Spaces provide contact with other creators and allow us to inspire each other in the community. In my case, they have become an integral part of my creative journey.
Luisa Aguiar grew up across four continents and somewhere along the way learned to see the world as a series of compositions waiting to be framed. Since joining VSCO in 2014, that self-taught practice has become something more deliberate, shaped by community as well as her own eye. Through VSCO Spaces, she built an audiences around infrared photography, wrapped objects, and the textures of daily life. The feedback, collaboration, and creative pulse of those communities helped push her work forward.
We sat down with Luisa to talk about why she checks her spaces every single day, how community accountability changed her creative process, and what happens when you stop making work in private.
1) How long have you been on VSCO, and how did you first discover it?
I had recently moved to Germany when my nephew, who lives in Portugal, told me about the platform and encouraged me to join. I believe it was in 2014. As soon as I opened VSCO, I became a fan, and since then, it has been my platform of choice for photography.
Even when I edit in Adobe Lightroom, I take some of my work to VSCO for the finishing touches.
It’s as if VSCO sharpens my skills; through it, I can see with all my senses!
In 2017, VSCO interviewed me about my photography work. Some of my pieces have been purchased by the platform over the years. This always makes me very happy and gives me the encouragement to keep creating and developing new techniques.
2. Tell me about your own photography (personal and professional) in a few sentences. Why is photography so important to you?
I have always been passionate about photography and, as an autodidact, I have dedicated myself to this visual art for many years, as well as to painting.
In my view, they are ways of capturing the same essence and, while photography allows me to freeze the fleeting geometry of light, painting gives me the freedom to reinvent color and texture.
Photography allows me to communicate with the world and also a way of self-expression.
My creative voice is a reflection of a life lived across four continents and diverse cultures–from Angola (where I was born), Mozambique, Timor, Portugal, the Azores, and Brazil to a current base in Germany.
My eyes have been trained to find the universal language of form—specifically the interplay of light, shadow, and the clean lines of architectural spaces.
I see the world as a series of compositions waiting to be framed. Whether through the lens of a camera or the stroke of a brush, I am drawn to the geometry of our surroundings.
My creative process is an act of simplification: stripping away the noise to reveal the underlying patterns, colors, and rhythms that define a space.
3. How did you first learn about VSCO Spaces? What was the first space you joined and why did you join it?
Since I never miss a VSCO Editorial, I knew about Spaces immediately when it launched in 2022. At that time, only those with a "Membership" could create new spaces.
The first space I joined was one of these three: Take a Seat, Around the Neighborhood, or Cars + Casas.
They were created by Brian (@unmethodical), with whom I occasionally exchanged private messages complimenting each other's work; that’s why he invited me to join whenever he created a new space.
4. What was the first space you created and why did you create it?
I subscribed and created my first space in July 2022, titled infra-red.
The idea came about because, just a few months prior, VSCO added new presets to the Infrared series (IR4-IR7), which inspired me.
With this space, I encouraged other creators to experiment with a new way of seeing the world through tones that are sometimes vibrant, sometimes subtle, and always filled with a certain enchantment. It wasn't long before it became one of the first spaces to be featured in the highlights.
With this space, I encouraged other creators to experiment with a new way of seeing the world through tones that are sometimes vibrant, sometimes subtle, and always filled with a certain enchantment.
5. Your spaces are some of the most engaged on VSCO. What do you think makes them special?
Spaces provide contact with other creators and allow us to inspire each other in the community. In my case, they have become an integral part of my creative journey.
Every day I take a look at my own spaces; I’m happy when I see new posts or comments. I try to provide feedback and post something within each specific theme.
I also try to stay engaged in other spaces I participate in. This makes them very active. I think the themes also lend them a certain mysticism and, consequently, they become inviting in their own right.
Additionally, the fact that three of them—infra-red, Daily Envisage, and Wrapped, Bundled, Concealed—are featured in the highlights is likely a reason why they are appealing and visible to other members looking to join.
6. How does VSCO Spaces help fuel your own creative inspiration?
Through the exchange of ideas, tricks and tips that we experience with one another, our own creative process tends to improve, grow, and stay alive.
Publishing on an individual profile has a different "flavor" than publishing in a shared creative space with a common purpose and a specific theme or challenge aimed at conversation and learning.
With VSCO Spaces, creators can find community, self-expression, and personal growth.
7. Are there any personal anecdotes you have about VSCO Spaces? Any special connections, moments, relationships, or instances where something about them changed your perspective on photography and the creative process?
We are always learning and absorbing ideas that influence our creative process.
Over the years, the VSCO community has taught me a lot and changed my perspective on photography. I think my creative process has improved significantly. I remember, for example, the content created by VSCO Studio Spaces with instructions on “Composition,” “Post-Production,” and even “Discover your Voice.”
Studio Space 03: “In Multiples” particularly inspired me for a project that led me to apply for—and be selected for—the art prize of the city where I live.
The work was highly acclaimed, consisting of a diptych created in VSCO that I enhanced with acrylic painting. I consider that a very special moment in my creative process and I am very grateful.
Explore VSCO Spaces
Join Luisa and a global network of photographers with VSCO Spaces. This is where experimentation turns into standout work, feedback sharpens your eye, and community becomes part of how you grow and get noticed.
Through the exchange of ideas, tricks and tips that we experience with one another, our own creative process tends to improve, grow, and stay alive.
