VERO, sharing photo App done right

Free yourself of Instagram

When I started taking photography more seriously, I immediately wanted to show my work. It was in 2008, and my choice was the defunct Google +. It was the early days of Google +, and photographers had taken it by storm. The interface was gorgeous, and the management of contacts was unique and flexible. I shared many of the photos that I considered my best back then. I cringe when looking at them now... so much cringy HDR.

Another avenue for exposure that I have used from the beginning is through my website. I attempted to start a blog and many photo galleries and eventually paid 500px and Flickr subscriptions. After a few years, I gave up and surrendered to Instagram. In the beginning, I tried figuring out how to make the best of it for a while; by this, I mean the best time to post, the perfect hashtags, etc., but I also gave up on this. I only want to share my joy in photography and the little knowledge I accumulated in photography. I can't stand spending time on all the other SEO-related activities, hashtags, analytics... I'm also tired of modifying my work to fit Instagram. The crop factor, lack of full screen, compression of JPEG, lack of links, etc.

Then there's the constant change on Instagram itself, the endless increase of sponsored posts, ads, and fewer posts of what I follow or like.

I was ready for a change when VERO showed up. I first heard of it from other photographers on YouTube and quickly decided to try it.

Vero quick review

As with Instagram, you can share photos and videos in Vero. Unlike Instagram, there are no restrictions on the form factor and no compression of the JPEG file. The image is shown in your feed in a small size, but when you tap on it, it will open at full resolution. You can find other standard features like video sharing, likes, comments, favourites, hashtags, chat, etc. You can even make calls, although I don't think this is used much.

There's a Discovery section with predefined categories. But you can search for anything, including tags that look and behave the same as on Instagram. You will find the pictures you shared on your profile, and you can mark some of them as "Featured," which will put them at the top. It can be either photos or videos.

A significant advantage of Vero is that you can include links in your profile and posts. There's no restriction on this. Thank you, Vero!

Then there are the posting features. You must first select the type of post you will make, such as a photo gallery, video, links to pages, etc. (They do have strange categories, like Movie/TV, Game, and App.). After selecting, you can upload your images, add text and hashtags, and decide how to share them. Vero offers the option to share only with close friends, with friends, with acquaintances, or followers. This last one will make the post public to everyone. This is great! You can have posts for your family separate from those for your followers. No more multiple accounts!

But wait! There's more. Vero has a real computer app that allows you to do the same things you can with a phone app. It is available for Windows and Mac.

I have no regrets about using Vero; the App is perfect, and the quality of the photos is superb.

Vero Screenshots

Comparison with Instagram

If we look at Instagram versus Vero from a photographer's perspective, each will have pros and cons.

Pros for Vero. A much better experience with the images, no crop, full size, better JPEG quality. The ability to restrict posts to different groups. The various types of posts (music, links, etc.) and a clean interface that doesn't have ads. In fact, their slogan is "Adds and algorithms not included". You can include links in your posts. And a desktop/laptop App.

As for Instagram? It's the established leader and most popular App for sharing images today. So, if you want exposure and thousands of followers, Instagram is your place.

How has it been so far?

I have no regrets about using Vero; the App is perfect, the quality of the photos is superb, and the only thing time will tell is how popular it will become. The desktop App is beta, but it doesn't feel like that. Connecting with like-minded photographers is easy, and the overall feel is civilized.

I keep posting on it regularly while waiting to see if Vero reaches the popularity level that it deserves.

Since I joined, they launched Vero Music (a service to promote new artists and independent labels) and CoFi (a community finance service/App (like FundMe or Kick Start).

What have we learned today?

Vero is an excellent app. It is easy to use, feature-rich, and has a civilized community. I'm happy with it and will continue using it.

But what's your favourite way of sharing your photos and videos? Please let me know in the comment section below.

You can find Vero in this link.

You can find my profile in Vero by searching for @artisculture or on this link: Pierre Guynot De Boismenu on VERO™