Do you know how things sometimes just… snap together? Hear a new soundtrack and, out of nowhere, it takes you away. You meet a new client or friend and feel like you are meant to work together or help each other. Click. That’s right. Read a book, watch a movie, start a project, fall in love, find a job you never imagined you wanted: click, click, click. It’s perfect. Nothing else seems like that – so bizarre and, at the same time, so obvious, you can’t help but smile as widely as possible.
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Since switching from Photoshop to Lightroom, I’ve looked back in amazement at how quick and easy my post-processing has become. All in one place with no permanent and destructive changes – it was a revelation. If previously, I had considered the using professional post-production services just to save time, Lightroom made the whole process hassle-free and I could do it all by myself. Mind you, I’m not Adobe’s spokesperson and I would never promote their product that way without good reason. But Lightroom, despite all the frustrating parts… just clicked.How do you improve?
What is VSCO FILM?
Writing this review is very similar to writing the Mamiya RZ67 review – there are many exciting things that I am very eager to tell you. Right now I’d like to be thrilled with how flexible and comprehensive this VSCO FILM presets are. How they are not only the normal Lightroom adjustment stack, but also how they include specific camera profiles and complex RGB curve adjustments. Above all, I would like to tell you how much VSCO FILM perfectly mirrors the way I see each photograph as I take it, in color or black and white. Before we do all that, however, let’s first talk about what VSCO FILM is.
Visual Supply Co, better known simply as VSCO, is a small company “passionate about creating beautiful and efficient digital tools for modern creativity,” as they claim. VSCO FILM is a set of camera presets and profiles developed by this company that you can use to achieve a specific image look. They are all based on current and classic films, such as Kodak Portra and Ilford HP5 (two of my favorite films), and can be used with a number of software tools (more on that later). However, unlike most other presets you can download from the internet (often for free), VSCO goes beyond your regular sliders and curves. Yup, all of these presets rely heavily on the usual tools like the aforementioned HSL panel and Tone Curve in Lightroom. But there is more. For example, the tone curve is set in all modes separately, which means you get four different adjustments: RGB (Main Curve) and then red, green and blue curve adjustments as well. This kind of complexity is only half the story. The camera profiles that come with VSCO FILM presets are the selling point.
VSCO FILM comes with special camera profiles designed for a specific camera manufacturer and model. If you shoot a Nikon D800, after using a VSCO FILM preset, the camera profile will be changed to a custom Nikon D800 VSCO profile within Lightroom. The presets themselves are also split into Nikon Pro, Canon Pro, and Fuji Pro (with the latest version of FILM 01), as well as Standard which should work well enough with all Lightroom-supported models. Why go through all the trouble? Consistency. Obviously Visual Supply Co wanted to get the same look as close to real as possible, regardless of the camera used to take the photograph. This meant creating separate camera profiles and slightly different presets for different manufacturers. Something that few users would be able to do on their own, right? Once you put all this together, you will see how complex VSCO’s product is. A lot of work has been put into developing these presets. Sort of explains the price of $ 100 + per version (although discounts are available). It also means you can’t just copy a specific preset to another computer. It won’t work quite as well without the camera profile, which is basically the main reason these presets look so accurately like real photographic film. Sort of explains the price of $ 100 + per version (although discounts are available).
It also means you can’t just copy a specific preset to another computer. It won’t work quite as well without the camera profile, which is basically the main reason these presets look so accurately like real photographic film. Sort of explains the price of $ 100 + per version (although discounts are available). It also means you can’t just copy a specific preset to another computer. It won’t work quite as well without the camera profile, which is basically the main reason these presets look so accurately like real photographic film.
T-MAX 3200+
It is worth noting that VSCO offers two other distinctive tools:
- VSCO CAM is an Apple iOS camera, image editing and sharing app. At this point the word “Instagram” probably comes to mind, but it’s not the same thing. I haven’t used the app personally not owning an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, but from what I’ve seen, it looks pretty good. I’ll skip ahead and say that if any of VSCO FILM’s post-processing presets are available there, it should be spectacular. Since VSCO CAM is free, you can always go ahead and check it out for yourself if you own Apple iOS products (available on the App Store). Click here to learn more about the app.
- VSCO KEYS is a keyboard shortcut tool that you can use with Lightroom 3 and 4, and presumably the latest version as well. These are designed to greatly speed up your workflow by allowing you to set specific hotkeys (and save different sets) rather than using the default Lightroom controls. VSCO KEYS is also compatible with VSCO FILM presets. Currently priced at $ 79 with discounts available, you can find out more about this tool by clicking here.
VSCO products, and FILM more than any other, are far from being for all tastes. That said, if these presets are right for you, there’s a good chance you’ll like them a lot . All of these products, along with the current prices, can be found in the VSCO online store.
1.1) VSCO FILM Packages
There are four VSCO FILM packages in total. What you have to understand with VSCO FILM, is that the latest version is not a successor to the previous ones. This means that VSCO FILM 01 is as current as FILM 02, 03 and 04. Rather than replacing previous versions of the package, VSCO is releasing additional presets of different films and looks. FILM 01 has some modern movies available and is the one reviewed in this article. FILM 02 has other films available, which can be considered classics. These films include Ilford Delta 3200 and the discontinued Kodak Portra VC / NC series. FILM 03 focuses primarily on instant films, while the recently released 04 is all about punchy and contrasting (positive) slide films.
Having separate film packs means you can skip the ones that interest you the least and buy only the most tempting ones. However, purchasing all packages can be quite expensive. It is good to know that for such clients Visual Supply Co offers substantial discounts. I must warn you that visiting the VSCO FILM page will likely make you want to purchase all the packs, or you will never go back there again, depending on your taste in the look of digital photographs.
1.2) Software tools with which VSCO FILM can be used
Compatibility varies between movie packages, although both Windows and Mac OS platforms are supported. FILM 01 can be purchased separately for the following software tools:
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 / 5.5 ACR
- Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC ACR
- Adobe Lightroom 3
- Adobe Lightroom 4 and 5
- Apple Aperture 3
Starting with FILM 02, support for Photoshop CS5.5 and earlier and Lightroom 3 is dropped. FILM 02 can be purchased separately for use with the following software tools:
- Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC ACR
- Adobe Lightroom 4 and 5
- Apple Aperture 3
FILM 03 and FILM 04 lower the support for Aperture 3 further down, although it’s hard to tell if it’s permanent. These are the software tools for which FILM 03 and FILM 04 can be purchased separately:
- Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC ACR
- Adobe Lightroom 4 and 5
As you can see, buying a version for Lightroom doesn’t mean you can use it with Photoshop too. You will need to purchase a dedicated version separately. Before making your investment, think carefully about which software you want to use VSCO FILM. FILM 01, being the original and “older” version, is compatible with most software tools.
1.3) List of presets in VSCO FILM 01
FILM Pack 01 includes the following color film presets:
- Kodak Portra 160 (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Kodak Portra 400 (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Kodak Portra 800 (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Kodak Portra 800 HC
- Fuji 160C (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Fuji 400H (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Fuji 800Z (default versions, -, + and ++)
These black and white film presets are also part of FILM 01:
- Kodak Tri-X (default versions, -, + and ++)
- Kodak T-MAX 3200 (default versions, – and +)
- Ilford HP5 (default versions, – and +)
A couple of dozen special VSCO Tools presets are supplied with FILM 01. These can be used to quickly fine-tune the look of your image – adjust sharpness, vignette, contrast, saturation, correct orange skin tones and so on. Instrument presets are made to work well with the included movie presets. Of course, you can manually adjust all these settings via the appropriate sliders in the development module.
The fun part
With all of the above out of the way, it’s finally time to talk about actually using presets. One last thing before we start, however. When I read about my experience with the VSCO FILM 01 package, you will surely notice how much I like it. No problem: I’m really going to give Visual Supply Co a lot of love for what they’ve done. As you read, however, keep in mind that all the thoughts I’ve put in below are based on my experience using presets and that alone. My opinion is this: it is subjective. Be sure to consider my shooting style and taste in photography before deciding if VSCO’s tools are right for you .
. This is why I have provided many image examples. If you don’t like VSCO FILM, that’s fine. In no way am I encouraging you to buy any of them. Another point I want to make clear is that VSCO has never asked any of the Photography-Secret.com team members to say nice things about them. Again, this article is strictly based on my personal impressions.
2.1) Why VSCO FILM?
Have you ever noticed yourself walking down the street and staring at people as you go? This feeling is likely to be familiar to you if you enjoy photography. I never had it before I started shooting. Now, I can’t walk past someone and not look at the person from head to toe. I will look at what he or she is wearing. I’ll look at their eyes, lips, hair, shirt. Is tired? Is she nervous? Did you work all night? Did she notice a child staring at her from behind her mother’s skirt? I will look at how they move, I will try to notice the gestures, with whom they make eye contact. I’ll watch the light fall on her neck, highlighting that strand of stray hair she was missing as she got ready for work in the morning. I’ll freeze all of this in my mind. Take a picture. And it’s not just the people. I notice a late evening light coming from behind a building, subtly highlighting the windows of the cafes to my right with a warm glow. The streetlights, the passing cars, the last reds and purples of the sky somehow compliment the light shade of blue that delicately touches the roofs hidden by the shadow. This tendency to notice tiny details around us is inseparable from the art of photography.
At this point you probably want to ask me what all this has to do with VSCO. All of the above stories popping up in the head are part of being a photographer for some, and certainly part of being a photographer for me. I can not do anything about it. The need to notice and photograph everything is there even when I don’t have a camera. Seeing the stories, however, isn’t the only weird thing that happened to me when I started documenting life around me. It’s not just the stories themselves, accurate or not. It is also How we see them that is so important. Which finally brings us to the work of Visual Supply Co.
The reason VSCO works so well for me is the same reason it may or may not work for you. When I photograph, that’s how I see it, literally. At every single wedding, I see the black and white images and know how I want them to look in the end. I see the images in color, I see them grainy, light or dark, contrasted and subtle. I don’t know what it is: a favorite camera in my hand? My mood? The mood, the purpose of the day and everything in it? Maybe I’m just weird, I have no idea. But that’s how I see it. That said, seeing is always very different from seeing your customers see it that way too. This latter process doesn’t just involve your vision. It requires skill in turning your vision into an end result that you can confidently give away.
Over the years I have tried many different Photoshop presets and plug-ins. Nik’s Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro are some of the best and most flexible I’ve ever come across and could be used with Lightroom as well. Both of these products have a large user base for a reason. They are really good. But neither was what I wanted: they didn’t allow me to post-process my photographs exactly as I saw them in my head. So, I found that using the plugins wasn’t as fluent in my Lightroom workflow as I might have wanted, so I dropped them. Not because they were bad in any way: there are hundreds of photographers who use Nik products and produce incredibly beautiful photographs. It just didn’t click with me.
So what should I do when there are no plugins and presets that I would be completely happy to use? I do mine. And so I learned how to use Lightroom in the best possible way and continue to do so. I learned how to adjust tones and color, I learned how to use the HSL panel and Tone Curve, two extremely powerful tools. And while I’m a long way from actually mastering Lightroom, I’d even go so far as to say I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I created a number of presets that worked well for me. Then I improved them, eliminated them and made new ones. Sometimes I would finish post-processing half of a wedding and would stop after realizing I wasn’t happy with what I had. The result did not match my vision that I had during photography. This usually meant selecting all the processed images, pressing the “Reset” button and starting over. New adjustments have arrived, improved appearance. Well, but neverPerfect for my taste. You’ve probably made the right guess right now – then I came across VSCO FILM tools.
2.2) Using VSCO FILM 01 in the post-processing workflow
The thing that amazes me the most is not VSCO’s exceptional experience at what they do. It’s how someone else’s interpretation of color and tone fits mine. I don’t even care if these presets mimic real life movie accurately or not (which, from my experience, they actually do). I prefer the real movie not just for the look, but the process and the overall experience. What I need for VSCO is that you help me make my digital photographs the way I see them while I press the shutter button. And that’s exactly what I got.
All the complexity generally makes the VSCO FILM 01 tool very reliable. You get the same beautiful look no matter what time of day, light or location, as long as you set the right foundation: white balance and exposure. All thanks to those custom camera profiles, I guess. What I’m trying to say is that it is indeed possible to finish working on a photograph with just one click. Due to all the variables, my routine adjustments sometimes required a bit of fine tuning to get the same or similar look. This is not the case with VSCO. That said, it would be quite unreasonable to expect such an approach to work every time. For those like me who tend to be a little more demanding, VSCO Tools presets do a good job of letting you tweak your tones without losing the overall look. Usually, I can get exactly what I want with two or three more clicks at the most (adjusting the contrast, grain and / or sharpness), but it might be different for you. Often, rather than using the included edits, I prefer to push the tone curve or some slider myself. This is one of the strengths of the VSCO FILM tool: its flexibility. You can stack the tweaking presets and adjust anything you want after applying them, you can even copy the settings and save new presets. grain and / or sharpness), but it may be different for you. Often, rather than using the included edits, I prefer to push the tone curve or some slider myself. This is one of the strengths of the VSCO FILM tool: its flexibility. You can stack the tweaking presets and adjust anything you want after applying them, you can even copy the settings and save new presets. grain and / or sharpness), but it may be different for you. Often, rather than using the included edits, I prefer to push the tone curve or some slider myself. This is one of the strengths of the VSCO FILM tool: its flexibility. You can stack the tweaking presets and adjust anything you want after applying them, you can even copy the settings and save new presets.
T-MAX 3200+
Inevitably, we must also talk about the negative aspects. If there’s a slight drawback, it’s the actual amount of presets and tweaks available or, to be more precise, quickly picking the right preset. It is unlikely that you will use all the tools provided equally so often. Chances are you’ll prefer one black and white and one color preset for most of you, and even two or three regular retouching presets from the Tools stack. The rest will be used a little less often. The long list of presets can make selecting the right one a little tricky due to all the scrolling. It’s bearable if you have a high resolution monitor, but most laptop users will struggle to avoid excessive scrolling, however they organize the tabs on the left panel. There are two simple ways to solve this problem. Renaming the most used presets by adding a symbol at the beginning of the name (a “-” or a “!”, For example) would work quite well and would move the preset to the top of the stack. Alternatively, and this is what I did, you can choose to move the aforementioned presets to a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01”, for example) altogether. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find a fault with the VSCO tool. Although complex under the hood, it is far from difficult to use. Renaming the most used presets by adding a symbol at the beginning of the name (a “-” or a “!”, For example) would work quite well and would move the preset to the top of the stack. Alternatively, and this is what I did, you can choose to move the aforementioned presets to a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01”, for example) altogether. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find a fault with the VSCO tool. Although complex under the hood, it is far from difficult to use. Renaming the most used presets by adding a symbol at the beginning of the name (a “-” or a “!”, For example) would work quite well and would move the preset to the top of the stack. Alternatively, and this is what I did, you can choose to move the aforementioned presets to a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01”, for example) altogether. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find a fault with the VSCO tool. Although complex under the hood, it is far from difficult to use. you can choose to move the aforementioned presets into a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01”, for example) entirely. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find a fault with the VSCO tool. Although complex under the hood, it is far from difficult to use. you can choose to move the aforementioned presets into a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01”, for example) entirely. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find a fault with the VSCO tool. Although complex under the hood, it is far from difficult to use.
Buying a set of VSCO presets won’t make you a better photographer. You can’t force the gaze on your photographs if it doesn’t suit them in the beginning. VSCO FILM 01 won’t correct your light, won’t tell a story or improve your choice of composition. It will not create emotions where there is none, nor will it show the technical capabilities of your camera at its best. Far from that, actually – by default, most looks are actually pretty tuned to sharpness and contain an abundance of film grain. As with the expensive and exotic equipment, it won’t make any improvements for those who don’t know how to use it. As with the expensive and exotic gear, nail all of the above yourself and you will be amazed to see it all together,
Whether VSCO FILM 01 is worth recommending or not depends on your taste and photographic style. Nature and bird photographers, for example, will hardly find these presets interesting. Either you like the look FILM 01 gives you or you don’t, and that’s it. In any case, there is no doubt that Visual Supply Co did a great job with FILM 01.
For me, VSCO ticks the last box in my photograph. Would it be much worse without that particular look of a Kodak Portra 400+ preset film? No. But it would be incomplete.
VSCO FILM 01
- Features – 100% / 100
- Value- 100% / 100
- Ease of use – 100% / 100
- Speed and performance – 100% / 100
Photography-Secret.com Overall rating
5- 100% / 100
