If there was ever a time where photographers have wanted a bit of protection, it’s now. For years, you’d have to create work that someone would’ve wanted to steal in the first place. But these days, AI takes everything and incorporates it into itself as long as it’s fed something. The places where photographers traditionally post their images have been feeding Generative AI algorithms for a while. However, there are still places that aren’t doing that — which is both admirable and admittedly the harder path to walk. One such company is probably one that you’ve heard of — VSCO.
Declaration of Journalistic Intent: VSCO sponsored a series of articles with us, but this one isn’t part of that series. Instead, it’s about how seriously great the new platform is.
VSCO: Not the Brand You Remember
VSCO used to be a brand centered around presets. But a few years back, a couple of execs left Adobe and began tending to their new grove. Their hopes are that with a solid community and by providing support to an ecosystem of photographers, they’ll create a bit more of a haven for what’s considered an endangered species — photographers.
Like any other tech company, they’re using AI. But they’re not using it how you’d think.
The Right Way to Use AI
“We use AI in a variety of ways at VSCO, but we always start with our creators and what’s in their best interest,” says Josh Ulm, VP of Brand and Design, in an interview with the Phoblographer. “One example is For This Photo, which recommends the best preset to use on a photo. I think one of the best things we can do for creators is unlock the data that lives in their photos and put it to work for them.” Josh is describing a specific feature that looks at the image you want to edit and immediately recommends a few baseline ideas for you. It’s designed to speed up the workflow process — and it’s not one that we’ve really seen done anywhere else.
These days, VSCO isn’t really in the preset business. It’s more of a community designed around getting photographers hired and helping them network with others with whom they can build a mutually beneficial relationship.
“AI is essential in helping us understand what makes each creator unique and turning that knowledge into new opportunities to help take their work further.”
The business pivot is based on the fact that social media connects us all but also makes us not feel connected. Instead, it’s about chasing an attention economy, and the competition is vast. A photographer could be competing with an influencer. The two are separate, as one is hired for their images, and the other is hired for their reach on social media. Channeling this, VSCO is working to fill the niche that helps gets photographers discovered for their creative style and unique vision.
One of the big things that VSCO did is the new VSCO Hub. It’s a new tool where they’ve invited businesses to search their database of VSCO Pro Members. So yes, that means that you have to be one of the Pro members to begin with.
To pair businesses with the photographers they’re looking for, VSCO is using AI. “By looking at a photographer’s portfolio we can tell a lot about the kinds of photography they shoot, how they edit, and we can begin to catalog what makes their style unique,” explains Josh. “That allows us to make incredibly smart and accurate matches to reference images or creative prompts. For photographers, that means more opportunities to get matched based off your portfolio, literally.” As you keep uploading, the AI will help match you with businesses. When you think about it this way, it sounds almost like a matchmaking app — but without all the toxicity and flakiness.
Truly, it’s nice to know that there’s a brand that’s not trying to use AI in a way that will ultimately mess up entire ways of life.