VSCOcam. The most comprehensive overview of one of the best mobile apps of recent years

I have been photographing on the iPhone 5 years. I can not call myself a professional in the field of photography, but during this time tried a bunch of software for capturing and processing images on the iPhone, so that filled this many cones.

Most of the applications are not unique. Typically, developers are working in the same segment, and not particularly trying to create something new. They copy all the same functions, simply by changing the "wrapper" - design and interface. Such programs - the mass, and they do not change our understanding of photography.

Another thing - VSCOcam application. It is really extraordinary, high-quality product, which is I swung at it to replace a professional camera.

The company and the application

VSCO - is a company, which employs people from Apple, MTV, Audi, Levi's, Adobe, Sony. All together they make VSCOcam for iPhone, for image processing tool VSCO Film and plug-in for Adobe Lightroom - VSCO Keys.
VSCOcam - not just a photo editor, or an application for recording. We can say that VSCOcam - Instagram is «not for all»: a beautiful (really nice!) Filters, the possibility of fine tuning the image, a weekly digest of the best photos and other attributes of a serious programs.

All the application is divided into several tabs: Camera (Shooting), Library (Photo Library), Store (Shop filters), Discover (Latest news from VSCO, a selection of photos), Profile (Your Profile) and Settings (Settings). Let us dwell on each tab in detail.

Camera

Here you can take pictures with the program's resources. VSCO capacity is more than enough. The top panel - shooting settings (left to right): flash, guide grid or square frame, the shooting of the "free mode click "on any part of the image, the white balance lock, advanced shooting mode and selection interface themes - dark or light.

Configure all the required settings, you can start shooting. Here everything is usual - hover your phone over an item, you focus, choose the point of exposure and press the shutter button. When a "free press" in the work mode, you can not adjust the focus and exposure - then all hope rests with auto focus and correct the default white balance.

VSCOcam received an advanced shooting mode with iOS 8, and in it, in addition to the default settings, you can manually adjust ISO and shutter speed. To select an option, click on the icon in the lower left corner of the screen shot.

Library

We come to the Library then tab, where you store all the pictures that you worked in VSCO. They are shown as squares 1 × 1 (Large), 2 × 2 (Medium), or 3 × 3 (Small). Configure the number of pictures displayed, you can in the top panel. There you can choose which pictures to show: all marked, edited, edited or not synchronized on the "cloud."

In VSCOcam 4.0 appeared cloud sync between devices. Now you can start processing the picture on one gadget, and continue on another. For example, to start on the iPad, but to continue to Android-smartphone. The main thing - is to log into your account on each device.

In the library, you can add not only the pictures taken on the application. By clicking on the "+" you get access to his "camera roll» iPhone and can import the necessary photos from there.

One of the most important functions of the library - a Picture Control. Simply click on the photos you want and you download them to your Grid (we'll talk about it later), sync in the "cloud" between devices, share on social networks, or delete.

edit mode

To edit a picture, click on the appropriate button in the middle of the bottom panel. There will, perhaps, the most interesting in the whole application - editing mode. First you will see a list of filters. To apply a particular filter, simply tapnite on it.

If you want to adjust the intensity of the filter, click the icon again. You can change the intensity of use in 12 gradations. By default VSCO built about 10 filters, but if you want you can buy more at the store (Store). On it will be discussed later.

According to the creators of the application, they literally invented the filters again. Unlike other developers, they did not copy and slightly modify existing filters from other applications. As a result, VSCOcam contains, in my opinion, one of the best (if not better) than a collection of filters for the iPhone. And it's hard not to notice - edited pictures are very atmospheric, each filter has its own "character", its own chip.

In addition to filters, VSCO there are standard pictures setting options: brightness, contrast, sharpness, and so on. You can also cut or match the picture. To go to them, just click the appropriate button in the edit mode.

It is worth noting that in all VSCOcam editing is "benign" character - the original photos are stored in the cache of the program, and you can always return to the original version of the image. Very comfortable and familiar to all users of Adobe Lightroom on the desktop - this feature is really professional photo editors. Besides, since VSCOcam 4.0, the application supports full revision history - you can "roll back" on the right step at any time.

All of these features for editing images provide a great space for creativity and experimentation. Just imagine what a variety of results can be achieved in VSCOcam, if each filter has 12 intensity gradations, and in addition to this application it is a good opportunity for the "classic" photo editing.

Sample photos

As the saying goes, better to see once than to read several times. Here are a few examples of pictures taken by photographers using VSCOcam:

Store

The store VSCOcam contain additional filters and editing options, which you can buy for the money. The filters are separated by "pakam", for example, filters for portraits or black and white filters. At the same time you buy the packs are not blind - each has a fairly detailed description and examples of images, which is very cool. Each pack is worth of $ 2-3 (119-169 rubles), but you can buy all over again with filters for $ 7 - so you will save about $ 10 (600 rubles).

I have already bought all filters VSCO and absolutely do not regret it, given how often lately I use VSCOcam. As mentioned above, in VSCO - the best photo filters for the iPhone, so there's no reason not to buy them.

In the future, the store will be updated with new packs and options for customization. I think the developers VSCO continue to delight us with new chips for photo editing. But even now, the shop assortment causes pleasant emotions.

Discover

If you're looking for inspiration or just want to admire the beautiful photographs taken using VSCOcam, then welcome in the Discover tab. Here the guys from VSCO periodically acquaint us with interesting pictures and constantly make digests of the best shots of the week.

CATEGORY Discover divided into four tabs. First - this is GridFor which VSCO curators pick the best shots of photographers. second - Journal, Where the best photo story. third - FeedWhere you can keep track of the pictures favorite photographers. The latter - a search for users, images, and photo stories from the Journal.

Profile

The topmost tab in the app - this is your profile, where you publish the best pictures in Grid, create a photo story in the Journal and collect your favorite pictures in the Collection. Let us dwell on each chip in more detail.

Grid - a tape of your best shots. You choose which card to publish here from your gallery pictures. The closest analogue - the tape is Instagram. The difference lies in the fact that you can not put a "like". There is another tool for collecting favorite images - Collection. But about it a little later.

During the registration process in VSCO you choose for themselves their own web address "grid" - for example, marfitsin.vsco.co. Thus, your pictures can be viewed directly in the browser.

IN Journal you can create a beautiful, uncluttered photo story of your photos, adding to them a text description. Stories can be saved in drafts, to modify them later. This is important: you can add only the images you have already uploaded to the gallery VSCOcam. So take care of their presence in advance.

The last feature - it Collection. Here you can collect your favorite photos. To save a picture, simply click on the appropriate button Save to Library in the contextual menu while viewing a picture to Discover. Further, already in the Collection tab of your profile, click + and select the best pictures from the library. It sounds a bit dreary, but the reality is much simpler.

Your profile - it's not just photos taken by you, but also a place for creativity in the Journal, as well as a collection of your favorite photos. Recently, a partition Profile developers updated often, so now VSCOcam - it is also a full-fledged community of photographers with the necessary arsenal for creativity.

Settings

Settings in VSCOcam nothing special do not differ from those in other applications. It contains information about the program, customize the display of data, links to social networks, licenses. There is also the case when you cmozhete restore all purchases made in VSCOcam.

results

During its existence VSCOcam seriously changed. And yet it remains the leading application for photographers. See hashtags #vsco and #vscocam in Instagram - a usual thing. And the application icon on millions of smartphones on the iOS and Android - still familiar.

Now VSCOcam - it's not just an app for editing pictures, and a full-fledged tool to communicate with other photographers, create photo stories and collections of images. We can say that VSCO has become a real phenomenon.

If you love to take pictures on your phone, if you want to experiment and use excellent filters, it is better VSCOcam not yet come up with anything, although other developers try I am struggling.