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VSCO CAM

Page history last edited by Angie Luu 10 years, 5 months ago

VSCO CAM Review

by Paul Tellefsen

Description

VSCO Cam is an mobile photo editing app from VSCO (Visual Supply Co). This is a slimline version of VSCO FILM a film emulator available for Adobe Lightroom and Aperture. VSCO Cam unlike many other editing apps it emulates film. When I say film I do not mean vintage. This is what sets it apart from other editing apps.

 

VSCO Cam allows you to capture and store your photos inside the app. You do not have to capture the photo in VSCO in order to edit it. You can upload from your camera roll. 

 

Shooting:

 

 

  • separate focus and exposure rings for increased control
  • on-screen guides: rule-of-thirds grid and square composition, which is nice for previewing how your image is going to look on Instagram
  • big button capture which allows users to tap anywhere on the screen to trigger the shutter 
  • white balance lock
  • low light setting
  • flash control

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from VSCO Blog 

 

Editing:

 

VSCO Cam gives you 10 free processing options. Three black and white and seven color options. You can adjust the strength of the preset with a precision slider. Additional presets can be purchased in the in-app store.

 

There is also precise editing options including fade, grain, contrast, temperature, fill, exposure, vignette, saturation, highlights and crop.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing/Exporting:

 

Once you have edited your photos you have the option of exporting or sharing.

  • Save to camera roll  
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Weibo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Features:

 

Preset store: There are currently 48 presets that you can purchase for $.99 each or $5.99 as a bundle. There are also a few free presets in the store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VSCO Grid: VSCO's "minimalist publishing platform" for sharing photos edited in VSCO Cam. While it is a publishing platform, it was not meant to compete with Instagram. VSCO Grid is more of a showcase than a social network - it does not have features like comments, reblogs, friends/followers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from VSCO Blog

 

Access

Cost: Free, additional cost for in-app purchases of presets

Availability: iOS Devices (App Store), Android version is in beta testing (sign up here)

 

Sample Usage

 

 

What the Tool Does Well

  • Unlike other photo editing apps, the ability to store your photos inside the app is smart. This capability gives you the ability to go back and edit the photo more or reset it back to the original.
  • It allows for quick, simple editing that anyone on iOS can do no matter your skill level. And for those more advanced they can use the precision editing tools.
  • It achieves the look of film without being "vintage"

 

What it Does Poorly

  • It takes up more space file size than any photo app, if you store your photos in it. 
  • When you export photos out of it, it takes 10-15 seconds longer than other apps.

 

What happens when you...

  • What are some uses of it that are perhaps unanticipated by the company? How might a user challenge the tool's systems & affordances rather than simply accepting it at face value?
  • There are currently over 6 million photos tagged #vscocam on Instagram. I think its popularity in the Instagram community has led it to launch VSCO Grid. While it's not a social network, it is an outlet for mobile photographers to share their work.

  

Additional Resources

 

 

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