June 17th, 2013 marks the date of perhaps one of the most significant events to affect the photographic industry since the dawn of the digital age. On this date Adobe announced that new releases of their flagship image editing software ‘Photoshop’ would only be available through their ‘Creative Cloud’ as subscription based software with a monthly fee. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past three months this may come as quite a shock. Most photographers have been considering their options for the past ninety days since the announcement, and it has created quite a divide. A large number of top level professionals have turned their backs on Adobe, walking away with no intentions of ever returning; others have not been dissuaded by the announcement, and promptly subscribed to the Creative Cloud. This is a vast topic and as this situation is still evolving I would encourage you to continue to monitor it as it develops.
Why did they do it? Well, from a business perspective the idea is potentially ingenious. Changing the software to a monthly subscription as opposed to a one time download essentially guarantees Adobe a constant revenue stream from their customer base. Up to this point a user could purchase Adobe Photoshop once and continue to use it as long as they wanted without paying for the latest updates. At the time of the release of Photoshop Creative Cloud the monthly subscription fee for current CS6 users was set at $19.99 per month ($29.99 per month for CS3, CS4 and CS5 users). Presumably due to the public outcry, this price was recently reduced to $9.99 per month with a twelve month subscription contract and includes Photoshop CC, Lightroom, Behance Membership with ProSite and 20GB of Cloud Storage. This package is being marketed as Adobe’s Photoshop Photography Program and will be available starting September 17th, 2013. The $9.99 price will only be available to those who already own a version of CS3 (or more a recent release up to and including CS6). This reduced price will only being offered until December 31st, 2013. The monthly subscription fee will cover any updates or new releases to the software and allows the user to access the software on up to two devices. Oddly enough Lightroom is also available outside the Creative Cloud as a one time fee, perpetual license version, as it has always been. Adobe Bridge is a separate item and can be acquired free of charge by Photoshop Creative Cloud subscribers. Bear in mind that this is just the hook… after your first year’s contract there’s no price guarantee. Adobe states that, “The cost of an annual membership will not go up during the first 12 months of your membership. It is possible that the cost of the month-to-month membership will increase, but if it does, you will be notified and given the opportunity to cancel.” Those are not exactly comforting words from Adobe…
Ultimately we are left with three choices:
1).* Subscribe to the Creative Cloud and find a way to include an additional cost into your annual budget, while hoping that Adobe doesn’t put the price out of reach in the future. (This may not be such a big deal to the high volume professional, but to the hobbyist or casual photographer this could exclude them from continuing to use Adobe products).
2).* Choose a different processing software to edit your files with such as Elements, Capture One Pro, Pixelmator, Gimp, etc.
3).* Continue to use your current version of Photoshop and/or Lightroom until Adobe no longer offers support on that version.
* 1). I have some major reservations about option one… Unfortunately I believe this move by Adobe is just the tip of the iceberg. In taking this route I believe Adobe has paved a way for all other software companies to take this step at some point in the future. We see already that Microsoft has a similar option with their Office 365 subscription. Granted you can still purchase Microsoft’s software as a one time fee, perpetual license version, but how much longer will this last? In fact, in May of this year Microsoft Office Director of Communications Clint Patterson wrote in a blog entry that though he agrees with Adobe that subscription software is imminent, Microsoft won’t discontinue packaged software in the near future. Patterson wrote, “Unlike Adobe, we think people’s shift from packaged software to subscription services will take time.”
Adobe states that you don’t need an internet connection to access your Creative Cloud software every day. Members who subscribe on a month to month basis will need to connect with Adobe’s servers every 30 days to “validate their software license”, and every 99 days for annual subscriptions. However, fellow professional photographers that I’ve spoken with who have signed up for the Creative Cloud tell me that they’ve been required to login and validate their software license much more frequently than this. This is a cause of great concern for me as a professional Nature Photographer. I do a great deal of my work in National Parks and remote locations, far from the range of an internet signal for extended periods of time. Often I have my laptop with me on these trips to review and process files in the evening hours. If I’m out on the road and can’t get an internet signal on the day that I’m prompted to connect to Adobe’s servers and ‘verify my software’, am I just not going to be able to access Photoshop until I get somewhere that I can login?
You may have noticed that Adobe offers 20GB of storage in the Cloud with your subscription. What you probably didn’t notice, (unless you read every word in their ‘Terms of Use’ statement), is that by uploading to the Creative Cloud and opting to have your content displayed as ‘Shared Material’ your content becomes their content. Quoting from Adobe’s website it reads: “You grant Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable, and sublicensable license to adapt, display, distribute, modify, perform, publish, reproduce, translate, and use Your Shared Material for the purpose of operating and improving the Services and enabling your use of the Services.” While you are not required to use the Creative Cloud storage, (and even if you do you have the option to not share your files), this is a slippery slope and one that I’m afraid far too many will fall prey to due to being uninformed. If you have not reviewed this language I strongly suggest you review sections 9. ‘Your Material’ and 10. ‘Shared Material’ before uploading any images into their Cloud Storage. I’m not accusing Adobe of malicious intent here, but all users should be aware of this agreement before adding their images to the Cloud. If you are interested in reading it you can find their ‘Terms of Use’ here.
* 2). Option two is difficult in that one is faced with learning a whole new image editing software. However the competition is trying to make this an easier transition. Companies like Corel, Xara, Nitro, Nuance, and Pixelmator are taking advantage of the disenchantment Adobe’s customers are feeling since this change from selling Creative Suite perpetual licenses to Creative Cloud subscriptions has been foisted upon them. Corel went so far as to offer a promotion that lets Adobe CS4, CS5, and CS6 users buy Corel software for the ‘upgrade price’ instead of the full price. Many pro photographers speculate that this is a perfect opportunity for a company to come in and sweep up a lions share of the market from Adobe. Google having recently acquired the Nik Software Suite of products is one player that comes to mind as a powerhouse that could challenge for this market if they chose to invest in the process. Nikon’s NX2 editing software give Nikon users the ability to edit RAW files without the use of Adobe products, while Canon offers their users Canon Digital Photo Pro. Topaz also offers an image editing software suite that is popular with some photographers. It should be noted that as of the writing of this article Gimp ( a free image editing software) will open PSD files. Also please note that any image files you’ve edited in Photoshop or Lightroom up to this point, that have been flattened and saved as a TIFF or JPEG file, will be able to be opened by any software that supports those formats.
* 3). As for option three you can continue using Creative Suite products indefinitely, however they will not be eligible for future software updates. Eventually Adobe will no longer offer support for these products. How long will they be supported no one can say. It could be five years, it could be ten years or it could stop tomorrow. Ultimately this option will fail you when the device that is currently running your copy of CS6, for example, dies and you purchase a computer with Windows 9 on it. When you go to download your copy of Photoshop onto your new device you will be told it does not support it. As of right now all previous versions of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom work with Windows 7 and 8. At that point you will be left with only choices one or two listed above. Lightroom currently continues to be sold outside the Creative Cloud subscription, but odds are this too will go away in the near future and will be only available through the Creative Cloud. Clearly this is the intended future of Adobe’s sales approach.
In conclusion all one can do is make an educated decision that works best for their individual situation, these circumstances are different for each of us. I have worked to compile this information to help you decide what is best for you personally. My hope is that this post helps you to see through the storm created by Adobe Creative Cloud and provides some clarity in this decision making process. Remember, the way we speak the loudest is with our wallets.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
– Nathaniel Smalley
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23 Comments
I will not use the creative cloud because of the shared content clause. If this were not included I might go that route.
To be clear Tom, you are not required to upload your content into the Cloud, and any content that you do put there you have the ability to decide whether or not it is shared content or not. I added that information to my Blog post due to the fact that many people don’t read the Terms of Use before signing up and that would be a very unhappy discovery to realize it after the fact.
Hi,
Staring as a Hobbyist..I am saving up for a better camera and processing software such as Light Room 5 to replace the free software that I’ve been using. (1) What choices do newbies such as myself have in terms of investing in a product such as LR5 that may not be functional because of the Cloud Transition? (2) The thought of having my hard earned personal work shared, copied, manipulated for the sake of Marketing Profit and Status because I signed for the ” Creative Cloud” appears not to read as viable clause…too controlling and not user friendly. I’m all for advancement in technology and not being left behind.
I would consider supporting this, but how is Adobe and it’s Creative Cloud” honestly supporting me and other photographers that are just starting out? I would think that ADOBE would be able to share the timetable for transition period and better assist those who are established and have used their products for their professional photography business likewise for those who are starting out in their photography business.
From my lens to yours,
Peace!
Babe, there are a number of other options out there for image editing software and I listed a number of them in the Blog, though none of them are as comprehensive as Photoshop. If you have not yet invested in Lightroom you might look into the software that is published by whatever camera make you choose. Both Nikon and Canon have software that will edit your RAW files. Lightroom is still available outside the Cloud based subscription, but it is my belief that its days are numbered in this format as well. Also, you are not required to utilize the Cloud storage. If you do you can also opt to not have your files as shared content. However, I think that we’ve all seen how that kind of language has worked out in the past… think Facebook.
Thank you for the information Nathaniel. I currently use the Canon Digital Professional to work my RAW files. I just ordered the CS6, and am seriously thinking about joining the cloud (without the storage!). I like the idea of being able to have upgrades and access to LR5 and other software for a monthly charge. But I didn’t think about the computer itself. I’m still on Windows 7 and don’t like 8. Am I in for trouble down the line? You have given me lots to think about!
Hi Angie, if you purchased CS6 within the past 30 days you should be able to return it for Photoshop CC instead. If you were already planning to go the route of the Creative Cloud this will eliminate any concerns about CS6 not working with future releases of the Windows OS. Photoshop CC will be compatible with all future releases of Windows. For the record, I don’t like Windows 8 either…
Excellent post! I have CS6 (and Win 7) and will continue to use it as long as I possibly can. I’m hoping Google will use their development firepower to offer something comparable to Adobe’s PS. Win 8 is a step down from Win 7, IMO.
I believe that someone will come along and offer an alternative Mac, it’s a waiting game at this point.
There are MANY alternative to Photoshop and other Adobe apps. Apparently many professionals are taking a look at these alternatives AND finding that some of them are better for certain things than PS and they do some things better as well. Just because PS is the “industry standard” does not make it the best possible app for your needs.
Here is a link to a CGTalk thread that has a VERY comprehensive list of alternative apps to Adobe Production software: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=2&t=1107365
Frankly I don’t really use Photoshop for much Dave, I’m more opposed to the principle behind this move than I am worried about not having access to that software.
I use Photoshop for minor things, not anything seriously pipeline-oriented, so it’s not essential. The same with After Effects, Illustrator and InDesign. But I agree with you 100% that this truly IS about the principle. This is just a VERY bad precedent and Adobe NEEDS to fail in this endeavor else it begins to spread MUCH faster throughout the software industry. I have nothing against subscription software – but I DO have something against subscription-ONLY software. Forcing users is bad for ALL customers whether you like subscription or not.
I’ve been a Creative Suite user for so long that when Adobe offered the subscription, I signed (capitulated?).
Continuity among the Creative Suite products is important to me, so I opted for Choice #1 and have passed the overhead on to the client (as we in business always have done).
I totally understand the seething discomfort expressed by many Adobe product users- but, as an analogy, when an historic building needs razing (old business model), and new structure is installed (a delightful New World Order!), what is one to do?
Go with the flow, it seems.
Yes, but were it not for the huge backlash against Microsoft, they would not have changed their business model regarding the XBox. When dissent is loud enough and many are involved, businesses often change direction. For myself (and MANY others) price is not the reason – I personally will NOT rent software forever JUST to be able to open and edit my files. This is not just for PS, bit ID, AI, PR and other file formats. Were it not for our uproar, Adobe wouldn’t have even acknowledged the NEED for an exit strategy.
I agree Dave, we have to make our voices heard if we expect change.
Picked up this blog post from Google+ and glad I did because it saves me from writing one. Excellent job of laying out all the options. I’ll add a couple of thoughts I’ve had lately:
1. At first I thought that the price was too high but now I’m thinking it might be to low. One of the things that helps separate the pro from the hobbiest is the expense of software and gear. At $10 a month, who CAN’T afford LR and PS?
2. Imagine 10 years down the line when you have a new generation of graphic designers entering the field and using software that is subscription based and has an exclusive file format (.psd). Once you are in, you can never leave without losing the ability to open all your old .psd files.
Thanks for your thoughts Booray, I’m glad you appreciated the article.
I really can’t blame Adobe for their move to a new licensing model. Their software is among the most frequently pirated resulting in millions in lost revenue. You can expect many other software vendors to take the same route.
The fact is though, this does not prevent pirating at all.
Nathaniel,
Great blog, it was very well thought out. Like most I didn’t like the idea of CC subscriptions, still for professionals who need the latest updates and advances the CC subscriptions is ideal and the monthly cost can be rolled into their business. It’s an ROI propositions and them it’s ideal.
Now for us hobbyist, maybe the idea of a monthly fee is not so ideal…..but then again do you want to pay an upgrade price every 18 months for the latest and greatest, and that’s only after you pay full price for the initial software. And let’s be honest here, we all know that Photoshop is the biggest actor on the stage. It has more features and capabilities than most people ever use.
Lightroom is similiar there are few programs as capable. So for $10.00 a month subscribers get the two premiere programs for the price of a weekly Starbucks coffee habit. But we are all consumers, and if our needs don’t match the subscription model we can just vote with our wallets and move to Elements, Corel, etc…..I think the question will tougher for those who have yet to join Adobe subscriptions or someother software….We who have current stand alone copies and don’t like the subscriptions will have to face the fact that our current version could be our last. To each his/her own.
I for one will move to the $9.99 model, knowing full well and I can always pull out my LR5, and CS5 dvd and reload them as a stand alone product. But won’t have the latest and greatest bells and whistles.
cheers….DanC
That sounds like a sound approach for you Dan, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for sharing this important information with us pro photographers. I have been using Adobe PS for all my editing. It is time to change and learn other software editing options. I am not afraid of learning new things. I am totally against subscription based software usage. The Adobe’s 20 GB free cloud space and the terms of service make me feel that Adobe is a dishonest company because It is certain that most people will not read the fine prints and basically it means that Adobe becomes the owner of their content. It is beyond my comprehension how such practices are allowed by law.
There are a lot of people sharing your sentiment Fereshte, thank you for your comments.
Info from 2.9 million Adobe Creative Cloud customers was accessed by cyber hackers… Not exactly exuding confidence here Adobe.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/10/03/adobe-accounts-hacked-data-exposed-for-2-9-million-customers?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=generic