The Slideshow module lets you present your work professionally — for client meetings, club presentations, or personal storytelling — with full control over layout, typography, transitions, and music.
🎨
Design a Layout
Control image size, position, backdrop, overlays, and intro/ending slides.
🎵
Add Music
Import an MP3 or AAC. "Fit to Music" auto-adjusts slide duration to match the track.
📤
Export as Video or PDF
Export a 1080p MP4 with music and transitions, or a shareable PDF for printing.
💡The Slideshow module lets you present your work professionally — for client meetings, club presentations, or personal storytelling — with full control over layout, typography, transitions, and music.
The Interface
Accessing the Slideshow Module
Click Slideshow in the module picker at the top right. Select your images in Library first — the filmstrip drives the slide order.
Left Panel Strip
Template Browser (saved slideshow designs) and Collections for quick image set access.
Center — Live Preview
The main preview area shows the current slide design in real time. Click to navigate between slides.
Right Panel Strip
Layout · Options · Overlays · Backdrop · Titles · Playback — six panels controlling every aspect of the presentation.
Bottom — Filmstrip
All images in the current selection. Drag to reorder. Click any image to jump to that slide in the preview.
Starting Point
Template Browser
The left panel. Click any template to preview it instantly in the center area. Built-in templates give you a ready-made starting point.
Default
Image centered with black backdrop. Clean and professional starting point.
Widescreen
16:9 aspect ratio layout — ideal for TV or projector presentations.
Caption and Rating
Shows image caption and star rating overlaid — useful for client review presentations.
EXIF Metadata
Overlays camera settings (ISO, shutter, aperture) — useful for teaching or technical review.
Best practice: Start from Default or Widescreen, then customize. Save your customized version as a User Template for reuse at future presentations.
Right Panel — Layout
Layout Panel — Sizing and Margins
Controls how large the image appears and where it sits within the slide frame.
1
Linked Margins — drag one to adjust all four equally
Unlink for asymmetric layouts — e.g., more space at the bottom for a caption area.
2
Show Guides checkbox
Displays the margin guides on the slide so you can see the image boundaries clearly while designing.
3
Zoom to Fill Frame
Crops the image to fill the entire slide — full bleed, no black bars. Best for dramatic landscape presentations.
4
Rotate to Fill
Rotates portrait images to fill more of the landscape frame — good when mixing portrait and landscape images.
Right Panel — Overlays
Overlays — Text and Identity Plate
Add elements that appear on every slide — your branding, ratings, and custom text.
Identity Plate
Your name, logo, or club name appears on every slide. Uses your catalog identity plate by default — customize in Edit > Identity Plate Setup.
Star Ratings
Displays each image's star rating as a visual overlay — useful for client selection presentations.
Text Overlays
Add custom text boxes — choose font, size, color, and opacity. Drag the text box in the preview to position it anywhere on the slide.
Shadow
Add a drop shadow to any overlay for legibility against bright image areas.
Right Panel — Backdrop
Backdrop — Background Design
The backdrop is the area behind the image. Three options to set the background of every slide.
Color Wash
A gradient color fill behind the image. Choose the color and angle. Subtle color washes add depth without distraction.
Background Color
Solid color fill. Black (#000000) or very dark gray is the most professional default for photography.
Background Image
Use one image as the background for all slides. A heavily blurred version of your hero image creates a beautiful, professional look. Set opacity low (10–30%).
Best practice: A black or very dark gray backdrop is the most professional default for photography presentations. It puts all attention on the image.
Right Panel — Titles
Titles — Intro and Ending Slides
Add custom intro and ending slides that frame your presentation professionally before the first image and after the last.
Intro Screen
Appears before the first image.
Add your title text and subtitle.
Include your logo via Identity Plate.
Sets the tone for the whole presentation.
Ending Screen
Appears after the last image.
Add closing text, website URL.
Thank you message.
Your contact information.
Check "Add Identity Plate" in each Titles section and customize the text for intro vs ending. Both use the same font and overlay controls as the Overlays panel.
Right Panel — Playback
Playback — Music and Transitions
Control timing, music, and how slides move between images.
Music
Click the + button to add an MP3 or AAC file. "Fit to Music" adjusts slide duration so the last slide ends when the track ends.
Slide Duration
Set manually in seconds when not using Fit to Music. 4–6 seconds per slide is comfortable for viewing.
Transitions
Fade (default, most professional) · Flash · Dissolve · Push · Zoom. Fade is almost always the right choice for photography.
Random Order / Repeat
Random Order shuffles slides for each playthrough. Repeat loops the slideshow — useful for lobby or gallery display.
"Prepare Previews in Advance" in the Playback panel pre-renders slides for smoother full-screen playback — always enable this before presenting.
Output
Playing and Exporting
Play the slideshow live or export it for sharing. Three export formats for different use cases.
Play Live — Press Enter or the Play Button
Full-screen playback with music and transitions. Press Escape to exit.
Export as PDF
Static slideshow — no music, no transitions. Shareable, printable. Good for client proof PDFs.
Export as Video (MP4)
Full video with music and transitions. Resolution options: 480p · 720p · 1080p. Share on YouTube, Vimeo, USB drive, or digital frame.
1
Click "Export Video" button (bottom left of module)
Choose a destination and video quality (1080p HD for most uses).
2
LR renders the MP4 — this takes a few minutes
Longer slideshows with more transitions take longer. A progress bar shows rendering status.
Real-World Application
Building a Club Presentation
Practical workflow for a LeConte Photo Club meeting presentation:
1
Create a Collection of your selected images
In Library, create a Smart Collection or regular Collection. Drag in your 15–20 best images, ordered as you want them presented.
2
Switch to Slideshow → choose Widescreen template
16:9 fills a projector or TV screen perfectly.
3
Set Backdrop to solid black · add Identity Plate with club name
Professional, focused presentation. Your name or the club name appears discreetly on each slide.
4
Add MP3 background music · Fade transition · 4-second duration
Fit to Music if the track length matters. Fade is the right transition for photography.
5
Prepare Previews → Export as 1080p MP4
Bring the MP4 on a USB drive. Plays on any TV or projector without needing Lightroom.
Your Turn
Challenge + Recap
3-Part Challenge:
Build a 10-image slideshow with music and a custom title slide — intro with your name, ending with your website.
Export it as both a PDF and a 1080p MP4.
Customize the backdrop color and add a text overlay that appears on every slide.
Template Browser
Start from Default or Widescreen. Save customized versions as User Templates for future reuse.
Layout Margins
Linked margins resize all sides equally. Zoom to Fill for full-bleed. Rotate to Fill for mixed orientations.
Overlays & Identity Plate
Your logo or name on every slide. Add text overlays with full font control. Drag to position.
Backdrop Options
Black is most professional. Color wash for creative flair. Background image at low opacity for depth.
Music + Fit to Music
Add MP3/AAC. Fit to Music auto-adjusts timing. Prepare Previews for smooth playback.
Export PDF or MP4
PDF for static sharing. MP4 at 1080p with music and transitions for projection and video platforms.
Up Next
LR 46 — The Print Module
Single prints, contact sheets, picture packages, and sending print-ready files to a lab.