SpeakingphotoSpeakingPhoto, the iOS and now Android app, enables users to add a simple voice recording to old family photos, giving them new meaning and ancestry data. For short, it turns pictures into stories to enhance and give value to photos, allowing everyone to personalize memories and businesses to capture real product testimonials that can even be shared instantly via social media or privately via text and email.

SpeakingPhoto is a collaboration of Dawn Davis and Diana Iles Parker, two San Francisco Bay Area moms, business veterans, and social advocates from San Francisco, who got the idea from a school fundraiser showcasing kindergarten artwork combined with voice-overs of children expressing their work. The emotional response from parents prompted the development of SpeakingPhoto.

"Traditionally a photo's value has diminished over time because we forget the players in the story and the photo becomes a mystery. SpeakingPhoto changes that experience by adding voice, a valuable tool to keep memories alive forever," stated SpeakingPhoto CEO and Founder Dawn Davis.

Behind every SpeakingPhoto is a story more telling than any standalone photo: “You just have to open the app, shoot your photo or choose one from your camera roll, record your message or story, save and share instantly publicly or privately, or tag up to eight SpeakingPhotos to build a slideshow and send the same way”, the two founders explained.

"What's unique about SpeakingPhoto is how easily one can capture the real family story," said SpeakingPhoto Partner and CMO Diana Parker. "Just take a digital image of an old family photo and let grandpa tell his story. There is no easier way to record family history and build memories that last beyond lifetimes," she added.

Turning pictures into stories: http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/SP_Ancestry_30_1_4-720p.mp4

More applications for SpeakingPhotos include:

  • ArtSpeak —The storage answer to schoolwork; take a photo, have your child explain it, a work of art forever preserved.
  • Thank Yous—Take a photo of your gift or enjoying your gift, record your gratitude, instantly share.
  • Idea Generating Tool—Renovating, got an idea? Snap visuals, voice your opinion, share.
  • Storytelling —Take a trip, send stories back; your photo, your voice, easily and instantly.
  • Last Minute Gift —Tag up to eight SpeakingPhotos to create an instant album for birthdays and other celebrations.

Since SpeakingPhoto is available in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Japanese and Chinese I am wondering, if it wouldn’t be a useful tool to win cash from Scoopshot’s world cup contest.

Scoopshot is a leading mobile platform for photo and video crowdsourcing that just announced that it will issue 18 photo assignments to honor the soccer tournament taking place in Brazil – the place where the soccer nations are meeting right now. Scoopshot announced to pay around 100 Scoopshot users, who capture the soccer spirit best from $5 to $25 U.S. depending on the task assignment, which will be available to over 535,000 global Scoopshooters from 177 countries.

The first Scoopshot soccer global task, "Show us your favorite soccer team jersey!", was pushed to users on June 12, and hundreds of Scoopshooters posted photos of themselves, friends and fans sporting jerseys at home and at the games. Future tasks include "In a 15 second video show us your soccer fancy footwork," and "Photos of dogs in soccer attire!"

In addition to global tasks, Scoopshot will also create tasks for specific rivalries and countries. Scoopshooters will receive push notifications on their smartphones as new tasks become available and get a chance to earn from $5 to $25 U.S. depending on the task assignment.

"The championships are all about celebrating the world's passion for soccer," said Nancy Padberg, VP Global Marketing. "Our goal is to support this global event with photo and video tasks that get Scoopshooter fans immersed in the action and show the world what it means to love this sport. Task photos and videos are available to media, marketers and bloggers to enhance their content after a private task closes, usually 3 – 7 days after the task launch."

Scoopshot has a track record of generating thousands of creative photos and videos. From a Finnish parachutist holding a beer above the Earth to cars hanging from giant cloth pins, Scoopshooters capture remarkable images and often get paid for their ingenuity. The 18 football world cup related tasks will be issued till July 30th, and those photos and videos that earn cash will be featured on the Scoopshot Facebook page and on Twitter: @scoopshot #WorldCup2014

So what are you waiting for?

By Daniela La Marca