Time to Call Out the Bogusness of the “Adobe Price Increase” Fearmongering
As with most things in our society today, people jumped the gun long before any facts came out and caused a lot of fear and undue stress in the photography community. Last week it was leaked online that there was a silent Adobe Price Increase for the photography plan. Adobe, like many companies (even I do it) was split testing some things on their sales page, and the internet went bonanza for it.
If one did go to the Adobe site they would see a plan that is 19.99 for Lightroom and Photoshop CC, but that is the 1TB storage plan, and guess what, it has always been there. The $9.99 plan focuses less on storage and more on the programs and gives you 20 GB of storage.
I don’t know what it is about our society these days to read something somewhere and deem it as fact. It used to be that we would fact check before we leaped out of our knickers over a headline of an article. I get it, a doubling in price is significant, but it is still much cheaper than Adobe’s old model, by a LONG shot!
The thing that irritated me most about this was the companies that came out of the woodwork that spread even more fear in their email marketing to take advantage of the situation. Here’s a thought to all the alternative companies… how about you market your strengths instead of selling the shadow of Adobe.
Anyway, I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to try and help everyone who was up in arms about this topic (I received about 40 emails and social media messages… I counted).
Life Lessons for a Fearmongered Society
1. Develop a Problem Solution Mentality
Don’t rely on other people to solve your problems. Instead, investigate the issue and develop a solution. This will make all your work life and marriages so much better, I promise! I used to have this saying I would whisper to myself whenever a problem came about in the workplace or my house… “Am I the Problem” If I could legitimately answer that with a yes, I was actually in luck. It is easier to come up with a solution to our own habits than it is to try and change someone else. Can you imagine a world where everyone objectively asked themselves that question?
With this “Adobe Price Increase” problem I received entirely too many emails telling me there was a problem without hearing many solutions… as if my answers mattered anyway 🙂
2. Decipher Fear From Fact
Whether it is Y2K, the Apocalypse of 2012, or the supposed “Adobe Price Increase,” you have got to learn how to determine what is fact and what is fear driven excitement. While Adobe may be posed as the monster they are for even thinking about making a subscription; I highly doubt they would increase their prices without emailing you to tell you of the change. All this hype was fear, stretched from a minor fact without looking into all the possibilities. Adobe has the right to split test…
3. Discern the Best from the Rest
I have been working with Photoshop for over 20 years. It is a beast of a program and just when I think I know everything about it, I humbly learn that I know nothing at all. It is an incredible piece of software that all other programs attempt to emulate. Photoshop is the best if you want to apply the problem solution principle to this topic here it goes:
Problem: Photoshop is supposedly increasing the price of the photography plan.
Solution: Cut out all the other crap and double down on the best of the best.
I know I have promoted other programs in the past, and at that time I thought they were suitable for the level that I was at in my post-production. However, in early 2018, I cut out all the other clutter in my workflow and doubled down on Adobe products. You know what? I haven’t looked back since! I haven’t opened another program outside of Adobe since January of 2018. I have had no need.
In this video, I will share more of my thoughts and even a cost analysis that compares the days of old with Photoshop CS5 to today’s Adobe Creative Cloud subscription model. As far as I know, there is no price increase, and even if there were, I’d gladly let them take more of my money, they deserve it!
For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
Excellent points all around.
Thanks!
You will lose no friends over yr comments!!
woohoo!
Great video Blake:
Years ago, my team members knew to start any problem statement with “we have a situation, let me tell you what I think we should do…”
I signed up as soon as the CC photography plan came out, super bargain. At the time I was only interested in the Lr program but have since (thanks to Blake) started using Ps with every photo. Still use Lr for catalogs and basic ACR edits and then over to Ps. Anyway, missed all the recent foofah and would always wait until I heard from Adobe anyway. There are too many good reasons for them NOT to change the pricing strategy. In fact this morning’s email offered the entire creative suite to me for just $29.99/mo, a 40% savings.
Silly Trolls!
Take good care, Gord
I didn’t hear this (yep living under a rock), but I would have checked myself to see if it were true. Thanks for sharing your thoughts – they are creative and brilliant and helpful!
Blake
Great video! As a dinosaur, I was initially resistant to the Adobe monthly plan idea before I did the sums on what I had paid for Photoshop since Photoshop 4 – and I only took every other upgrade. Much better way to go.
The BBQ groups were all jumping on the 25% China tariff today. Some people just have nothing better to do.
Yep! Speaking of BBQ, Scott’s Kitchen here in KC, man, you’d love it! Incredible BBQ!
There are better ways to do A/B market testing than for Adobe to freak out their user base by changing prices on their live website. I’m guessing there was a percentage of their user base that were triggered to go out and check alternatives to LR/PS. That’s a self-inflicted wound to the brand.
True, to an extent. How else do you A/B test, though? When you are as big as Adobe it is very hard to fly under the radar. The trolls will always find them, haha
Agreed, Dave! That said, me being me, I talked directly to someone at Adobe to express my concerns and question their planned directions; especially as a non-pro who cannot build incrsd pricing into someone else’s bill to pay my CC costs…
Blake, very well said today on the internet there is fiction than fact. Once you understand this you need to trustworthy site that give accurate and honest answers ( which is why I come to you when I need to). Keep,up,the good work my friend
Will do! I apprciate it! I wanted to stay out of this, but I keep getting emails about it. So it is partly cynical but really I just want to help people put things into perspective.
I’ve followed you and your videos thru Topaz and On1 Raw and always enjoyed them and your style of teaching. However, you do yourself a great disservice in publishing this diatribe – would have thought better of you tbh…
Thanks for your perspective. I thought this was handled well. It is more about the life lessons and the analytics behind it than anything else. Not sure why you’d look down on me for that, but I can handle it.
I said goodby to Adobe years ago and OnOne RAW and TopazLabs and never missed Adobe..
The rumoured price rise caused me to look at and evaluate the ‘alternatives’. Spent a week looking at what they can do and how they would fit into my own workflow. None of them come close. It is always good to look at the alternatives and to know you have the best. I am concentrating on Adobe, I could not become expert in them all!
I agree wholeheartedly! Research is the key!
Fanboy!,,Ha ha ,,so am I! Yeah,,I saw the same warning all over the internet..I think there was one on DPReview. I didn’t panic either cause I went on the Adobe and found the plan. People are always panicking when the think they will be paying more for a product..That being said, I think Adobe will increase their price, but not that drastically..Maybe by a dollar or two..
Yeah, I just don’t like all the negative hype that surrounded it. I would be fine with even up to five dollars. Heck, take my 20, haha. I spend EVERY day in Photoshop.
before I a saw your email I had the same thoughts about this and never want to lose photoshop
AND I love the intro you made for this!!!
Thanks! I appreciate you, Ineke!
Bravo! #1 for clarifying the issue. Yes, I received several emails, too. #2 Presenting a great philosophy of life.
Thanks, see Problem/Solution mentality! Wins every time 🙂
the photoshop deal is a gift as far as i’m concerned. i’m with photoshop for the long haul. and by the way…there really isn’t an apples to apples replacement for photoshop.
Agreed!
A voice of sanity in a world where reaction to sound bites and unsubstantiated information seem to rule the day.
How did we get here? I’d love to read a book on it.
Blake: Well said! In general, we have become a nation that relies far too much on social media and especially have become too susceptible to the numbers game (i.e., if so many people are saying or repeating “this”, then it must be true). If we, as a nation, just took the time to do some research (especially verifying the sources of information), we would be much better off than we are now. There is a price to be paid for laziness and ignorance.
Seriously! You’d think that is Life 101 right? How did we become such a convenience-based society that we assume we know everything from reading a headline?
Couldn’t agree with you more Blake. Adobe has the best photographic editing software products and a client base that has grown with them. They should always recognize and honor this and keep providing the best products they can with the help of their user community.
Absolutely!
Good points. Amazingly, there is an almost visceral dislike against software subscriptions out there; the companies who took advantage of the fake news simply tried to sway, “See, we told you that subscriptions were bad. We don’t do that.”
You are quite correct in stating that Photoshop is by far the most powerful photo editing software out there, but keep in mind that not everyone has your level of expertise. Some folks are adequately served by simpler programs that allow them to achieve decent results in less complex ways. To use your analogy: I wouldn’t put a Ferrari in the hands of the average driver. Some people are clearly better served with a more modest vehicle.
I enjoy your tutorials and have learned a great deal from then, so you won’t get a thumbs down from me anytime soon!
Keep up the excellent work, Blake.
I agree 100! But let’s look at another analogy. Imagine a pair of shoes that grew with you 🙂 See, Photoshop can be tamed by a beginner, but as they advance it is there for them as well. A pair of shoes that changes styles and you never grow out of!
Way to go Blake. I totally agree with you. I do think PS is a beast and until I signed up to f64 I was struggling with it and completely overawed by it. Now I use it regularly – on every image in fact. I still struggle with all the ctls’s. Alts, shifts etc but am amazed at what it helps me to achieve. The price of any product (that you can actually afford) is irrelevant, it’s the value that counts and Photoshop is unbeatable in this. I have tried and used many alternatives but none come close to it.
absolutely! Price is irrelevant when you get results. I like that!
Love your video…. Yeah for you and Adobe… I’ve been with Adobe since Photoshop 1, way back when! Love Adobe!!
Wow! That’s awesome 🙂
Thanks Blake. I have been with Photoshop since before PS2. It used to be called just Photoshop. I have tried On One before they started getting all carried away with trying to convince folks they were better than Lightroom. They are not! I still like some of the easy effects found with Topaz. Skylum/Luminar is not all it’s cracked up to be. Now that I am nearly retired and have more time to devote to actually studying PS, I have come to the conclusion that everything that can be done in those other names is already in our beloved Photoshop. I am letting everything else lapse (except F64, of course). I prefer ACR over Lightroom, but since LR is ‘included’, I still download the updates.
Thanks again Blake,
— Dr. Bob
I think those programs are great for someone who wants immediate results with very little work. The only issue is it also comes with very little reward! I appreciate you sticking with me 🙂 it means a lot!
Don’t eat the Golden Goose. Remember when we had to wait two years for updates and pay $400.00 to $600.00.
Snowflake get off your Twitter and walk outside and take a picture.
snowflakes melt when they go outside… 🙂
The biggest complainers seemed to the LR users which I can understand since they have not experienced the perpetual license cost of PS. I don’t use LR, I don’t like products that force me to use a catalog.
When I looked at the price increase, I evaluated what was important to me for photography software. It was PhotoShop with all the plug-ins and even more importantly for me: Zone System Express, Palette Effects, and CLiR panels. I’m simply not willing to give up those panels. 🙂
no… LR users complain…. haha!
Martin, I don’t really understand your aversion to catalogues, I think the catalogue is the best thing about LR, it allows me to keep control of and find any image I want quickly. I don’t do much else with LR just: white balance, exposure, shadows, highlights and lens corrections then sync across similar images. Then everything goes into PS and if I need anything that LR has I can use the Camera Raw Filter an important upgrade in the CC plan, it’s worth every penny.
I totally ignored that “rumor” because I saw it first on FB and anything I read FIRST on FB regarding ‘news sources’ is pretty much suspect in my book. Good sleuthing, Sherlock.
Nice!
You confirmed my suspicion.
Pretty interesting! Guess I must live in some sort of cocoon as I did not get anything about the feared price increase, nor did I see anything from anyone marketing themselves as an alternative. I went through all of my “alternative” programs a while ago and got rid of them as I found I just wasn’t using them any longer as since I joined F64 and was learning PS more I spent my time there. I am even catching up on all of those lessons you used to send out every Friday! There s hope yet that I might even get PS under some sort of control and haver an idea of what I am doing! Thanks for all of your help and all that you do in making PS and photography much more fun and learning more fun!
I wish I lived in that box, haha! thanks for all of your continued support!
Mr. Rudis – You make me smile!
🙂 glad to help in any way, even a smile!
In that case there are also people out there masquerading as Adobe because I got an email from them – “Adobe” – saying my subscription price would increase to £19.99.
No personal dislike, but I think you have gone as extreme in your support of Adobe as those who dislike it especially in your cost assertions.
I’ve had CS6 ever since it came out, no upgrade cost. So to transfer to the subscription model would be an additional cost for me as my CS6 is now depreciated out.
As for the shoes analogy – not on really. Adobe is not the simple start point for people to learn photo editing – you, yourself have admitted more than once to have found / been told something you didn’t know even with all your experience.
I neither care whether anyone likes / dislikes / signs up for, or doesn’t sign up for the subscription model, that’s down to personal choice. But it is also very clear to me that anyone whose business is based on Adobe will not be independent.
Again, this is not a personal issue, when you directly address the issue of ‘internet alarm’ or fake news, I totally agree, especially the suggestion to basically check and double check before believing, but as I said at the beginning, you went too far in creating the cost argument.
In a world of mediocrity I don’t mind being polarizing at times. There are far fewer people that support Adobe than those who are against it.
Good Points. I’ve been using photoshop since it first came out. Love it. But I dont think they are loosing money. They write the program once, and the more monthly fees they get the more money they make. I think they will loose a lot of subscribers if they doubled their price and may just even out. I dont think that is what they want.
Probably not! Their stock is on fire!
Rumors is one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac albums!!!! LOL
Nice!
Job well done, Blake. I, for one, went to the Adobe website and it looked right to me, e.g., the $9.99 plan was still sitting there. So, no worries here and, even if there was a price increase, I agree that no other software compares (although a significant increase could certainly crimp my style). 🙂
Yeah, I can understand that. But even at $20 a month, heck I spend 20 a month on all kinds of stupid things 🙂
Great job Blake! People spend thousands on camera gear and have a fit over great software that keeps getting updated for only 9.99 a month. I’m sure there will be a price increase someday but I assume it will be modest. The CC plan has been a win/win situation. I would have used PS Elements only at the old price structure. Adobe has won with the CC plans because so many people never upgraded with the old price structure. Take a look at the Adobe stock price since 2011. They must be happy. I am also happy.
That stock is nice! Wish I bought into it years ago, haha!
You’re totally right, Blake !! Very well said !!
Like another person who responded I have also been using CS6 since it came out. I do agree that Photoshop is the best software out there, but find no need to upgrade every time for some bells and whistles. I use the CS6 software every day and find it more than I need for what I do. And I own it! So why pay more? But I do like your 3 lessons Blake.
I could agree with that in maybe 2016. However, the advancements to CC are amazing, there are things I have now that CS6 only dreamt of. Luminosity masks in ACR, LUT Profiles in ACR, much better mask refinement tools, the list goes on. It took a while for the CC program to be worth the money, but now, it far exceeds its value.
Right-on, Blake. THANK YOU for being a sane voice, AND for having the courage to use it,
Thanks! I am getting beat up on YouTube a bit, but I figured that would happen 🙂
Ha – loved this! Yes, I actually saw a YouTube video about this, complaining. Like you mentioned, the $19.99 has been there for a while, and it is only increasing your storage, nothing taken away from the programs. I am thankful for the plan Adobe initiated, because I could never afford Photoshop on my limited budget. Thanks for posting this…and I totally agree with your 3 D’s. 🙂
If it were only for storage I might be a little perturbed, I don’t use their storage at all.
Blake, I have used Photoshop since version 1.0. In the ‘old days’ of the Master Suite, because I was also teaching Photoshop and Illustrator to designers, I needed to allocate $1000-$2000 per YEAR to upgrade both the Mac and Windows versions of the programs each time. When CC pricing came out, I could not believe the bargain I was getting! Just being able to use the same software on the Mac and PC was a huge win for me.
OOOOOh yeah, then there is that! I forgot about those who have it for both. The days of old must have hurt!
Hi Blake, You’ve nailed it my friend. Always go to the source, not those who “have heard” a rumor. Even though I live downunder in the beautiful land of Aus, and have to pay $15 for what you get for $10 in the US, I still cannot find an alternative to PS & LR that does it for me. I’ve tried many different programs but always came back to Adobe because the tools always do what you expect them to do and in the long run I get it done quicked and better. I wish someone like On1 would get there because competition does drive innovation and we all benefit from this.
Your opening comments challenged me too because your basic premise does apply to all facets of life – relationships, business, work, health and even faith in God. Blake, you won’t lose any friends out of this, maybe a casual acquaintance or two, but your friends will continue to give you the respect you deserve, even if they differ on a point or two. Keep up your great work, your faith and your commitment to help us mere mortals when it comes to PS.
ON1, out of all of them has the potential. I know it because I have met all of them, seen their passion, and can relate to their mission. However, they spend too much time trying to emulate Adobe instead of doubling down on their strengths.
I agree with your comments as well, I don’t really think I will lose any friends, it was kind of a joke. But those 3 D’s are principles I live by and they do help me in my Faith and with my relationships. Thanks, Wayne!
Very well said! I first saw this “news” in the same PetaPixel article you show in your video and I remember saying to myself: let’s see what Adobe has to say. Anyone who thinks $9.99/month isn’t worth it, or even $19.99, knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. All worth it, and all good value I use Capture One and still happy to pay for CC! Can’t do without it. Keep it up, Blake. If you lose friends over this, they weren’t your friends. !
haha, very true! I only just downloaded C1, I am exploring it for its potential with IR processing. Seems pretty advanced, but the layout doesnt map with my brain. Need more time with it 🙂
C1’s layout is very flexible. Make your own tool tabs/workspaces etc. with only what you need. Each release shows big improvements. Hope it can remap your brain….!
I’m still using PS CS5 that I bought as a package as a student for $300 several years ago, it gives me what I need for my post-Capture One editing, without paying endlessly on a subscription plan. I know the current CC version has more features, but I’m still not convinced it’s worth $120/yr for me
I think the advancements in ACR are well worth $120 a year! The basic adjustments have new algorithms that are amazing, the luminosity masking, and Profiles, all worth the CC price. Incredible advancements.
Ugh yeah. I did hear the rumors ? But no e-mails and could find nothing about it from Adobe themselves, so thought “oh well, let’s wait and see”. I agree they would e-mail people about it with any price change. I also agree they are worth double price, but am happy they keep it cheap so people who don’t have much money can afford it too ? Thank you for this article, it is scary how quickly and easily many people blindly believe without doing fact checks.
Yeah, I agree. I guess it is in our nature, but I am curious when we turned to seeking counsel from everyone instead of reputable sources. I wonder if someone will ever write a book on that.
On The Button!
When I served as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps and then later as a Director over the decades in the business world, I was a little more in their face when subordinates would come to me with a “problem” without ever having given a second’s thought to a possible solution or two. Basically, they just wanted to dump it in my lap to fix for them.
I would listen to their problem and then ask them what they proposed we do about it. When I got the hand wringing and blank stare, I would say to them that if I had to solve all their problems for them, what did I need them for?
I was not trying to be cruel but to give them a wake-up call about just what you described: developing a lifetime, “Problem/Solution Mentality”.
Every single one of them got it and it made them better people in the long run.
Thanks for your insight and I doubt you will lose any friends over your stating the facts. But you might lose some “trolls”……..good riddance.
Semper fi,
Vinny
Thanks, Vinny. I always enjoy hearing your stories and words of wisdom. In the early years of my business, you were that very first voice of reason that helped shape me. I relly appreciate it and I knew you would have something wise to add to this. I wish I could be sterner as a 1st Sgt, but these days people can’t handle it 🙁
Thanks, again, Vinny!
Thanks for this post, and no, friends won’t leave but will be gratefull ?
🙂 Thanks!
Thanks for this analysis and the way you broadened it out beyond Adobe to point out the steps we need to take before becoming agitated over something we read online. I was especially put off by the email I received from a competing company spreading the rumor (even thought they admitted it was a rumor) and suggesting I might want to switch to their program.
Blake- I have not idea how you have the time to post this excellent refutation of the alleged Adobe price increases. You are so busy with all the other photography issues you cover in F64 Elite! Your dedication to ‘fire jumping’ this issue is just another reason I don’t second guess my subscription to F64 Elite or Photoshop CC. I’ve used the same arguments to people in my camera club that only want the ‘free’ stuff and their work shows it. But they are photographers who care about what they are doing and critiques about the programs they use are not beneficial to their art. Thank you so much for this post. Gary
Thanks, Gary! I appreciate your comments. Haha, I am really jumping through hops of fire this month. I am spinning. CLiR Extended Edition, f.64 Elite, and then keeping tutorials here. It is a nightmare to balance.
Blake:- Slightly concerned at you’re being prepared to pay twice what you are paying at the moment for Photoshop.
If you look at the Adobe Q1FY2019 Earnings Press Release, Adobe are experiencing significant growth, which they expect to continue.
Good Luck to them with that, and long may it continue.
Photoshop, while still being developed, is a mature product, with I imagine no new large development costs on the horizon. Their cost base would not seem to justify a swingeing price increase to their customers.
The worrying aspect for photographers if Adobe was to raise their price significantly, given their healthy economic position, is that the values of the team which have grown Photoshop to where it is today may have been overshadowed by corporate greed.
You need a healthy bottom line but it would, eventually, be bad for Photoshop and Adobe if they diluted the values and focus that have made Photoshop such a great product.
Hope I’ve not earned a skoosh from the dreaded can!
I also found your comments on other software very illuminating.
Time moves on, and, stuff changes. Most folk can’t keep up. It is rare and really good to hear opinions on these other products from a trusted source…Tom
I cannot believe so many people got sucked in by the fear campaign like that. No notification from Adobe = not happening, QED. I very much like your clear exposition explaining the situation, admirably clear and well argued. Big Like from me.
Paulzub@verizon.net
Because i read it in a news paper, FB,..or anywhere online it must be true, right! Glad to see the can of BS repellent. If they would have a realistic subsription for Sketchup life would be good.
Damn it Blake – I want to say spot on and great job (because it was) but everyone else has said that – plus what are you going to do with your ‘TrollBeGone’ stockpile?!?
Great talking points and depth.
I am glad you took this on. Not just the Adobe issue, but the cultural/behavioral issue behind it.
Not worried b/c as already mentioned: I’ve recvd. no notice from Adobe re: a price change in my subscr. However, if I do then my loyalty is to my budget, not Adobe.
Blake –
I’m on your side of the debate on this issue. I run a photography club here in Prescott, and one of my close friends came up to me at our meeting last week and said that he’s quitting PS/LR and going to use (I won’t name it) something else. I was a bit surprised as Adobe hasn’t raised anybody’s subscription price yet. There is definitely some knee jerk reactions going on regarding this topic. I have PS CS6 extended, and cringed at the upgrade price, so my take was to always skip one iteration of the upgrades and purchase only after the 2nd upgrade. Still a pretty high cost. I have been a creative cloud user since it rolled out, and I find PS/LR photographers bundle to be a good value.
I learned after the 2016 election to do my research! One sounds like a complete moron if they merely echo what someone else has told them or they have read. (That ‘one’ was me and it was all it took to start doing my research)
When I heard this Adobe thing, the first thing I did was go to their website! Sure enough, their same plan was still there!
The only concern I had was about the ‘third party’ apps. I believe I understand it, now. Not sure, but, I don’t much care, either. LOL
Thanks, Blake!
I love how you tackled this!!