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With the app, all of the tools are in my pocket, so I can make professional edits on the go and publish from wherever I am.
Matt Bucknall sees the world in lines, angles, color relationships, and the satisfaction of things lining up exactly right. He's been an art director long enough that it's just how his eye works. Photography became the natural extension of that.
His workflow reflects it. Crop and skew to lock in geometry. AU5—inspired by Agfa Ultra 50, one of the most boldly saturated film stocks ever made—for color that's punchy and vivid. Saturation, Clarity, and Sharpen to finish things off with detail and presence. Whether he's shooting on his Fujifilm XT5 or his phone, the look stays consistent.
In this conversation, Matt walks through the tools that anchor his workflow, and why bringing a design mindset to photography is less about rules and more about knowing what you're looking for before you press the shutter.
1. What VSCO editing tools do you use regularly?
I always use the Adjust tool—crop, straighten, and skew. I often like things to look super straight on, or have strong lines and angles and this helps me to achieve that.
Also, If I have taken a photo with my phone, I like to add some grain, and being able to control the amount is super helpful.
I also like to up the saturation, I like the images to feel punchy and bright. I am originally from the UK, but I have been living in California for almost 10 years, and still find the sunlight and vibrancy here inspiring.
In terms of presets, my go to is pretty consistently AU5 (Afga Ultra 50). I love the color and tone of it and it really fits in with my aesthetic.
To finish things off I'm also a fan of using Sharpen and Clarity to bring out the details.
2. These tools have clearly defined your style. What does that consistency give you as a photographer?
The combination of all of them have definitely helped to define my style, especially straightening things with the skew and working with increased saturation.
I also love that with the app they're all in my pocket, so I can edit and publish from anywhere using my phone. I see the photos I take as kind of a diary or my everyday life, so being able to publish things on the go helps to keep everything up to date.
I see the photos I take as kind of a diary or my everyday life, so being able to publish things on the go helps to keep everything up to date.
3. Have any of these tools changed how you photograph?
Knowing that I can use the tools to create the same style or feeling whether I'm using my phone or XT5 is great, so I'd say they have been able to expand what I can produce.
4. Have any of VSCO's editing tools inspired new ideas for you? New ways of working?
Certainly new ways of working. I think that relates to the thing I said before about having all of the tools in my pocket, so I can make professional edits on the go and publish from wherever I am.
5. Can you describe your photography practice in a couple of sentences?
As a designer and art director, my graphic photographic style seems to be shaped by design, I love bold color, deliberate composition, and the satisfaction of things lining up, alongside strong crops and clean geometry.
Having relocated to the West Coast relatively recently (about 10 years ago), I love that my home city of LA and California in general still feels novel. I am constantly inspired by the light, the scale, the color of things here.
My photographs seem to manifest as a running diary of everyday life seen through a designer's eye. Familiar environments, ordinary streets, unremarkable moments. Often what interests me are the details that make me look twice, the shadow that divides a wall perfectly in two, the architectural detail nobody notices or some paint on the floor that has a cool shape or color.
I just love to walk around and look for these moments. I try to travel as much as I can and bring the same approach to wherever I visit.
A workflow that never slows down the work.
Matt doesn't wait for scenes to become interesting, they’re already there waiting. He finds the geometry, locks in the color, and builds the image from what's already there.
That starts with knowing your tools well enough to see through them. Crop and skew to get the lines exactly where you want them. AU5 to bring the color to life. Saturation, Clarity, and Sharpen to make sure no detail gets lost.
And because it all lives in one app on his phone, none of it requires a desk, a studio, or a dedicated editing session. The whole workflow moves with him, which means the work keeps moving too.
My go to preset is pretty consistently AU5 (Afga Ultra 50). I love the color and tone of it and it really fits in with my aesthetic.
