Students capture moments with new social media app

Social media is constantly evolving. Apps like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have dominated for a while, but Momentage, a photo-sharing app, is quickly gaining buzz as the next big thing.

Momentage, like Instagram, popularized among the professional photography community.

"It started off as a great way for photographers and artists to connect and share," said JoAnn Ippolito, co-founder of Momentage.

Ippolito and her business partner George Castineiras left Corporate America to launch Momentage in fall 2013, when it was first released to iPhone users.

Since then, the app has gained popularity, specifically among college students.

"I'm always looking for a new way to express myself and socialize with friends," said Keondra Hickman, junior health care management major at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.

"I just got an Instagram last month but after seeing all I can do with Momentage, I'm making a switch," she said.

With the swipe of a finger, users can upload up to 15 photos to create a collage, sharing each moment with followers in real time. Also, users can add videos and sound to their posts.

Users have the ability to continue editing and reorganizing their images to bring the collage to life, essentially telling a photo story. In many ways, Momentage is the new, more complex and intriguing 'selfie.'

Basically, if a user attends a concert, he or she is able to upload all of their videos, images and sound clips from the experience into one post. The user can continue adding, editing and rearranging throughout the day or night. "It really brings your pictures to life," Ippolito said.

Castineiras has so much faith in Momentage, he invested $1.5 million of his own funds to launch the project.

provides an experience that enriches the communication with video and soundimages and supplies both the creator and the receiver with significantly more context. Said another way, we offer books and not dictionaries," Castineiras said.

"What I mean by that is you're going to get a much richer experience in observing and expe-riencing someone's moment versus a single post," he said.

Momentage user @legojacker said, "I've rarely arranged my work by theme, but the arrival of Momentage changed this, allowing me to revisit my photos in a different light with a new and inspiring community."

Hickman said, "I've told all of my friends about it and they like it too. It's more than another social media platform; it's a creative experience."