“I would describe my photography as nostalgic, with the intention of invoking a 'remember when' feeling.”
Hans Isaacson makes photos that feel like memories. His work has a “remember when” quality, familiar scenes rendered with enough warmth and nostalgia that they feel personal even to people who weren't there.
Professionally, he photographs for outdoor brands, experiential hospitality businesses, and portrait clients—work that demands both visual consistency and genuine feeling. VSCO Prompts have become a natural companion to that practice, giving him a low-pressure reason to revisit his archive, engage with how other photographers interpret shared themes, and stay connected to a creative community beyond his immediate client work.
In this conversation, Hans talks through how prompts fit into his routine, and why the simple act of looking back at old frames through a new lens keeps the work feeling alive.
1. How would you describe your photography?
I would describe my photography as nostalgic, with the intention of invoking a “remember when” feeling.
I'm a professional photographer. I primarily work with outdoor brands, experiential hospitality businesses, and portrait clients.
2. How do you keep up with the latest prompts?
I always check every few weeks to see if there are any new prompts on VSCO.
3. What makes you decide a prompt is worth photographing or digging into your archive for?
If it's something that my photography style can relate to, I always try to submit a handful of pictures.
4. What are two of your all time favorite prompts, and why?
#MakeAPhoto, because that's literally what we're doing when we bring a camera out into the world!
#2024Defined was so much fun—getting to look back on that year, resharing and digging old archive frames out to post.
“#2024Defined was SO much fun getting to look back on that year, resharing and digging old archive frames out to post.”
5. When you submit to prompts, do you normally find images in your archive that feel like a good fit or do you ever take new images for it?
I have primarily uploaded images that are in my archive.
6. If you could create a prompt for other photographers, what would it be and why?
Life on film! I'm obsessed with film and love seeing other photographers' work.
7. Has seeing how others respond to the same prompt changed anything about how you approach your own work?
Yes! It's so fun to see how others interpret the prompts and the work they create and share.
8. When you submit to a prompt, do you ever look at the other photographer submissions?
Yes! Absolutely, I do every time.
Revisiting the past and sharing it forward
Hans doesn't need a prompt to photograph. But having one gives him a reason to go back to the archive, to an old frame, or to a moment he'd almost forgotten.
That's one of the quieter values of VSCO Prompts. Not every theme needs to send you out with a camera. Sometimes the prompt is just the right question to ask of work that's already sitting in your library, waiting for the right context.
Each month, a new theme gives the community a shared starting point. Respond with something you shot last week or something from three years ago. Standout submissions get curated and highlighted by VSCO's team, putting your work in front of a broader audience of photographers.
Your archive is deeper than you think. Prompts are one of the best ways to find out.
“Life on film! I'm obsessed with film and love seeing other photographers' work.”
