EGS....

Thanks....good point...

Just thought I would bounce some thoughts of the contributors here so I don't get too stupid in the process.
I'm not going 'cheezy' just for the sake of 'creative license'...ha.

Thanks again..

I found that Push to the right works good for photo presentations.

Sergeys....thanks for that tip.

I need all the help comments I can get.
Don't want my project to appear 'cheezy'...ha.

I've been putzing with all the transition options and it's hard to nail one down for a default....decisions, decisions.

tellin' ya man ... (see above)

I say stick with dissolves, crossfades, and fades to/from black for most of your transitions. Then you can slip in a "gee whiz" transition every 5-8 or so minutes if you presentaton runs over 30 minutes. By "gee whiz" I mean a page peel, a squeeze, explode, whatever. NewBlue has some neat transitions but be careful not to go crazy on them or you will get super-cheesey in no time flat.

Simple is usually your best bet, but fancy transitions can have a place if not overused and have a tie-in with the media or music. Less is more in this area : )

Good luck!

Kimberly

Agree with the 'less is more' approach. That said, one of my favourites is the Push, Out, Center found under the Split menu. I like this transition because I think it fits in well when the still image and video have a relation to each other and where an impression of a continuing journey is called for.
You'll get a better understanding of what I mean by taking a quick look at this video that I posted on YouTube. If motorcycle journey videos are not your thing LOL then fast forward to approx 2m:35s and 8m:40 of the video.

Kimberly and Boy Atlantis.....

Yes...I agree regarding the 'less is more' approach. (same with writing music I might add).

I noticed some of the transitions, although very cool and have their purpose, can be a bit busy looking.
So, adding one of them on occasion does seem appropriate.

Time for more coffee, enjoy the rain and open up VMS to get started.

Thanks to all for chiming in and I'm going with the recommendations offered.
Later.....

Hello Wayne,
I mostly use the crossfade with it centered between both clips... I usually use about 8 seconds for each slide and 1.5 seconds of crossfade...
I adjust for these factors:
1 - upbeat music or fun playful slides, I might use cut to the beat transitions;
2 - long slow music or memorable slides, I might adjust the length to 10-12 seconds and perhaps 2 -2.5 crossfade transitions;
3 - busy family slides (lots of people to identify) with public viewing unattended and unnarrated, perhaps 15-20 seconds per slide ... give people a chance to try to identify each person in the slide and also give someone a chance to get someone else's attention to look at the slide... these crossfades might work at .5-1.5 seconds;
4 - For more complex photos with lots of people in a posed situation - like a family photo of all the generations present - I might even consider a zoom-in and a slow pan (I like left to right - I'm a librarian, after all ... grin) across all the faces before returning to the original view (zoom out and return to center).
* * *
By the way, 1966 was a good year for me too ... I graduated high school that year... (wink)

Until that time ... Earl J.