We make it extra easy to send us your photos
Here's how to do it...
You’ll soon receive an email from us describing how to send us your photos for the slideshow. We would suggest following the email guidance initially, but if you prefer very detailed instructions you’ll find them here. It won't take all day to do it, but these instructions are much longer than those in the email because we are explaining everything very thoroughly.
It is all quite straightforward and if, you have a younger family member who would help, they can probably do it for you in no time at all! You might not need any help. Just follow the simple instructions below one step at a time and you’ll probably find it easier than you expected. So, let's get started….
The first thing to do is to make sure that all of the photographs to be included are ready to be sent to us electronically. Any photos which can be viewed on a screen (such as a tablet, laptop, desk computer, TV, digital photo frame, smartphone etc) are already prepared for sending. It's just the ones you only have as actual photographs which we need to make electronic copies of first, then you can send them together with the modern ones.
1. Preparing your old photos to send to us
There are two ways to do this:
A. Photograph them with a modern smartphone (recommended)
B. Scan them using a flatbed scanner or printer
Then it is ready to be sent to us later as part of your total group of photographs.
Option A: Using your phone’s camera
Many people find this way easier and get better results. The phone must have a camera built in and be able to use the internet. Give the camera lens on the back of the phone a quick wipe over to remove any fingerprints. Place the photo on a flat surface under good light, but without any reflections or sunlight streaming across it. If it is in a photo frame, please remove it before taking the picture to avoid any glare from the glass. Make sure to have the automatic flash on your camera phone turned off.
Hover right above the photo with the camera so the screen shows the picture looking square on your phone screen, then keeping your hands as steady as you can, take a photo of it. Please ensure the whole photo is captured in the image you’ve just taken.
If you know how, then please set your camera to take pictures at a high resolution and use the jpg or jpeg format. If that sounds a bit confusing, don't worry and just take the photograph anyway.
Option B: Using a flatbed scanner/printer
If you aren't accustomed to using a printer or scanner it might be best to use the first option which will still give great results. Set the scanner to work at a high resolution, preferably 600 dots per inch or higher for A4 size. Wipe over the bed of the scanner with a microfibre cloth to get the best image quality. Place the photo on the glass plate face downwards. Scan and then save it.
Keep following these instructions above until all of the old photographs are ready.
2. Putting the pictures in your preferred order for the slideshow
When you've digitised (copied) all your old photos, decide on which order you would like them to show during the slideshow. The order needs to be very obvious to us and we have three suggestions on how to go about this:
A. Usually, your device will give them a title name which is quite often a long string of numbers. Normally you can click on the name and change it. We would highly recommend that you rename them as follows: 01, then 02, third would be 03 etc. Then just upload (send) them to your Folder which is accessed by a link you can click in our email instructions. You should be able to 'drag and drop' or 'copy and paste' them into it, doing several at a time or a whole folder at once, if you wish. Don't worry about shrinking the photos down in size, copy them at high quality so we get a top quality image to work with. This is the best way, but the next option could be easier for you.
B. Another way to send the photographs to us would be to email them to us instead of uploading them to the Folder. In this case you would still rename each photo as described above in option A to ensure they are shown in the correct order. You can send them to us in several emails and the emails don't need to come through in order, as long as the photos are numbered correctly in their names. You can use the email address on our website or reply to the guidance email we send you.
C. The final option is to send them by WhatsApp. Again, it would be better if they are numbered in the order you want them to be displayed, but if you don't then we will use our own creative skills to choose an order which we feel flows the best.
Our maximum number of photos in one slideshow is higher than usual at 40 images. If the song is quite short then this may still be too many and each photo won't show for long enough. Once the tune is chosen you could ask us if you think you may have too many photos. Some funerals feature two or even three slideshows, which can be a good way to do it if you can't get the number of photos low enough.
If there's anyone else who you would like to be able to contribute photos then that is fine, but it is best that one person takes responsibility for organising them into the chosen order, before uploading them to the folder or sending them to us.
3. Adding video footage (optional)
If you have a short video from a happy occasion or showing a funny moment it could make a truly fantastic addition to your slideshow. One option is to have a clip, either with or without sound, before the music starts or at the end. If sound isn’t important to particular clips you’d like to use, you could have one or two short ones in amongst the photos while the music is playing. If you do, please indicate where you want them to appear by giving us an order number. Send them to us as you would with the photographs.
4. Adding on-screen text (optional)
If we add wording to some of the photographs, it can help audience members to understand and appreciate a photo better. The space available means we won't be able to fit a sentence, but phrases like 'Graduation Day’ or ‘His 70th Birthday' could work depending on the photograph. We’re limited by how many characters we can use as well as some other factors we also need to consider, so please leave it to our discretion knowing we will do our best for you. For any given photograph you can tell us what text you would ideally like when you rename the file (photo) to put them in number order. Keep the order number first then the words. So, for example, if you name a photo "07 Skegness 1968" then we'll know to put in in 7th place in the order with the words 'Skegness 1968' written on it.
5. Showing a still photograph throughout the service (optional but recommended)
At some crematoriums you can have a single photo of your loved one shown throughout the service before and after the visual tribute. Please check first with your Funeral Director if they would recommend doing this, especially as sometimes the crematorium may possibly charge a fee for this. If you are having one, please copy the picture you choose into the same folder with the others and name it 'single photo'.
6. Don't leave it too late!
Both the crematorium and the media company they work with will have given us a strict timescale which we must work to. For this reason, we will have given you a date and time by which we must have received everything we need. We would hate to have to rush to be ready, because we want your visual tribute to be amazing to all who see it and to achieve that takes time. If we don't receive everything on time, or if there is a major change requested at the last minute, then we might have to make an extra charge so please help us to help you and don't leave it too late. As soon as you confirm that everything has been decided and we have been sent everything we require, that is when our work begins.