Photos for Funeral Display: Ideas and Slideshow Tips

Photos at a funeral usually appear in three ways: a slideshow on a screen, printed boards or framed portraits, and a memory table that mixes photos with objects. There is no fixed number of photos to use. A common rule of thumb for a slideshow is 3 to 5 seconds per photo, which means a 3-minute song needs roughly 35 to 60 photos. The part that takes the most time is gathering and sorting the photos, so start there.

What are the options for displaying photos at a funeral?

You can combine several. Each suits a different moment of the day.

• A slideshow on a screen. It can play in the background during a visitation or reception, or as a dedicated moment during the service with one song. See our guide to funeral video tributes.
• Printed photo boards. Boards organized by stage of life or by theme give guests something to gather around and talk about.
• A framed portrait. One clear, recent photo near the casket, urn or entrance helps guests know who they are remembering.
• A memory table. Photos sit beside objects that mattered, such as a fishing hat, a recipe book or a sewing basket. Our memory table ideas guide has more.
• Photos in the program. A cover photo and one or two more can go in the printed order of service.
• A shared online album. Guests can look through it afterward or add their own pictures. A QR code memorial lets people reach it from the program.

How many photos do you need?

It depends on how long the display will run and whether people will be watching closely or just passing by. The numbers below are simple arithmetic based on 3 to 5 seconds per photo. They are a starting point, not a rule.

Slower is usually better. If photos change too fast, guests cannot take in the faces. If you have only a few dozen good photos, use a slower pace or a shorter song.

How do you gather the photos?

Start by collecting what the family already has: albums, frames, boxes, phones and social media accounts. Then ask relatives, friends and coworkers. They often have photos the immediate family has never seen.

A shared online album is the easiest way to do this. In Google Photos, for example, anyone with the link to a shared album can view it and add photos, which saves you from chasing email attachments. Other services work in a similar way. Text the link to family and friends and ask for their favorites. Whichever service you use, ask people to send original files rather than screenshots.

How do you scan old prints?

Scan prints on a flat-bed scanner instead of taking a photo of the print with a phone, which adds glare and uneven sharpness. The National Archives gives a few other rules that are worth following for family photos:

• Make sure the whole photo fits on the scanner bed so the lid does not press on it.
• Do not use an automatic document feeder for valuable or fragile prints. It can jam and tear them.
• Keep the originals after you scan them. A digital file is not a permanent replacement.
• Give files plain names, and record who, what, where and when for each one.
• Keep copies in more than one place. The National Archives describes a "3-2-1" rule: three copies, on two kinds of storage, with one stored somewhere else.

How sharp should the scan be? A standard widescreen display is 1920 by 1080 pixels, which is only about two megapixels. A 4 by 6 inch print scanned at 300 dots per inch gives 1200 by 1800 pixels, which is enough for a slideshow. If you plan to enlarge a small print to poster size, scan it at a higher setting, such as 600 dots per inch, and ask the print shop whether the file is large enough for the size you want.

How do you choose which photos to show?

Go for photos that show the person as others knew them, not only the best-looking ones. A few guidelines help.

• Show faces. Choose photos where the person is easy to recognize and where you can see the expression.
• Mix the years. Include childhood, young adult life, work, family and recent years.
• Include the things they loved. Hobbies, pets, places and the person at work can say more than a posed portrait.
• Keep captions short. A name and a year is enough. Guests are watching faces, not reading paragraphs.
• Think about the people in the photos. If there are family tensions, such as an ex-spouse or estranged relative, talk it over with close family before the photos go on a screen. Our guide to a funeral with an estranged parent covers that situation.

How do you build and run a slideshow?

1. Pick the music first. Choose a song, or a few, and time the photos to match so the last photo appears as the music ends. Our funeral music guide can help you pick.
2. Build it in a simple app. The free slideshow or video features on most phones and computers are enough. You do not need special software.
3. Export it as a video file and save it on a USB drive. Bring a second copy, and do not count on the venue's internet connection.
4. Test it on the venue's equipment before the day. Screens, projectors, cables and sound systems differ, and a file that plays on your laptop may not play on theirs. Ask the funeral home or venue what file type, cable and connection they use.
5. Name someone to start it. Decide who will press play, and tell the officiant or funeral director when it happens.

If you want help, ask the funeral home whether it makes video tributes and what it charges. You are not required to buy one. The FTC Funeral Rule gives you the right to choose only the goods and services you want.

What about the music in the slideshow?

Recorded songs are covered by copyright. A funeral home or house of worship may already handle licensing for music played at its own services, but posting or streaming the video is different. YouTube, for example, scans uploads for copyrighted music, and the copyright owner can choose to block the video or run ads on it. The NFDA also notes that Facebook and YouTube systems automatically mute copyrighted music in streams. If you plan to share the video online, consider music you have permission to use. Our guides to license-free funeral music and live-streaming a funeral explain more.

How do you make printed boards and framed photos?

• Use copies, not originals. Reprint or scan the photo and display the copy. Keep the original in a safe place so it is not bent, marked or lost.
• Use removable mounting. Photo corners, removable tape or a clip board let the family take the photos home undamaged.
• Group by theme. Chapters such as family, work, travel and friends are easier to look at than a random mix.
• Check names and dates. Ask a second person to read every caption before you print.
• Plan the setup. Ask how early you can enter the room, and bring easels, tape and a few spare clips. Our funeral poster template guide covers welcome posters.

If the family wants to keep the photos in one place afterward, a simple online memorial page can hold them, along with the slideshow video and guests' messages.

What is a realistic timeline?

Funeral dates vary, and many services happen within a week or two of the death, while memorials after cremation can be weeks later. Our guide on how long after death a funeral is held explains the range. If the service is about a week away, this schedule works:

What to do next

1. Make a shared album today and send the link to family.
2. Ask the funeral home which screen, file type and cables it uses, and whether it offers a video tribute.
3. Decide whether you want a slideshow, boards, a memory table or a mix, then pick the music.
4. Give yourself a little time for scanning and a test run.