How to Create a Retirement Slide Show

Collect source material. Get in touch with the retiree's employer, co-workers, family members and friends. Ask for photographs spanning the length of her career, and keep them organized in roughly chronological order. Look for images depicting friendships in the workplace, special achievements and other happy moments throughout the years. Have a photo mat scan any analog photographs and collect all digital materials in a central location -- whether on a jump drive or in a specific folder on your computer's hard disk. Try to arrange a secret visit to the retiree's office to photograph any awards or press clippings they have. Print thumbnail versions of all of the images you find as a way to keep a running inventory. Begin the editing process when you have enough material to work with.

Cut out all of the thumbnails and put them up on a dry erase board with magnets. Slide them around and experiment with different image orders until you have a rough assembly that pleases you. Use a dry erase marker to add captions to the images that explain their significance to make the slide show more meaningful. Depending on the personality of the retiree, you may want to include some humor. Working with images on a board that you can manipulate with your hands allows you to plan the heart of the slide show in a realm free of software hiccups, troubleshooting and other technical concerns. Order the images and write the text, and then move on to the software process.

Import the digital versions of the photographs into your preferred photo management utility. Many modern operating systems include photo management software with built-in wizards that guide you through the process of arranging slide shows and burning them onto a writable CD or DVD. Drag and drop the photos to recreate the order you made on the board, and add captions as needed. When prompted, tell the wizard to burn the slide show to disc.