You can use the panning and zooming effects built-in to Photo Story 3 for Windows to add life to any of your still photographs. Photo Story 3 automatically assigns a straight path between the start and end positions for a picture, but you have the option to customize the picture motion by selecting a different path between the start and end positions. You can create this customized picture motion by importing the same picture multiple times and then selecting the motion and duration for each copy of the picture and the type and duration of the transitions that occur between the picture copies.

By using this method, the motion can traverse different parts of the picture, creating a more complex path (rather than a straight line) over the picture and enabling you to create a mini story based on a single picture. You can also create a "viewing window" into the picture. For this viewing window, the size of the start and end positions for the picture's motion is the same (pure panning motion). This viewing window magnifies the parts of the picture that you select to the full size of the resulting video.

If the resolution of your pictures is high enough to be viewed this way, you can discover a lot of hidden detail because a standard 5Mpx digital camera has almost four times the resolution of your computer screen (1.3Mpx at 1280x1024) and more than 15 times the resolution of 640x480 video.

The instructions below describe how to create a mini story based on a single picture.

Note You must have Photo Story 3 installed on your PC to view the photo story project file.

To create your own mini story

1.	Open Photo Story 3 for Windows. On the welcome page, click Begin a new story, and then click Next.
2.	On the Import and arrange your pictures page, import the same picture three times, and position the three copies of the picture next to each other on the filmstrip.
3.	To customize the motion for the first copy of the picture, on the Narrate your pictures and customize motion page, click the first copy of the picture on the filmstrip, and then click Customize Motion.
4.	On the Motion and Duration tab, complete the following tasks for the first picture: • Select the Specify start and end position of motion check box. • For the Start position, move the position rectangle to select the area where you want the motion for the first picture to begin. • To create a pure panning motion for the first copy of the picture, select the Set end position to be the same as start position check box. This option ensures that the rectangle for the start and end positions is the same size. • For the End position, move the position rectangle to select the area of the picture where you want the motion for the first picture to end. • To save the motion for the first picture, click Save.
5.	To set the motion for the second copy of the picture, click the Next picture arrow button at the bottom of the Customize Motion page.
6.	On the Motion and Duration tab, complete the following tasks for the second copy of the picture: • Select the Specify start and end position of motion check box. • Select the set start position to be the same as the end position of the previous picture check box. By setting the starting position for the second copy of the picture to be the same size and position as the end position for the previous copy of the picture, you create continuous motion over the picture. • To continue creating a pure panning motion, select the set end position to the same as start position check box, and then move the position rectangle for the end position to the location where you want the motion for the second picture to end.
7.	To ensure uninterrupted motion between the first and second pictures, remove any transitions between them. To do so, click the Transition tab, clear the Start current picture using a transition check box, and then click Save.
8.	To set the motion for the third copy of the picture, click the Next picture arrow button at the bottom of the Customize Motion page.
9.	On the Motion and Duration tab, complete the following tasks for the third copy of the picture: • Select the Specify start and end position of motion check box. • Select the Set start position to be the same as the end position of the previous picture check box. • To have the picture motion expand to the entire picture (rather than a specific part of the picture) at the end of your story, double-click the position rectangle for the end position.
10.	To remove any transitions between the second and third pictures, click the Transition tab, clear the Start current picture using a transition check box, and then click Save.
11.	You have successfully created a mini story using just one picture! To preview your mini story, click Preview.

Vladimir was born and educated in Kiev, Ukraine, and at Microsoft he has worked on various projects from OS components to Internet appliances and consumer multimedia applications. He has been a test engineer, software development engineer, and program manager. He has worked on the design and development of Photo Story since its inception. He got hooked on digital photography about four years ago and since then, he has been snapping pictures wherever he goes, which drives his wife and his daughters crazy.