Skip to main content

VSCO opens free-to-use photography studio in New York City

Portraits — AURORA (A Venue Project)
VSCO, the company behind the popular iOS and Android camera app, officially unveiled its first Open Studio in New York City. Photographers can rent the space, which includes a permanent cyclorama wall and some lighting equipment, completely free of charge. The idea builds on VSCO’s motto of being a “community for expression,” with Open Studio offering an opportunity for photographers to fulfill personal projects that may otherwise not be possible due to cost.

“We know how expensive it is to rent studio space, and that it can be especially difficult to justify the price when it’s for your own passion project,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Open Studio was born out of our desire to support the creative endeavors of our community.” As such, the space will not be available for commercial work, so if you thought this was an opportunity to cut expenses on your next paying gig, think again.

VSCO is looking at Open Studio as a chance to foster a creative community in the physical world that mimics what the VSCO app does in the digital world. The company is looking to meet people who are passionate about their projects, and won’t simply be renting the space on a first come, first served basis.

The Open Studio can be reserved for up to two hours, and photographers can bring a maximum of six people with them. While use of the studio is free, VSCO requires a $250 deposit to secure a time slot. Should a photographer cancel within 72 hours, they will forfeit the deposit. Photographers are also responsible for bringing their own cameras.

Early indications suggest Open Studio is a resounding success. Unfortunately, that means interested photographers will now have to wait. Just one day after launching, VSCO has already stopped accepting new applications from photographers due to the high number of requests. The company says it may consider opening additional locations in the future, but no information is currently available on when or where these may be.

For more information on Open Studio, see VSCO’s FAQ.

Editors' Recommendations

Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
iOS 17’s coolest new feature is horrible news for Android users
iOS 17 contact posters

At the end of 2022, Google implored Apple to “get the message” and end the green-versus-blue bubble controversy by adopting RCS messaging. Apple’s response eventually came at WWDC 2023, where it introduced a new iOS 17 feature called Contact Posters, which instead of bringing everyone together, only furthers the us-versus-them split between Android and iOS.

If you thought the green/blue iMessage arguments could get fiery, there’s a lot more to come.
Blue good, green bad

Read more
Apple is adding a brand new app to your iPhone with iOS 17
Journal app for iOS 17.

Apple is adding a new first-party app called Journal with the introduction of iOS 17, the company announced today during WWDC 2023. Journal is, as its name simply states, a new place for iPhone users to keep track of their daily activities, log their emotional health, and jot down anything else that they want to write about.

Apple has continued to lean into its first-party health and wellness iOS apps with things like Fitness, Sleep, and Breathe, and now Journal will be joining their ranks as the company's first attempt at an app that focuses on mental well-being.

Read more
I found a huge problem with the new ChatGPT iPhone app
ChatGPT app running on an iPhone.

Seemingly out of nowhere, OpenAI released its official ChatGPT iOS app this week. Available for both iPhones and iPads, the free app allows you to use the popular AI chatbot in a much simpler, easier way than ever before. No more messing with the mobile website or trying to fiddle with uncertain third-party apps — just download the official ChatGPT application, and you're good to go.

It's a big step forward to make ChatGPT more accessible and to get it into the hands of more people. Naturally, I was curious to test it out for myself. I've been using the ChatGPT iPhone app to ask the chatbot various questions, and while the whole thing works just like you'd expect, there's one big, glaring problem that makes me never want to touch the app again.
The ChatGPT iPhone app's biggest limitation
ChatGPT (left) vs. Perplexity AI (right) Digital Trends

Read more