How do I get started?

1. We suggest you take a look at our Gallery, Song Choices, Tips and Packages to get inspired!

2. Choose your package

3. Fill out the order form & questionnaire

4. We will email/call you to finalize the details

5. Send us your photos (via email, uploading to our site or sending to us – we will discuss this when we finalize the details).

6. Payment via paypal or sending a check.

7. Within 2 weeks from receiving your photos, your order will be completed and mailed out to you.  Rush orders are available (additional fees will apply).

How do I choose which photos to add to my slideshow?

It depends on what your slideshow is about.  Who will be the main focus?  One person?  A family?  A group of people?  What is the time span – is it a recent event or will it cover the last 50 years?  Your photos need to tell a story – which needs a beginning, middle and ending (whether it’s a 5 hour event, or 50 years!) Visit my ‘Tips’ page on helpful suggestions for choosing the best photos for your slideshow.

How many photos do I need?  

This will depend on which package you choose.  Please check our packages page for more information.

How do I send my photos to you?

You have several choices.

• Send me a CD of your photos
• Email them to me:  photos@caramelstudios.com
• Upload them to my site – we will give you directions on how to do this.
• Mail us your originals and we will scan them and put them on a CD for you.  *Additional charges will apply – see our packages page for more information.

Can I scan the photos myself and send them to you?

Yes! You may scan them and burn them to a CD and mail it to us, if you are scanning the photos yourself, please keep the following in mind. The higher the resolution, the better your photos will look on the screen, 300 dpi would be great.  Save your images as a jpeg and then please number them as you want (01, 02, 03 etc).  If you are scanning all of the photos for the slideshow, please number them in the order you would like them to appear. 

I don’t know how to scan my photos, and I am nervous about sending them in the mail – what else can I do?

We recommend bringing your photos to a local photo store that can scan your photos and put them on a CD for you.  Have them make 2 copies of the CD – one for you to keep and one to mail to us.  We will return this CD to you when we complete your order.

I want you to scan my photos; do I need to send them to you in order?

Yes, we need to know the order of your photos.  If you are giving us the originals, please lightly number the photos on the back, using pencil.  Do not put stickies on the photos, as it will leave a gummy residue on the photo.

I'm worried about sending my photos, how do I know you will return my photos in the same condition as you received them?

We certainly understand the value of your photos and we will be extremely careful with them. Ideally, we prefer you keep your originals and send us digital images, so that you don’t need to worry about this....However that is not always possible if you do not have digital copies. 

We treat your photos just as we would treat our own and will return them to you in the same condition as we received them, as long as nothing catastrophic happens that is out of our control in the mailing process – but we do not anticipate that happening.   Since the mailing process is out of our control, we do ask you to sign a waiver that absolves us of any responsibility for your photos during the shipping process.

How should I package my photos when I send them to you?

The most organized way to do this, is to put each group of numbered photos in a ziploc bag On a piece of paper, you can write down the title for this group of photos as well.  Or, if a title is to go before, after or on a specific photo, you can write it on a piece of paper with directions on where the title should appear in this section as well. Take your baggies of photos and put them in a box, with bubble wrap or cardboard surrounding the photos and be sure there isn’t room for the photos to slide around.  Have it well protected.

How should I choose the order for my photos?
We will prepare your project in the exact order that you number the photos for us.  As you number them, keep in mind that the photos need to tell a story.

You can put your photos in order, chronologically (baby photos, childhood, teenage years until present...Or group your photos by theme (school photos, friends, family, special events, etc)

For wedding Slide Shows, most people will show pictures of the groom growing up, pictures of the bride growing up, and then pictures of them together (from their earliest dating days to the present).

For Bar/Bat Mitzvah Slide Shows, it’s common to show baby pictures up to the present – then group shots to include family, school friends, Hebrew School friends, Camp Friends, sports, hobbies..etc.

I have collected photos from a lot of people  - so I am not sure what order everything goes in – can your organize this for me?

While we prefer to have the photos given to us in order, to avoid telling your story out of order – if you are not able to number them – we will do our best to organize it as we think it should be.  Additional fees will apply as we will have to charge for the time spent doing this.

Vertical vs. Horizontal photos – does it make a difference?

We prefer Horizontal or Landscape photos, because they will look the best on a TV or computer monitor.   Vertical photos still look good; however, there is a black border around the photos when shown on the TV, because the vertical dimensions are different from the TV monitor. We can crop a vertical photo to fit the screen without the black border, but you may crop out more of the photo than you want to – it’s up to you.  Keep in mind, that it’s ideal to use mostly horizontal photos and space out your vertical shots.

Do you always crop the photos?

We like to focus on the subject in the photo, without too much distraction in the background.  If a couple of your photos need to be cropped to make for a better presentation, we will do that.  However, if we notice that many of your photos need to be cropped, we will contact you to discuss your options (i.e. have us crop your photos for an additional charge or keep it as is....we’ll go over the details with you).

Is this all done online or can I speak to someone on the phone?

We can always be reached via phone or email.  While you can do this online, we like to speak with you as well.  Our goal is to create a unique slideshow that you will be thrilled with! The best way to do that is to truly understand who this is being created for – who your audience will be, and what the overall feeling of your slideshow should be.  We welcome your ideas and input if there is something specific you want us to include.

How do you pick the music? Is it legal to have copyrighted music in my slideshow?

That’s up to you!  We can provide you with song suggestions (see Song Ideas) or you can tell us what you would like to use.   Ideally, you want to choose songs that have great meaning to the person the slideshow is for.  Think about what songs he/she likes and what songs will convey the right mood.  Music will absolutely set the tone for your slideshow.  Once you have decided on which songs you would like to use, we will purchase the songs through iTunes on your behalf.  The price of the songs ($.99/song) is already included in your package price.    Purchased music is licensed for personal use.  Since this slideshow will be created for your personal use, it is legal for it to be used in your slideshow.

How do I pay for my slideshow?

Our payment transactions are handled by paypal or you can send us a check.

How long does it take to create a slideshow?

Please allow for 2 weeks, once we have received your photos.  Rush orders can be handled for an additional fee.

What are some special features that can be included in my slideshow?

Special effects, Transitions, Titles and Credits.

What are special effects?

Special effects add some excitement/drama to your slideshow.  Using the Ken Burns effect, we can pan across a photo, zoom in/out, speed it up/down, etc. By adding these movements, it truly brings your photos to life.

What are Video Transitions? 

Video transitions control how your movie flows from one photo or video clip to the next.  Transitions are added in between 2 photos or video clips.   If you did not use transitions, one photo would abruptly change to the next.  Transitions can be a simple fade, that will create a smooth flow for your slideshow or you can use some fun transitions to add interest, like a page peeling away or one picture sliding away as another appears. 

What are Titles and Credits?

Enhance your slideshow by adding text before, after, or right on a photo or video clip.  This offers a great way to clarify what’s happening in a particular clip.  The text allows you to give information such as the title of your slideshow, date, names, etc.  A variety of fonts and animations can be used, depending on the mood of the slideshow..

Can I only include photos in my slideshow?

You can include photos, video clips, copies of invitations or articles – fun graphics – the possibilities are endless!

I don’t live near you – can I still use your services?

Absolutely!  Our business is worldwide.  We can connect with you via phone and email – not to worry!

I have a question, but it’s not listed here, help!

Sorry about that!  Feel free to email/call us and we’ll be happy to assist you.  Once we have your question, we can add it to the FAQ so it helps everyone.