How GIFs are Changing Photography and Helping us Build a More Human Social Network
Something incredible happened since we launched PHHHOTO. For the first time in the last half-century, a completely new visual media format emerged that’s now on the verge of ubiquity.
We named this format moving pictures.
At a glance, moving pictures might look familiar. They’re pictures that move, kind of like a GIF. If you’re not convinced that GIFs are interesting, consider this: they are the first post-internet media format to successfully enter the public consciousness. Video, photo, audio, text – the building blocks of the most important social networks of our time – all existed before the internet.
What’s puzzling about GIFs is how they are generally perceived as content that gets shared and consumed, not created. A recent piece on Pando reinforced this sentiment when they left out the most obvious question: Why isn’t everyone making GIFs?
When we started PHHHOTO, we asked ourselves that question and came to three conclusions:
- GIFs are tricky to make — often more difficult than video.
- GIFs have technical issues (like file size and limited color palette).
- GIFs need a platform where they can be created by anyone and shared with everyone — a dedicated place where people can push the boundaries of the format.
We thought solving these issues would change the game. We were right. Now 1,000,000 people open PHHHOTO every day to make and share moving pictures. Our camera brings pictures to life with just one button and it’s changed the way people see themselves — and the world.
Major innovations in photography come every 10–15 years. From black-and-white to color, then from manual to automatic, and most recently from film to digital. Now pictures are starting to move… the next big thing is happening right now.
Building a more human social network
Today, photography and social networking are inseparable. Pictures are how we establish social identity. They’re the visual language we use to communicate with each other. They’re how we relate.
PHHHOTO makes this so much easier because it brings everything to life. When you make a moving picture, you reveal more emotion, evoke more empathy and feel more human.
PHHHOTO makes you feel human. That’s been the driving principle behind a number of important product decisions:
For example, on PHHHOTO…
1. Every person is real and verified by phone
2. Every person is allowed a single account and it’s mostly public
3. Every picture is taken with our camera and shared in real-time
4. Every featured picture is hand-picked by our creative team
5. Every interaction with our brand feels personal
In an era where likes, followers and celebrity define our social status, PHHHOTO has established a different value system by changing the formula. Originality, authenticity, self-esteem and empathy — that’s what we’re fighting for. A place that feels more human.
So moving forward, our goal is simple:
Shape the future of photography.
Build a better social network.
Enable meaningful human interaction.
