How to Choose Photos for a Growing Up Video
A growing up video is only as good as the photos you feed it. The good news: you do not need a perfect archive. A handful of clear, well-chosen photos beats a folder of fifty random ones. Here is how to pick them.
Start with the face
The video shows one person changing over time, so the face is the whole story. For each age, look for a photo where:
- The face is clear and facing the camera, or close to it.
- The face is not tiny in the frame. A close or medium shot works much better than a wide group picture where the face is a few pixels.
- Nothing hides it. Sunglasses, heavy shadows, a hat pulled low or a hand over the mouth make the result less natural.
- It is the right person. It sounds obvious, but in group photos make sure you are using the same person every time.
Scans of old prints are fine. A slightly soft or faded photo from decades ago can still work if the face is readable.
How many photos?
Vidotory takes between 2 and 24 photos. Every pair of neighbouring photos becomes one transition of about 5 seconds, so 12 photos make 11 transitions, a video of just under a minute.
- 5 photos is a good first try: baby, child, teenager, adult, today. That is what the Starter plan covers.
- 8 to 12 photos gives a smoother, more detailed life story.
- 16 to 24 photos suits a long life or a milestone like an 80th birthday, where you want each decade to have room.
More photos is not automatically better. Pick one strong photo per stage rather than five near-duplicates from the same afternoon.
Spread the ages out
The most satisfying videos show real change from one photo to the next. Aim for roughly even steps in age: for example birth, 3, 7, 12, 17, 25, 35 and today. If two neighbouring photos are only a few months apart the transition will barely change, which wastes one of your 5-second slots.
Order them from youngest to oldest
Order is the story. On the upload page you drag the photos into place, and the video follows that order exactly: the first photo is where the video starts, the last photo is where it ends. Put the youngest first and the most recent last.
If a photo from an earlier age is out of order, the person will appear to get younger in the middle of the video. Check the order once more before you continue.
Photo format and quality
JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC (the default on iPhones) all work. Use the original file when you can instead of a screenshot or a version sent through a chat app, which is usually compressed and smaller.
What to expect from the result
The video blends each photo into the next one and tries to keep the person's face consistent. Results depend on the photos: clear, similar-angle faces blend best, and very different angles or lighting can look less smooth. If one transition is not right, you can redo just that one instead of starting over (Starter includes 2 redos, larger plans include 5).
Quick checklist
- One clear, front-facing photo for each stage of life.
- Even steps in age, no near-duplicates.
- Ordered from youngest to oldest.
- Original files, not screenshots.
Ready to try it? Create your video and see a life unfold in a minute. You can see the plans on the pricing section.