Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows

Microsoft PowerPoint is a program for creating business presentations but many people use it for creating elaborate photo slide shows.

In addition to discussing PowerPoint we also talked about a few PowerPoint alternatives.

OpenOffice - a great free alternative to Microsoft Office

Ulead Movie Factory - for creating Slideshows and movies on DVDs or CDs

There are a couple of others that I failed to mention at the meeting.

SmoothShow - probably the most popular slideshow creator for professions 

XatShow -  this is one of my favorite programs because it will allow you to make screensavers, slideshows, DVDs, and other cool multimedia projects

In our question and answer session we discussed what the P,S,A and M stood for on most digital cameras - here is a recap:

P - Program mode - this is a full auto mode that allows you to change certain settings like the ISO (film speed) and flash settings.

S - Shutter priority - Great for sports or motion shots in weird lighting. You set the shutter speed and the camera determines the rest.

A -  Aperture priority - Great for setting long focal lengths (stuff's in focus for a long way)  or short focal lengths and then letting the camera do everything else.

M - Full manual - You must tell the camera everything. You set the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and flash settings. This is a great mode for learning about how your camera works, but it is not recommended for shooting when fractions of a second count such as in wildlife, sports or weddings.