Incorporating still pictures and other videos?

[stormwatcher]

I am going out to sea (USN) in about 4 months, I have 2 and 5 year old in which I want to send videos each month. But I am a little green on how to do a couple things that I intend.
I will video taping myself talking to my family, but want to incorporate still photo of places overseas as I am narrating it as well as maybe input other video that I have taken within the same video. Now... am I going to need an editing machine, or are there video camera out there that will allow me to do this?
Can someone out there help with my little delima, and if you need more info please let me know.

Thank You,
Chris

[Skyman]

almost all computers come with basic video editing software these days and this is what you would be looking at. it is a fairly simple process to add video and still photos onto the timeline. you can usually record voice over straight to the computer or through the video camera. again it is a relatively simple process to overlay other video or still images on top of the voice over you have recorded. if you are using a pc windows movie maker which comes free with windows will get you started. If you are using a Mac, Imovie which is also included free is an excellent program. if you have the time to learn a little bit more about editing, you will very quickly outstrip the capabilities of both of these programs, although both of them are more than up to the task you intend to put them to. In theory it is possible to edit your videos using two cameras, or a camera and a vcr but this is a much more time consuming and tedious process that allows very little margin for error, you are far better using a computer to help you with your editing.