PhotoSpotLand App and Contest

Do you like to photograph London? Want to share its iconic places and their photographic tips with other travellers? A travel tech company is running a three month campaign to photomap London through crowd sourcing. And travel bloggers will have the chance to win prizes. Kirstie Pelling went to the London launch of PhotoSpotLand…

Photographing London

When someone is selling a campaign to you, it helps if you can see what you are getting. At the launch of the new London PhotoSpotLand campaign we are looking directly down through huge panoramic windows at Tower Bridge. The iconic structure is looking splendid tonight, helped by a golden sunset and a pretty boat travelling through it. It’s perfect for photographing. And right now we are hearing about a new app and photography campaign that can assist with that.

The PhotoSpotLand app was developed in the London and Partners ‘TravelTech Lab.’ This isn’t as James Bond as it sounds –the lab is an incubator for start up companies in the travel tech industry. An industry that is growing very fast. The lab was launched six months ago and currently supports 13 companies. PhotoSpotLand is latest product to launch itself onto the world- and more specifically on London.

Secret London

As the two parts of Tower Bridge go down and cyclists whizz over it again like ants in a peloton we hear about the mobile and web based tools, and the competition to launch the app.

“It is my dream to help citizens to discover hidden parts of the city where they live. This campaign is about discovering London as a Londoner and is the first photomapping campaign of a city based on crowdsourcing,” says Mario Bucolo, PhotoSpotLand founder and CEO. “We have created a platform where people can find information about where to shoot photos. Technical information like wide angle zooms and whether you need a tripod, as well as practical information like how to get there. You’ll find information about the best time of the day to shoot photos; for example Tower Bridge in the evening.”

People will be encouraged to post less well known spots as well as the iconic buildings. “For example there is a musical garden near the Museums of Kensington that people don’t know. It is a beautiful place where people near the museum can sit,” Mario tells me when we chat after the press launch.

Prizes for bloggers

The PhotoSpotLand website is worldwide. Italy, where Mario hails from, is particularly well represented. But the new ‘Discovering London as a Londoner’ campaign is just for the English capital. Mario and his team of nine have hooked in several sponsors to offer prizes like holidays and camera equipment. The campaign will run till January 10th and there will be a contest with weekly prizes. Some prizes will be just for travel bloggers and are likely to include a trip to Catania. It’s currently downloadable for iOS but will be coming to android soon. The hashtags are #LondonAsLondoners #DiscoverYourLondon and #PhotoMappingLondon.

I ask Mario how PhotoSpotLand is different to Instagram? “We are different because it’s not about sharing the photo. You can see where the photograph was made and all the information about how to arrive there. But you only see three photos of the single spot.” He pulls out his phone and shows me an image of a bridge in Budapest. “We have the information on the camera settings for each photo and whether the photographer needed a tripod or flash. You might also find opening hours or information on whether you need a ticket. People can comment and add in information like “Oh, now they build the palace in front of the view or they change the timing on entrance hours!”

Aside from the prizes, Mario says it can help bloggers raise their profile. “You can create your profile page with all of your social. You can link to your website or the article on your blog. If you write an article on Tower Bridge you can link to the post.”

We both look out at Tower Bridge in the fading evening light. A not so hidden gem in any photomap of London.