OVERVIEW
In order to create a photo essay, you will need to use an application that allows you to combine, edit, and adjust photos and audio and export the resulting project in a compressed format suitable for sharing on the web (such as m4v, mov, or mp4).
If you have a Mac, your best bet is to use iMovie, as described below, but you might also try Keynote or PowerPoint or even iPhoto. You can also search Google for free (or cheap) slideshow creation applications that you download and use as well as apps you can use directly on the web. Also browse the handouts under Multimedia Tools. If you find a nifty tool, please let me know so that I can check it out and share it here as an option.
IMOVIE
iMovie is part of the iLife suite of applications that come on all Macs (at least since 2003) and also includes iPhoto and GarageBand. The application is quite powerful and can be used to make feature length movies, so it might look a little intimidating when you first launch it. But the basic features are pretty easy to use.
To make a photo essay, you only need to know how to do a few basic things: create a new project, drag in your photos, create title cards and transitions, import your audio recording, and adjust how the photos appear and how long they display, so that they correspond with appropriate moments of your spoken narrative.
If you have a version of iMovie older than 2009, you might want to consider upgrading. The current version, iMovie 2011, is available through the Mac App store for $14.99.
TIP: To find out what version of iMovie you have, go to the iMovie menu and drag down to About iMovie. Note both the year and the version number. To find out what version of Mac OS 10 you have, go to the Apple menu in the upper left corner and drag down to About this Mac. Note the full number (like 10.4.11 or 10.6.3).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Browse through the appropriate category and tag archives to find more resources on iMovie and other tools for digital composition.
