Application ABCs: VSCO Cam is a camera and editing app that allows photography enthusiasts to take photos, edit and share in one complete package. Although quite sleek and well designed, the app does take some getting used to as it offers a wide variety of features and a sophisticated interface.
VSCO's Instagram page hosts a variety of photos edited using the application.
Amy Bensemabensema.amy@gmail.com
VSCO, which stands for Visual Supply Co., built filters and presets for Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture before it developed its app. The filters emulate film stocks and are sold in packs. VSCO is without a doubt the only company coming close to replicating the look of film in a photo app without making it look gimmicky.
The VSCO Cam camera mode has a toolbar at the top of the screen that lets you toggle the flash, change the display into lines of thirds, a grid, a horizon level or absolutely nothing. Camera mode also allows to lock the white balance, as well as choose a mode that takes photos by tapping the screen instead of the shutter release.
For a camera app, VSCO Cam hosts a rather robust assortment of editing tools. There are 15 editing tools in all, which can adjust the photo's exposure level, colour temperature, contrast, saturation, cropping, sharpening as well as adding grain and changing the tints of shadows and highlights.
VSCO Cam also offers a range of camera filters referred to as 'Presets' that offer a more authentic experience of photo editing. The creators want mobile phone photographers to focus on the composition, the lighting and the subject matter of the photos they are taking as what is interesting, instead of if there are 10 different layers and streaks of light leaking in. With this in mind, VSCO Cam takes film stocks that professional photographers still widely used, for example Kodak Porta, and replicates its tones and colour rendition perfectly. The image is matched accurately with its filter, without losing its dynamic range to over-editing. It is the goal of VSCO Cam to make images look real.
Like many other photo apps, VSCO maintains its own camera roll. It is possible to automatically add photos taken with VSCO Cam to your camera roll or keep them separate, and later add in one by one to the VSCO Cam for more intensive editing.
The app can share images across social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. However, VSCO Cam desperately wants users to submit their images to the app's central sharing feature, which is an online photo gallery called The Grid. The Grid showcases some gorgeous photography, but it is also curated, which means there is no room to Like, promote or comment on any image.
If you are looking for an alternative to Instagram and would like to producemore film-inspired images for your personal portfolio, VSCO Cam is definitely for you. More information for VSCO Cam can be found at vsco.co.
Amy Bensema is a long-term Phuket expat with a keen interest in social media and tech. You can email her at bensema.amy@gmail.com or check out her photos out on Instagram @phuketstagram.
Source: Technology: VSCO Cam: an easy way to replicate film photography
VSCO (Android & iOS)
ReplyDeleteA hugely popular photo editing app amongst Instagram users, VSCO is more than just photo editing, it
offers a community for photographers to connect and create. Simply searching the Hashtag #VSCO on
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a
testament to the app’s popularity.
VSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights,
temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settings. VSCO also offers a built in
camera with advanced controls, allowing you to capture the perfect shot, edit and save, all without
leaving the app, an A for convenience. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy
filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.
"Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app."
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.
"Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app."
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.
Instagram will reveal the huge community of photographers and casual users that use VSCO every day, a testament to the app’s popularity.
ReplyDeleteVSCO houses all the tools you’d expect from a favourable photo editing app; saturation, highlights, temperature and vignette can all be adjusted alongside many other settingscc. Filters are also a huge feature for VSCO, with the option to buy filter packs each with their own distinctive styles and tones, very popular amongst users of the app.