Why does everything the Metaverse touches turn into a festering fly magnet? Take Instagram for example. It used to be the ideal platform for photographers and content makers. The platform traded its soul for lackluster influencers and the almighty algorithm when Facebook acquired it. Money was power, and obviously they knew best, right? Insert eye roll here. What made Instagram great became lost in the dance of competing with TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. They should have capitalized on specificity, but attempting a monopoly became its inevitable doom. Why focus on singular greatness when you can be less than mediocre with everything? Please let there be a better way. And that’s where VSCO makes its grand entrance.
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VSCO offers in-app editing, image sharing, and community in one fully-functioning ecosystem. It’s what Instagram initially set out to do before it sold its soul, but better. The company has seen the impact of the algorithm on creatives firsthand. Its goal is to maintain a creator-first focus and listen to feedback from creatives while improving the platform.
The most recent update to the app offers new VSCO spaces and shared galleries. This collaborative approach is sure to spark conversation and build relationships. Even more, former Adobe reps have joined the team. The app boasts over 200 presets within the editing suite. Although it isn’t meant to be a direct competitor for Lightroom, this is enticing. Is it worth the $29.99 annual membership to join the community? We think it’s a small price to pay for a breakup with the almighty algorithm. Keep reading to find out why.
Table of Contents
The Big Picture
VSCO’s core mission is to be a space for creators, by creators. We have and will continue to listen to feedback from our members and use that to roll out new features that support our community.
-VSCO
VSCO offers creatives an in-app editing suite and creative community in one ecosystem. The creator-first platform ditches influencers and the miserable algorithm, making it a breath of fresh air. It’s fun and easy to use. There are over 200 presets to choose from; of those, more than ten percent are film presets. Users will enjoy getting lost following the journey of similar photos, exploring suggested members to follow, and collaborating in shared spaces.
The presets seem as if they are aimed at smartphone images. Although, professional photographers will enjoy the convenience of the VSCO app after a session. A film preset with a low opacity looks almost as good as an image edited on a computer. Most untrained eyes won’t be able to tell the difference. Save the recipe and apply it to a few favorite images from that set. This can speed up reveal sessions and improve overall client satisfaction.
As with any new app, VSCO will require its users to dedicate precious time to build a new foundation. We are excited to see how this collaborative community evolves. The best part is that creatives will influence the future of the app.
We are giving the VSCO app five out of five stars. Want to check it out for yourself? Download the app on iOS or Android for free. The subscriptions are $29.99 per year or $7.99 per month. You can always try it out for free before you commit to buy it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Fun and easy to use
- Over 200 presets to choose from
- More than 10% of the presets are film presets
- Save recipes for quick editing
- Creatives drive the platform, not influencers
- The algorithm suggests work you want to see
Cons
- It will take time to build a new network
- The community is still growing
- It’s $29.99, although that’s a small fee to break up with the Metaverse.
Gear Used
I reviewed VSCO with an iPhone 11. Images used are from a Canon 5D III, iPhone 11, Leica SL2-s, Fujifilm X-T4, and Fujifilm GFX50s II.
Ease Of Use
VSCO has combined the convenience of mobile editing with a social network in one easy-to-use app. Import an image, edit it to your liking, and share it online or within the community. Take the red pill and enjoy the journey of experiencing other creators that are recommended by the app. Then, create a new space and invite contributors to collaborate if and when you feel like it. It really is that simple.
Real-Life Application
I would recommend VSCO to anyone who is ready to break up with Instagram.
Photographers will enjoy the simplicity of VSCO. It’s designed for creatives, and the user-friendly platform is very familiar. Beginners will enjoy experimenting with various editing presets and recipes. Seasoned pros will appreciate the fast and simple editing. They can quickly upload and edit an image within seconds to show clients. Most untrained eyes will not be able to tell if the image was edited within the app or on a computer.
The image on the left was edited in Capture One and Photoshop on my MacBook Pro. The image on the right was edited in VSCO.
Studio
All imports and saved media are saved to your studio. Access it by clicking on the (+) icon. Click on an image and choose to either edit, create a collage or montage, or share it. Click on the bottom right ellipsis to save it to the camera roll, copy edits, revert, or delete it.
Presets
The presets icon is in the lower-left corner of the app. Knowing which of the 200+ presets to use can be overwhelming after downloading VSCO. The Fujifilm, Kodak, and Ilford film presets are my favorite. If you aren’t sure where to start, the app has them broken down into various subcategories. Among them are what VSCO deems essential, popular, and recommendations for the particular photo.
I always clicked on recommendations when editing, yet I never chose one of the options. Additionally, there are more preset recommendations for portraits, nature, urban, warm, cool, vibrant, and black & white.
Once you have found presets you like, press down on it, and a star will appear. Slide it to the star to add the presets to your favorites.
From there, you have the option to lower the strength of the overall effect. You will want to do this as most presets are overkill. Reducing the overall effect creates a good starting point for further global adjustments. If you repeatedly return to the same preset, I recommend saving the recipe. Click on the circular arrow icon, which is second from the right on the bottom.
Editing Tools
Click the icon on the bottom that looks like adjustments sliders to access the editing tools. The essential tab is home to the most in-demand global editing tools. They are Adjust, Exposure, Dodge & Burn, Contrast, and HSL. Click on any light, color, or effects tabs to access more intricate editing adjustments. Adjust the sliders until you are satisfied.
Quickly crop and straighten images by sliding the x and y sliders. Click on skew and adjust the same x and y sliders to correct vertical and horizontal perspectives.
Global exposure adjustments are also an easy fix and self-explanatory. If you’ve done a global in any editing program, you’ve done them all.
Adjust the brush size and then paint on areas that need to be dodged or burned. Currently, there isn’t a slider to adjust the overall effect, and a little bit goes a long way. You can get more precise by adjusting the highlights and shadows.
You can adjust the tonality of the image and even choose to edit skin tone. There is also a remove tool currently in Beta testing. I would suggest that VSCO add zoom functionality for this tool in the future. It would unleash a whole world of simple in-app skin retouching.
There is even an option for split-tone images.
FX
Click the FX icon on the bottom to add special effects to your image. They are divided into five categories: Essential, Distressed, Frames, Light, and Texture. You will find special effects like broken film, expired film, rips, tears, and burn marks under Distressed. Various creative frame options are available under Frames. I enjoyed the 35mm 7a and 7b options with rounded corners. Click on light to play around with various flares and light leaks. You can also choose from film grain, dust, and scratches in Texture. Then adjust the slider for the overall impact.
Social Networking
Once you have created an image to your liking, save the recipe. Then click Next to save it to your camera roll and post it to your gallery.
Click on the image in your gallery. There’s an ellipsis at the top right. Click on it to share across other social media platforms.
Then scroll down to see related images from other members of the community. This is where the fun starts, and I highly suggest going down the rabbit hole. Scroll through and then click on every image that piques your interest. Click the star to show appreciation or the two arrows and add it to your collection.
The rest is like any other successful social media network, operating like you think it should. Use VSCO to search for new inspiring work and find new creatives to follow. Cut down on time by accessing your smartphone camera within the app before taking a picture. The smiley face icon takes you to your profile. The spaces feature is still in Beta and on the bottom right.
Be patient and have fun. As with any platform, be prepared to invest time in building your community. Your patience is sure to pay off.
Who Should Buy VSCO?
I would recommend VSCO to anyone ready to break up with Instagram. The platform offers an entire editing suite within the mobile app that’s on par with other mobile editing platforms. It is user-friendly and fun to use. Any level of photographer can use VSCO.
A light-handed editing approach is best when working with presets. Not every editing tool is perfect. Subtle enhancements such as zoom functionality, spot removal, and adding a strength slider to dodge and burn would make it even better for professionals. However, it’s more than sufficient in its current form.
VSCO is a community for creatives, not influencers. Photographers can get back to what makes them tick instead of worrying about likes to stay relevant. That alone is worth the $29.99 annual investment. Plus, VSCO states several new improvements and announcements are on the horizon. Every decision they make is influenced by their community, which is something to look forward to. We’re excited to see where this journey with VSCO leads. It’s off to a promising start.
Additional Images Edited With VSCO
Processed with VSCO with fv5 preset