Fran West from Fran West

I did turn this into a moving slideshow presentation in PowerPoint and also created a Flash file but Slideshare just kept the basic PDF file. To create video uploads in Slideshare you have to upgrade your membership and pay.

The next post will be about how I created the movie version from the PowerPoint presentation.

If you found this post entertaining and/or educational please feel free to share it with others.

Fran's Backpack - Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes (Walking) [Paperback]

Fran's Backpack brings to you various products on travel, adventure, flying and photography.

They could be books, ebooks, videos, or gear. Check each one out as it's highlighted on the day.

Today's item in the Backpack is Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes (Walking) [Paperback].

Just over a year ago now, I was trekking in the Patagonian Andes - Torres del Paine, in Chile, and Fitzroy National Park, in Argentina. Spectacular rocky outcrops, wildflowers, wildlife and lakes. This was another one to cross off my bucket list.

Click on the ad for more information.

Product Description
Lonely Planet knows the Patagonian Andes

This vast, varied region is home to some of the world's great treks, with trails that take you through pristine forests to the rims of glaciers, under granite monoliths and over rickety suspension bridges, well beyond the crowds. Our expert author has chosen the best of Patagonia's trekking, from the luxuriant rainforests of the Lakes District to the spectacular wildernesses of Tierra del Fuego. Whether you are an experienced trekker or a first-timer, you're sure to find the ultimate trekking experience here.

In This Guide:

Everything you need to know to get prepared
Comprehensive listings for sleeping, eating and facilities along the way
Advice on equipment, health and safety.

Do You Speak Spanish? No, But I Can Take a Wild Guess

When you travel to Spanish-speaking places in South America, like Buenos Aires, Argentina, there's a great opportunity to try out your language skills. It's great to brush up on South American Spanish but if all else fails, take a wild guess and you could be right. (Zoom in on the picture now).

I'm sure that you could guess from the mouth watering pictures on the side of this truck that it's carrying cold cuts or smallgoods, "fiambres". They're prepared by Riosma, "una empresa argentina con garantia de Calidad", an Argentinian firm that guarantees the quality of its products.


Are you speaking Spanish by now?

Even if you don't speak a foreign language, when you travel you can teach yourself by looking at the pictures and the words next to them. You get a much better reception with the locals if you have a go at speaking their language. It can be a lot of fun and it can also make the travel experience much more enjoyable. Just have a go.

So finish your taco and nachos and get up and tango under the light of the luna. Adios amigos.

These Boots were made for Walking (in Argentina & Chile)

Before I set off on my trek in Patagonia, in southern Argentina and Chile, I had a day to spare in Buenos Aires.

I thought I'd get a bit more walking in, so I decided to go to the zoo. The day was very hot and humid and it didn't seem too far on the map. Ha!
I eventually made it to the zoo, after frequent rest and drink stops, and stayed until closing time.

By the time I returned to my hotel, I was one pooped puppy! I'd walked 36,000 steps according to the pedometer and my boot had split along the side (not good to go trekking with an unserviceable boot).

So, I managed to convey, in my broken Spanish, what I wanted and finally found a boot repairer. He did the mending straight away and my boot gratefully received a stitch in time!

As with a lot of travel in a foreign country, the right attitude, a lot of laughter and sign language, will usually get results. The boot even made it up to the Iguazu Falls.




Hiking boots

Wet and Wild Adventure at the Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil

One adventure at the Iguazu Falls is to take a joyflight, another is to go for a boat ride right up to and underneath the falls.

Safety first, of course, with life jackets, and then shoes and belongings in big tough bags meant to keep the water out.

This is an adventure where they 100% guarantee that you will get wet.

Boat crew, naturally, are well covered in their wet suits. When you see the wicked grins on their faces you know you're in for an exciting ride and no-one is going to stay dry!

The trip along the expanse of the falls is stunning and there are plenty of opportunities to photograph and video providing you can keep the lens dry.

Then they approach one section of the falls and position the boat right under the gushing water. Pow! You feel the full force of the water dumping down on you and you really understand the meaning of "breathtaking". It literally takes your breath away and you can't breath for a few moments.

The boat then backs away from the falls, you can actually breath again, and you're overwhelmed with the adrenalin. Put this one on the bucket list.

Flyabout over the Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

After trekking in the cooler region of Patagonia, in southern Chile and Argentina, it was a shock to the system to be in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina.

It was very hot and humid but worth the effort to see the longest waterfalls in the world.

The first day was spent on the ground on the Argentinian side with the first part of the visit being the long walk to see the Devil's Throat. Up close, you get drenched with the spray, and the roar of the falls is overwhelming. Humans really are quite insignificant compared to the power of nature.

However, one of the best ways of seeing the long expanse of the falls is to take a helicopter ride from the Brazilian side (about 15 minutes).

Words can't adequately describe the vista, you just have to do it.

Here's more.

Walkabout in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

Time for somewhere hot and steamy. Like walking around Puerto Iguazu on a very hot and humid day.

South America seems so vibrant and colourful and I love practising my Spanish - lots of words but not many verbs. Heaps of laughter though.

Before visiting the falls, I had a spare afternoon to walk around the town and head down to the river past the bus station.

However, I spent quite a bit of time here photographing for my next DVD, "Getting Around", about different kinds of transport.


I'm sure people thought I was nuts and in the end drivers and passengers just waved at me.

But who could resist all the brightly coloured buses? What a pleasure to travel in a vehicle painted like this and what a brilliant way to promote a country's beauty spots. Go Argentina!

Enjoy the pic and remember to zoom in on it.

Fran West Walkabout on the Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

In January this year I followed another dream, to trek in Patagonia in southern Chile and Argentina.

As an added bonus, the tour included a trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
We were going to go on a glacier trek but first we had to have crampons fitted to our boots.


The guide then taught us how to walk on the ice with them. His best description was to "walk like a monkey" while really digging our boots into the ice for a good grip.





Then it was walking over soft crunchy ice and looking down into the clear blue depths of water-filled crevasses. And in the background was the thundrous roar of the glacier calving into the lake, Lago Argentino.