VSCO is one of the most well-known apps for photo editing and sharing. Simple enough for beginners but also robust enough for even the most advanced photographer, this platform offers film-inspired filters and professional image tools to bring simple snapshots to life.
Behind the app, teams of people work hard to curate photos and build community — people like VSCO assistant editor Kameron Richie. We sat down with Kameron to get some insight into his position at the company and asked about his thoughts on our increasingly visual culture.
Jon Zmikly: What is your day-to-day like at VSCO?
Kameron Richie: I am often working alongside machine learning and human curation to surface quality content on VSCO’s platform. Aside from that, I work on editorial content that is sourced from VSCO’s creative community. I usually focus on style and fashion but also have a few other projects that deal with news, black culture, and conceptual photography.
Photo by Kameron Richie
Zmikly: How important are quality visuals when telling your story, whether you’re a business or individual?
Richie: For me, I see an obsession with visual storytelling without genuinely knowing what that means. Outside of cinema and animation, telling a story with still images is more about building a persona or brand around yourself to attract a following. Sure it’s important to tell your story, but I think being authentic to who you are should stay in the forefront.
I think being authentic to who you are should stay in the forefront.
Zmikly: Why does it seem like as a culture we’re increasingly moving toward visual storytelling?
Richie: We’re moving towards a visual culture because we are both constantly consuming visual information and are increasingly able to create and share visual content on the devices we carry with us at all times.
Photo by Kameron Richie
Zmikly: What kind of visuals seem to be most appealing on VSCO? Highly produced images? Snapshots that seem more “in-the-moment”?
Richie: I think there is a diversity of content on VSCO, and deeming something the ‘most’ appealing isn’t fair. If you’re downloading VSCO you’re trying to improve on something. You could be a professional photographer, a creative influencer, or just a young person trying to figure out their voice. All of that content has merit on VSCO’s platform.
Photo by Kameron Richie
Zmikly: What advice would you give brands, organizations or businesses who are trying to build their visual online presence?
Richie: I would say that knowing your audience and knowing your competition are key. If you don’t know who it is you’re selling to, speaking to, or trying to attract, how can you effectively do any of those things? If you don’t know who’s running the same race as you, how can you compete and push the culture forward? I think that works from the brand perspective and the creative content perspective as well.
Thanks for the interview, Kameron! If you’d like to check out Kameron’s latest work on VSCO, visit his profile at vsco.co/kameronrichie or find him on Instagram at @kameronrichie.