Adobe has issued a statement addressing photographers’ concerns about the Creative Cloud subscription-only model and the legacy of any work created in Photoshop CC, suggesting the company may soon offer a compromise.
Recognising the “unique needs” of the photographic community, Adobe has announced it is “looking at potential offerings that recognise the photography community – because it is so broad.”
Adobe’s statement comes in response to intense criticism the company has received following Adobe’s 6 May announcement of its next generation of ‘CC’ applications.
Chief among these updates was the launch of Photoshop CC, the latest version of its popular photo editing software, and the revelation that photographers could no longer buy Photoshop in a one-off purchase of a boxed disc or digital download.
Instead, photographers now pay a monthly Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for access to Photoshop CC each month.
Users can then download Photoshop CC to their desktop and use it as long as their Creative Cloud subscription remains active.
A full membership Creative Cloud subscription is £46.88 per month and gives you access to all applications and of course, all updates.
If you own the full Adobe Creative Suite 3 or later versions, this price is reduced to £27.34 per month. For photographers who only want to use Photoshop CC, you can choose the Single App option for £17.58 a month, which is reduced to £8.78 a month if you own Photoshop CS3 or later.
Photographers have raised concerns in the wake of the 6 May Adobe announcement that they will not only lose their software if their Creative Cloud subscription lapses, but they will also lose their work, as files saved in Photoshop CC are not compatible with other software.
“Through discussions with the community, we have heard some concerns around our move to Creative Cloud,” Adobe has responded in a statement sent to press. “Three main themes are coming through:
- File access. Customers want to be sure that, if their membership to Creative Cloud lapses, they will still have access to their files.
- Photographers, particularly photo-enthusiasts, are looking for a more tailored offering that focuses on their particular needs.
- Some customers are not convinced that Creative Cloud is right for them and would rather continue to purchase desktop applications as before.
While Adobe does reinforce in its statement that it has “no plans to change our focus on Creative, we understand this is a big change and for customers who are not yet ready to move, we will continue to offer CS6 products through our reseller partners and Adobe.com.”
With regards to photographers’ concerns about the legacy of their files created in Photoshop CC, the company added: “Adobe completely agrees that customers should have access to their files if they choose to stop their Creative Cloud membership. Our job is to delight our customers with innovation, but there are a number of options open to us here and we expect to have news around this issue shortly.”
Does this latest announcement from Adobe suggest the company could soon offer photographers a way to ensure the legacy of their Photoshop CC files – or perhaps an alternative to the Creative Cloud subscription model?
We will update this story as it develops.
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