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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

For those of you who are getting tiring of Instagram and are looking for something new, VSCO may be your answer. VSCO, or Visual Supply Co., is available on Google Play Store and the App Store. Many pictures posted on newsfeeds look professional, are tagged with #vsco. The question is: is the app worth it?

First off, VSCO doesn’t have filters. Instead, they have “presets” which you can get from the in-app store. VSCO prides itself on its natural presets, that don’t harshly affect the photo and throw of its vibe. The presets subtly enhance your photo to the strength you want it to. You can get presets in packs, put together by the style of “film” or effect they have on a picture.  Some are free, but a majority of the presents you have to buy. The average pack is $2.99 to $3.99, and contains 5 to 11 presets depending on which pack you get.

Presets are given an letter and an number. They go from A-X (with some letters in the middle missing, which we can only assume they are presets coming out soon).  If you hold the letter down, you can adjust how strong you want the preset to be.

The app also has editing features such as sharpen, saturation, fade, and a new one called skin tone. Skin tone can help adjust the tone of you skin to match the filter better.

VSCO also allows users to share their pictures through their profiles, it calls “VSCO Grid”. In the main menu tab, there is an option to “Explore” and discover other people’s pictures. If you like an others picture or want to use it as inspiration, you can save it to your library and publish it to your “Collections” so other people can see what you like. Clicking on a picture can give you more information about how the photographer editing their photo. You can see the preset they use, and if the picture was taken in the apps built in camera, you can see the light exposure and other settings used.

Here are a few before and after pictures I have taken to show the VSCO magic in action. 

So what’s the final call on this app?

PROS: The beautiful, natural presets will improve your photo without over doing it and it’s a great way to share photos with an inspiring community 

CONS: You have to pay for each pack

I would say this app is totally worth it, if you’re willing to spend the money. I love taking pictures and find that the presets in this app are more natural and enhancing to give an extra boost for my photos without overdoing it. An other alternative is to buy the packs that fit your photography style, after reading their descriptions of what kind of film/ editing they do. You don’t have to buy them all. Try it out!

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Fashion and style are the epitomy of Revathi Janaswamy's life. Magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue, and sites like Pintrest and HerCampus are her bible. A freshman journalism major at the University of Maryland, she is so excited to write for UMD's Her Campus chapter. Hobbies include dancing, singing, reading and watching TV/movies.