I’d go for giving them some 3D space…in other words, transition some, if not all, of them in with some card wipe effects, maybe using PlaneSpace if you have it to create “galleries” of the pics which then move in, or rotate in, to display a single photo. Try the Video Copilot Sure Target 2 plugin to get some flying camera effects. Since you said “classy effects”, I wouldn’t overdo this – I’d pick one of the above styles, keep it slow moving, maybe with a dissolve in; slow even motion is what will keep these effects from becoming a trailer for a new computer game.
Anything which gives your scene dimensionality will help defeat the “slide show” possibilities.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com