Thursday, June 12, 2014

the magic of vsco cam


this is one of those posts that i'm doing for you guys. i mean, i always write about what i feel passionate about, but in this case that thing will benefit you greatly. and as you'll see, it will lift the curtain and probably leave you less impressed with my blogging and photography skills in the end. so let me just start by saying, you're welcome, and i hope it's helpful.

most people who have an online presence, like bloggers, shop owners, or professional tweeters (look it up, it's a thing) understand how critical good photos are to their content. they already know vsco, a photo taking/ editing app for smartphones, and use it with cult-like voraciousness.

much of the rest of the population has no idea what i'm talking about and their eyes are already glazing over a little bit (and be honest i know some of you can hardly work your iphone camera at all...you know who you are).

and then, somewhere in between, are the laura irions of the world. i consider myself the poor-man's blogger. i don't have a macbook; i have a chromebook. i don't have a studio; i have a kitchen counter. i don't have photoshop; i have pic-collage. and i don't have a dslr camera; i have vsco cam. (and no, i still don't know how to pronounce it).

me and vsco started with travis hickox. let me just get something out of the way. if it's in the tech realm, and travis recommends it, don't ask questions, just do it. this guy has told me about more stuff that i blow off, only to rediscover months later, beg him for a tutoring session, and then realize i can't live without. (ahem! buffer)! he has some weird cosmic instinct about what's cool...it's creepy actually. (this is a tangent, but he created a social networking site for our friends back in 2003 when social networking wasn't even a thing yet). so. obey travis. end tangent.

are we ready for some evidence to support the title of this post?

here are some of my photos, and i'll show you the original shot, and then the edited version. they're all taken from within the vsco app, and also edited in the app, on my iphone.


before:


after:


// edits: b5 filter / crop / rotate / exposure //

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / temperature / crop / fade / saturation / sharpen //

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / crop / rotate / fade / saturation //


now i am by no means suggesting that i am some photography savant, or even that i'm very good at it...only that this app makes a normal person's photos waaaaaay better than they actually are. and if i can work it, you can too.

if you want to see uh-mazing (truly astounding, incredible, and jaw-dropping) photos taken with vsco cam, go to their blog. prepare to be stunned.

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / crop / rotate / saturation //

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / temperature / contrast / crop //


before:


after:


// edits: exposure / temperature / contrast / sharpen //

i'm going to forgo posting an actual tutorial, only because apps change and update with lightning speed. (and you can get it all here), but even if you just get in there and play around, you will be able to figure it out.

for the most part, i do not use filters, and i skip straight to tools. once in the tool menu, just start adjusting everything to see what it does, and you're ready to play. you'll know when a photo looks right. or you can just email it to travis and ask him if it looks right, like i did when i first started using vsco.

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / crop / rotate / saturation //

before:


after:


// edits: exposure / crop / rotate //


well now all my secrets are yours. (except for the secret of the unedited selfie...some mysteries are better left alone). it's been on my bucket list in life to learn how to take better pictures. i've researched photography classes, but you have to own one of those doggern fancy cameras that i can't (or i should say won't) afford. this little free app has allowed me to get pretty darn close with the tools already at my disposal. i'm trying to learn something new about photography every day. if you'd like, follow along on instagram! everything there is iphone, vsco, trial and quite a bit of error. i'm enjoying the journey.


7 comments :

  1. Thanks Laura for your kind words. I have enjoyed seeing you take on, and run with, some of my suggestions. You learn *so* quickly, especially once you finally agree with me. Ha! :-)

    I love the car photo, flower detail...specifically all the pollen - no wonder I'm sneezing like a champ as of late, the old camera and your kids feet. I look forward to seeing more of the world through your eyes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you, travis, and thanks again for putting so many great tools in my pocket (and for so patiently tutoring me, and not even rolling your eyes when the answer to my problems is always "refresh your screen") [insert happy winking emoji]

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  2. Laura, thanks for introducing me to vsco. I can't wait to try it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i love love love vsco cam...only photo editing software on my phone that i use! i'm also pining away for a olloclip! http://www.olloclip.com/ you need one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i have one!! my mom got it for me for my birthday...i was really excited about it...but i have to say i hardly use it. the wide angle distorts lines and the zoom lenses are only good for super duper up close stuff (like, perfect for people who want to photograph small bugs). i'm still working on playing with it, so maybe there is a trick i have yet to unlock. i'll bring it to our latte date so you can try it out!!

      Delete
  4. Hello, thank you for sharing your editing tools. I liked the image after editing. I edit my photos here https://macphun.com/noiseless. He copes with all my whims. For example, the last image, the noise is seen. Try to remove them, and it will be the best picture in your post.

    ReplyDelete

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