Taking pictures with a smartphone and share them on social networks is an all-out trend that has revolutionised the way men and women of all ages take photos, no matter where they are in the world. Pushed by this new mobile photography craze, Picwant – the first photo agency in the world specialising exclusively in mobile photography – is quickly making a name for itself at international level.
Founded in 2014 with the goal of “supporting mobile photography as an art form and a powerful means of expression of the future” Picwant is an online platform (www.picwant.com) that operates as a real photo agency, distributing images made by a wide network of contributors (Pickers) from over 40 countries.
Today, to raise awareness on the platform and attract new users among the many who daily publish images on social networks challenging each other with shares and likes, Picwant launches the contest “Get more than likes”.
The initiative, as its name promises, allows to go beyond a simple ‘like’: win big prizes, publish pictures on the dedicated website beapicker.picwant.com, share them with a community of enthusiasts, and finally participate in a major – strictly “mobile only” – photographic exhibition.
Running until the 31st of August 2016, the contest is open to both amateurs and professional adults photographers who reside in the United States, United Kingdom and Italy and is a great opportunity to get closer to the world of Picwant.
The “Picwant Mobile Photos and Videos” app – essential tool to start enjoying and using Picwant – can be downloaded free of charge for use on iOS, Android and Windows devices.
After registering and creating an account, users will be able to participate in the contest by simply uploading on the website a picture related to the theme of TRAVEL and type the keyword “Contest” in the dedicated box. From landscapes to people, from nature to food, from monuments to leisure and cultural events, users will be able to upload more than one picture at different times to increase their chances of winning.
Every week for 2 months, the best photographs, standing out for visual impact, composition, originality, technique and creativity will win an e-dreams voucher worth $552/£426. The overall winner will be awarded with a PICKER KIT including professional photography equipment for smartphones.
How to become a Picker
Picwant innovative business model enables users to transform their passion for taking photos with their smartphones into real profit opportunities.
To get started, simply download the app, register as a user and upload at least 10 photos or videos (or both). Picwant will evaluate your content and, when you have had at least five photos or videos accepted, the company will send you a contract for you to become a fully-fledged Picker. At that stage, your approved photos and videos will be published on www.picwant.com and made available to anyone looking for content for their projects.
One of the best features of the new app is the notification system whereby Pickers receive Pic-Ups – tailored missions for the Pickers to capture a particular type of content on the request of the platform itself or of clients. This might include themed images or reportage-style coverage of events, current affairs, competitions and more. It’s the perfect opportunity for the Pickers to provide a specific genre of images in real time, ready to be shared on popular websites or social networks, help illustrate projects or create a more complete picture of news stories as they break.
The copyright of images and videos uploaded to Picwant remains property of the Pickers: indeed, the Picwant mobile photography platform also serves as a marketplace, acting as an intermediary between author and buyer. For each image or video downloaded and bought by a client, the Picker receives royalties (a percentage of the cost shown on the site, or of the fee paid by the client for a bespoke request).
Picwant’s real strength is its knowledge of mobile photography and the wealth of expertise it has built up in the field of analysing and commercialising photographs. The user content approval process ensures that each and every image is evaluated by qualified photo editors who check the quality and add keywords to make it easier for clients to search the platform. Images that don’t live up the Picwant’s qualitative standards are rejected, but the users are given advice and suggestions to help them perfect their ability as photographers. This could include tips on how to improve framing, optimise the clarity of an image, choose the perfect light and add strategic key words to each photo.
According to Picwant founder, Stefano Fantoni: “The high quality and built-in software offered by modern smartphones enables us to produce images of an excellent standard that can compete with photos produced by other means and win the battle of immediacy and accessibility. Mobile photography is a global trend that is broadening the horizons of photography, ensuring that – now more than ever – it is within the reach of us all.”
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