How to use VSCO: Capture stunning photos!

In the past, photography has been focused on film and DSLR. With the rise of social media and instant sharing, transferring photos from a DSLR camera to your phone is no longer practical! By using the VSCO app, you can capture stunning photos, edit them as you like, and share them on social media platforms right off the bat!

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What is VSCO?

VSCO is a mobile app that has a powerful all-in one camera, editing, and photo-sharing options. It features advanced manual controls, a wide selection of elegant film-like filters, and essential adjustment tools. It’s like having a professional camera on your phone!

 

Get started!

Install VSCO

 

Direct Link: VSCO

Create your account

1. Tap  to open VSCO.

2. Tap “Sign up with email”

• Or use your number by tapping “Sign up with phone number”.
• If you want to set up your account later, tap X.

3. Type in your email address, username, and password. Tap “Sign up”. 

• VSCO will then give you the option to start your 7-day free trial of their paid premium services (VSCO X). You can try it out by tapping “Start your free 7-day trial” or tap X to skip.

4. You will be asked to verify your email address. Go to your email inbox and verify your account. Then, tap “Check verification”.

• To skip this step, tap X.

5. VSCO will ask you to add friends. You can opt to add from Twitter or add from your contacts.

You can choose to do this later by pressing “Skip for now”.

6. VSCO will suggest users to follow for photo inspiration. Follow anyone you find interesting so you can view their photos on your feed!

When you’re finished, tap “Done”.

• If you wish to skip this step, tap the Back button.

7. VSCO will ask for your permission to send notifications.

Tap “Allow” if you wish to receive notifications. If not, tap “Don’t allow”.

Welcome to VSCO!

Explore the App!

You can explore VSCO by tapping the four icons on the navigation menu at the bottom of the screen.

Tap   to access your Feed. Here, you will find updates from the VSCO Collection and from creators you follow.

• To find inspiration, tap the icon on your Feed. You can find suggested profiles as well as users that you already follow or are following you.

Tap   and you will be in the Discover section. Search for people, images, and journal posts on VSCO by tapping on .

Tap   to access your Studio. Your Studio is where your photo library will be. This is also your space to edit photos.

Tap   to access your profile. Other users can view your creations and information from this page.

Set up your profile!

Let other people discover your work by setting up your profile.

1. Open your profile by tapping .

2. Tap “Add profile image”. You can choose to add an image from VSCO or import from your camera roll.

3. Select an image from your gallery then tap the check mark.

4. To edit your information, tap . This will open the Edit Profile page.

5. On the Edit Profile page, you may opt to change your username, profile title, description, external link, first name, last name, and password.

6. Once you are satisfied with your profile, press the check mark.

Your profile is ready!

Start capturing photos!

1. Open the Studio by tapping .

Tap   to engage the camera.

2. Tap the shutter button to take a photo. You can also tap on DSCO to capture an animated GIF.

3. You can manually adjust your camera settings by tapping the icons on the adjustment menu at the bottom of the screen.

The adjustment menu features the following tools:

•  – Raw allows you to toggle between normal and the RAW file format when capturing an image
•  – Level or Grid
•  – Flash
•  – Exposure allows you to adjust the brightness of an image.
•  – White balance lets you take control of the color temperature of your photo.
•  – Focus allows you to set focus on a subject in the frame.
•  – Shutter speed allows you to slow down the shutter for more light, or to speed up for less light.

 

Edit your photos!

1. Go to your Studio.

2. Select the image you wish to edit, then tap  .

3. Tap on a filter, also called a preset, you wish to use, and tap on it again to choose the strength of the preset. Tap the check mark to confirm your adjustment for the preset intensity.

4. Tap to  access your toolkit.

 

You can use the toolkit items to fine tune your image. If you wish to see more toolkit items, swipe the toolkit menu to the right.

The toolkit has the following features:

• “Exposure” adjusts the brightness of your image.
• “Contrast” adjusts the level of contrast between the bright and dark areas of the image.
• “Adjust” allows you to drag the corners to crop away the edges of your photo using different aspect ratios, e.g. 3:2, 4:3, 1:1.
• “Sharpen” defines the details in your photo.
• “Clarity” enhances the texture of your photo.
• “Saturation” adjusts the vibrancy of colors in your photo.
• “Tone” adjusts the highlights and shadows to show more details.
• “White Balance” allows you to adjust the temperature and tint of your image.
• “Skin Tone” fine-tunes the skin tone color in portrait pictures.
• “Vignette” darkens the edges of your image.
• “Grain” adds grain to your image to make the texture look like the picture was developed from on a film.
• “Fade” washes out shadows for a vintage look.
• “Split Tone” adds different color tints to the bright or dark areas of your photo.
• “Borders” adds a border with your choice of color and width (only for VSCO X members).
• “HSL” lets you adjust the hue, saturation and lightness (only for VSCO X members).

 

You can also check out editing recipes by tapping .

• For your convenience, you can press  to organize your presets and toolkit.

5. After you have completed your edits, tap “Save”.

Share the moment!

Post a photo on your VSCO profile

1. Go to your Studio.

2. To share or export an image, select it and tap .

3. Add a caption to your image and share it to your Profile by tapping the check mark.

You have now shared a picture on your profile! Tap to check it out!

Export photos to your camera roll

1. Go to your Studio.

2. Select the photo you would like to share, and then tap  at the bottom of the screen.

3. Tap “Save to Camera Roll”.

4. Select the size that you prefer for your image (small, medium, large, or actual size).

Saved!

Stun the world with your photos!

VSCO is one of the best photo editing apps out there. It’s a one-stop shop for you to capture, create, and share a piece of artwork from your phone.

With its various tools, presets, and features, VSCO can be a bit overwhelming. Don’t fret! Just follow this guide and the payoff will be worth it. Go ahead, explore and capture wonderful snapshots of the world!