Catalina Profile. Oracle, Arizona, 2013
Given the outcry with the release of the Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud (CC) subscription idea, it seems to me there is an opportunity out there for other software companies to fill a growing void.
In case you have been living under a very large, heavy, moss-covered, rock, Adobe has released their last physical Photoshop CD set with CS6 and they say the CC version is the way things will work in the future. With CC, you have no physical CDs, you pay a monthly subscription rate, and you receive constant updates as they are released. Many of us who had been upgrading our Photoshop every other version (or even less often) have done the calculations and have decided it is just not cost effective.
So, here are some options to consider if this move by Adobe has tweaked your pendulous proboscis…
1) Go ahead and upgrade to the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop. This might be OK if you already have at least version CS3 as Adobe currently has a deal (through Dec 31, 2013) that will let you move to the CC for $9.99 a month for owners of CS3/4/5/6.
Pros: You’ll always have the latest and greatest post-processing tools in what is generally considered to be the most powerful editing tools out there (you get both Lightroom and Photoshop) and the price is close to being reasonable.
Cons: You are required to sign up for at least 12 months and you are stuck with a constant monthly subscription. They claim the price won’t change for now (the post-12 months renewal will be at the same $9.99 price), but it surely will go up sometime in the future.
2) Try the free software called GIMP. See GIMP’s FAQ page, but here are some basics…
Pros: It works with both Mac and Windows computers and has most of the tools you have seen in Photoshop, including layers. It is free.
Cons: It is freeware and thus comes with those considerations–best to download the latest stable version (currently, 2.8) to be safe. No 16-bit capability yet (coming in version 3.0). Go HERE for some highlights of the latest version.
3) Consider using the the plugin suite from Topaz Labs. For $379.00 (May, 2015 update: $469.99 for 16 applications) you can purchase all 14 different software programs including B&W Effects, Lens Effects, Clarity, Star Effects, Clean, DeNoise, Detail, ReMask, and so on. Individual programs can be had for $30 to $80 each. Download a free 30-day trial HERE.
Pros: Roughly half the price of Photoshop CS6 and covers a wide range of creative bases.
Cons: Can only be used as plugins with Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, iPhoto and some others–no stand alone capability (yet!).
4) Consider using the onOne product, Perfect Photo Suite 8. Prices ranges from $79.00 for the stand-alone version to $179.95 for the version that will work both as stand-alone and as a plugin to all the major photo processing software products. The modules include Layers, Mask, Effects, Enhance, Portrait, Resize (formerly Genuine Fractals), B&W, and Browse. I saw a demo of the Perfect Brush tool in the Layers module that was used to replace a sky–it was excellent at using edge technology to paint in the sky perfectly without bleeding into unwanted areas. A Beta version of the new Suite 8 for you to try out is currently available for free for a short time.
Pros: A good, inexpensive choice for a stand-alone option with lots of creative potential.
Cons: May not have all the tools you need or may not fully meet your needs. (Try it out and see.)
5) Consider using the Nik Collection by Google. Nik was recently purchased by Google and the price for the entire suite has now dropped to $149.00. (Mark S. Johnson has a 15% discount code HERE as well as some great video tutorials.) The suite includes Viveza, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Dfine, Sharpener Pro, HDR Efex, and Analog Efex (new–classic lens, camera and film looks). UPDATE, March 24, 2016: Google Collection is now FREE!!!
Pros: Great price for excellent products. Silver Efex is arguably one of the best B&W conversion tools available and I certainly tend to use it a lot.
Cons: Again, may not have all the tools you need or may not fully meet your needs. (Try it out and see.)
Oh, and one last tidbit…I have heard some talk of the idea of buying Lightroom (Adobe says they will continue to sell it in boxed CD form for the foreseeable future), then buy whatever plugins you need to meet your creative urges. This could be a good way of combining what you like from an Adobe product with other creative software, all at a reasonable price.
Summary
There seem to be more and more good options out there for us photogs–options that are starting to rival Photoshop and that are worth checking out. With the Creative Cloud concept, Adobe may very well have stirred up the market to our advantage.
Personally, I have purchased the CDs in a box for both Lightroom 5 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 and I use the Nik suite of plugins (mostly Silver Efex Pro). I am hoping these will last me for a few years after which I’ll survey the software horizon and see what the market has produced. If some of these companies I have mentioned above continue to evolve their products smartly, PS CS6 and LR 5 may very well be the last Adobe products I buy.
Tomorrow: “The Rabbit Hole of Creative Software”
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