If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I enjoy working with photographs. I recently came across a new Web 2.0 Collage generator, Photovisi, and took a few minutes out of my day to play. I found Photovisi intuitive and especially liked the fact that you do not have to set up an account to generate some excellent collages. The application offers numerous options and could be used by students to display photographs as a compliment to their “what did I do over the summer” essay. The college application could also be used to display art work, photos from a field trip, family photos for a family tree, etc. The product makes it simple to upload multiple photographs and offers the option to download collages using various resolutions. You can also crop and layer images. I have posted some of my favorite samples below. I hope you and your students enjoy using this new collage generator!

>

If you enjoyed this post you might enjoy the following archived posts:

• Mosaic/Collage Generators
• Tuxpi Foto Fun
• Generate Some More Fun Photos
• It’s a Frame-up
• PictureTrail Photo Albums

I really enjoy Flickr, as I noted in a previous post:  A Dozen Flickr Fun Favorites!. There are so many gifted photographers posting marvelous photographs. And, don’t you just love photographs that are available under a Creative Commons license? For detailed information about Creative Commons licensing visit the Creative Commons Flickr page. Here are some additional Flickr Web 2.0 Apps I found since writing my previous post:

1. Spell with Flickr – type any word or short phrase into the online form to view marvelous scrapbook-like letters comprised of Flickr photos. You can highlight and paste the letters into Word or PowerPoint or better yet take a screenshot and crop for use in projects. You can view my sample below…
   
2. qflick – a search tool that can be used to search for Flickr images. Use the advanced features to assure copyright issues are in place
3. Flickr tag browser – type in a word to see flickr photographs that use the word you typed as a tag. Images will be surrounded by additional tags that can be clicked on for an endless spiral of Flickr images.
4. Flickorama – “Search and view Flickr photoset slideshows in cool 3D layouts: Cover Flow, Carousel, Grid, Spiral, Roller Coaster, and Time Machine. Powered by OpenFlux 3D, aka PlexiGlass. Includes large photo view, full screen mode, thumbnail strip and photo shuffling.”
5. Delivr Greeting Cards – use Flickr images to send ecards. All images are licensed under the creative commons.
6. Phrasr – “an interactive web based application that uses Flickr images to illustrate the phrases that users submit. You can choose every image and then publish the entire phrase, which is shown as a personal slide show.”
7. digiPoem – generate visual representations of poetry and other text sources using folksonomic image tagging on Flickr.
8. Five Card Flickr – “this quasi experimental web site is designed to foster visual thinking…You are dealt five random photos for each draw, and your task is to select one each time to add to a selection of images, that taken together as a final set of 5 images- tell a story in pictures.”
9. Phraser – “an interactive web based application that uses Flickr images to illustrate the phrases that users submit. You can choose every image and then publish the entire phrase, which is shown as a personal slide show.”
10. Mashup Arts – create a card to post on Facebook or email to a friend using Flickr photos, music, and video…very cool app that would be even better if it also allowed users to embed cards on their blogs (hint, hint). Users can collaborate to create cards. Click here to view my sample card. This is a very promising application that could be used to create multimedia digital books…great for student projects!
11. Picsviewr – “turns your Flickr photos into visually stimulating presentations. Choose one of the 10 slideshows templates available and enjoy!” Click here to see my sample! This would be a great way to present field trip photographs.
12. Gickr – turn your Flickr photographs into animated GIFs. See my sample below:
Make your own animation



13. Pictobrowser – post interactive slideshows on your blog featuring your Flickr images. See my sample below:
    Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

We know that students are snapping more photographs than ever before (largely thanks to photo options on cell phones). Now they can showcase a photograph and submit meaningful captions. “Pictory is a showcase for people around the world to document their lives and cultures. Anyone can submit one large, captioned image to each of Pictory’s editorial themes.” Give students an opportunity to submit their favorite photo and caption, but be aware….not all photographs will be published on this site and students can only submit one photo per category. The pressure of submitting only your best photo and caption should help encourage careful, thoughtful editing. Why just one photo? The editor of this site wants you (and your students) to pick your best image. The site is designed to help a diverse group of people put together collaborative photo essays.

I especially enjoyed exploring the images and reading the stories that were selected for the Overseas and Overwhelmed Pictory section. I do hope you will take time to peruse the photo essays included in that category. Currently there are several themes open for submission:

• The House I Grew Up In
• Local Delicacy
• The One Who Got Away
• Learning from Our Elders
• My Most Meaningful Image

Do’s and Dont’s as posted on the site…

• Do submit a photo that you took.
• Do write the caption yourself, and/or credit anyone who helps you.
• Do make sure your photo is at least 1000 pixels wide (at any height).
• Do pick one best photo for each theme, and make sure it’s a good fit.
• Do consider appropriateness for viewers of all ages when choosing your photo and writing your text.

• Don’t add text or watermarks to your images.
• Don’t stretch your photo in one dimension.
• Don’t send nude photos or inappropriate content.
• Don’t add borders to your image.
• Don’t send in illustrations, drawings, paintings, or other non-photographic images.