Software

I have been asked a few times about the software I use to make the animations I post here, so I thought it would be easiest to put all the information here. I can then add to it as I find new software, or as I remember what I’ve missed out! I’ll also suggest some free programs. I won’t be including Photoshop, as that is far beyond my price range, and if I’m going to recommend software, I need to have some experience of using it.
I prefer to colourise the black and white photos, to make the transition to the new photo less of a jolt. That’s not everyone’s cup of tea though. If it’s not yours, just skip those programs.

Adding Colour

Paint Shop Pro has a brush that changes or adds colours without any loss of detail, and has been the program I’ve used for quite a while. I still use it to tidy up details after I’ve used another program, Recolored, to do the bulk of the work. This program is quicker to use, and gives a more natural effect of colours very slightly bleeding together, as sometimes happens with a real colour photo.
There is a free program, called Instant Photo Color. It’s a bit basic, but can give excellent results.

After colouring, the Hue Saturation will probably need adjusting, which is akin to tuning the colour down on a television. Almost any image editor can be used for that.

Repairing damaged Photos

I generally use Serif PhotoPlus to repair scratches and other blemishes on old and damaged, but The Gimp has similar tools, and is free.

Cropping, Stretching & Matching Photos

If at all possible, the two photos in a morph should match closely, with features that occur in both in the same place in both. Any of the above Image Editors will do the job, but The Gimp is, by far, the easiest.

Morphing

I use Morpheus Photo Morpher, but I’ve recently found a free program called Squirl Morph, that does a really good job and, with a little practice, is quite easy to use.

 

Careful Now!

I’ve used the links to free software above without any trouble, but with some of them you need to be a bit careful. Decline any offer of additional software and, when installing, choose “Custom Install, and uncheck any other programs that are offered. You probably don’t want another search engine, least of all one that insists on being the default one. As long as you’re careful, and don’t rush, you won’t have any problems.