Monday, 5 August 2013

Is Adobe Photoshop CC Worth the Price?

In my previous entry, I have mentioned about all the new features provided by latest version of Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop CC. The prices for the Photoshop CC annual plan is 19.99 US dollars monthly which requires annual commitment while for month to month plan, you can enjoy the flexibility of cancel the membership any time but need to pay 29.99 US dollars monthly if you are using the Photoshop CC.

There are a lot of arguments on the internet about Adobe switching their business model to rental mode. Some of them claim the prices of Photoshop CC monthly rental is too high, and since Adobe going to run everything on Creative Cloud, customers only has one option which is subscribe for Photoshop CC if they need to use the new features provided by Photoshop CC. There are people complaining that this rental scheme is suitable for short term usage but too costly for long term usage. Well, in my opinion, you need you pay for what you want to use.

First and foremost, before we start looking at Photoshop CC with our subjective perception, let’s ask ourselves do we really need the new features provided by Adobe Photoshop CC. Creative Cloud provide on-line working, storing and sharing options for those need to work cooperative with other team-mates or in big companies. But if you are just casual users, you don’t really have to use the Creative Cloud system, and there is also other alternative software that provides that same function at lower cost. Other wonderful functions provided by Photoshop CC such as Camera Shake Reduction, Camera RAW filter or Smart Sharpen mostly used by professional photographers and designers, but if you are just a casual user, you rarely touch about these function.

If the new features provided by Photoshop CC are what you are looking for, then it is good to subscribe the Photoshop CC rental model. Furthermore, if you are a CS3 to CS6 customers, by providing the serial number of your software, you can get the limited time offer of only 9.99 US Dollar monthly for Photoshop CC subscription before 31 August 2013. I think the price is reasonable and not as high as other people say on the internet. If you need to use the new features provided by Adobe Photoshop CC and able to use them to enhance your workflow, you definitely can cover the monthly subscription fees of Photoshop CC with what you have earned. However, if you are casual users who rarely touch about these new features provided by Photoshop CC, it is good that you remain to use the current version of Photoshop you are using because it is worthless for paying monthly fee for something you do not need or rarely use.

From my point of views, we should not let our perception affected by arguments posted on the internet when we making the choice. The problem we should think of is the way we use Photoshop, do you need the new features provided or stick to the current version of Photoshop. It is very hard to say worth or not worth, depend on how you use the Photoshop.

References:
  • Pinsky, H. (2013) Do You Really Need Photoshop CC?. Available at: http://www.iceflowstudios.com/2013/articles/do-you-really-need-photoshop-cc/. [Accessed 5 August 2013] Annotation: This website has a very clear analysis on how users should choose whether should upgrade their Photoshop into Photoshop CC or not. It has mentioned some points of view about what a user should do or should no do in making their decisions.
  • Bourne, S. (2013) 10 Reasons The Haters Are Mad About Adobe Creative Cloud. Available at: http://photofocus.com/2013/05/08/10-reasons-the-haters-are-mad-about-adobe-creative-cloud/. [Accessed 5 August 2013] Annotation: The author of these website is quite aggressive in showing his opinion to the haters of Adobe Creative Cloud. He has mentioned quite a lot benefits of Adobe Creative Cloud and trying to convince people that Adobe Creative Cloud is worth buying.
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Saturday, 3 August 2013

New Rental Model: Photoshop CC

What is Photoshop CC? Photoshop CC, abbreviation for Photoshop Creative Cloud, is the newest release of Photoshop version after Photoshop CS6. This version of Photoshop support Win7 and Win8, including 32bit and 64bit operating system, but no longer support XP or lower operating system. Since Adobe introduce the Creative Cloud service last year, recently Adobe announce that Adobe will stop providing retailing model Creative Suit (CS) and switch to renting model Creative Cloud (CC). This mean we cannot buy any CS version of Photoshop anymore and need to subscribe and pay monthly fee of 19.99 US dollars to use Photoshop CC.

So, does it mean we cannot use Photoshop CC without internet connection? This is a very big misunderstanding. Photoshop CC, same as previous version of Photoshop, needs to be downloaded and installed on our computers. The only difference is we need to activate our Photoshop CC using internet once per 30 days. By subscribing to Photoshop CC, users will automatically get a 20GB of cloud storage and a Behance profile for work sharing and showcase. The user interfaces of Photoshop CC mostly remain the same as previous version of Photoshop, which is very good as users do not have to spend time to adapt the new interface. Photoshop CC also allows users to import their previous settings and this can save users a lot of time.

Photoshop CC comes with some handy features that may be helpful to designers and photographers. First and foremost, Photoshop CC introducing new Smart Sharpen filters which is much better compared to previous version. The new Smart Sharpen has the ability to reduce noise in out-of-focus backgrounds while sharpening the edges that really do need sharpening. The next features offer by Photoshop CC is Camera Shake Reduction. The result of this new feature is quite satisfying either for the professionals or the amateurs as it almost eliminate most of the motion blur cause by shaking camera.


Photoshop CC also provide Intelligent Upsampling which can enlarge our images with “Preserve Details” mode and the result is a lot more better compared to bicubic mode used by previous version of Photoshop. In addition, Photoshop CC also enables us to use Camera RAW, an amazing retouching tool as filter or smart filter. This is good news to photographers while for web designers, Photoshop CC also provides new features that allow web designers to copy CSS attributes and import colour swatches from the websites. Furthermore, Photoshop CC also introduces other benefits such as Improved Vector Tools. Now, we can draw round rectangle in Photoshop CC and modify the radius without switching to Adobe Illustrator. Photoshop CC also enables us to select multi shapes and paths with fewer clicks and target the path of any layer right on the canvas with the new filter mode.


Moreover, Photoshop CC also improve 3D Painting and Compositing that allows us to create instances of 3D objects and paint them with live cursor preview. The new texture painting method is faster and better at painting details. Photoshop CC also includes other features Conditional Actions that make your action run differently depending on your image attributes. So, do Photoshop CC worth the monthly rental model? We will discuss about it in the next entry.

References:
  • White, C. (2013) Photoshop CC: Now the World's Best Image Editor Is Even More Powerful. Available at: http://mashable.com/2013/06/23/photoshop-cc-review/. [Accessed 4 August 2013] Annotation: This website basically talk about the changes of Photoshop CC and features provided by this new version of Photoshop.
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Friday, 2 August 2013

Adobe Photoshop: Double-Edged Sword to Professional Photographers

In my previous entry, I have mentioned that how the invention of Adobe Photoshop helps to simplify the workload of a photographer. Adobe Photoshop indeed is useful image editing software that helps the photographers nowadays to create fascinating images easier and more efficiently.

One of the Photoshop main benefits is the Photoshop actions. What are Photoshop actions? Photoshop actions are wonderful automate function provided by Adobe Photoshop to help you to do all your everyday repeating tasks automatically. This function let you free from repeating tasks and allows you to focus on your imagination and creativity which is also indirectly improving your daily workflow. It is an easy and effective time saver that helps you to finish tons of work in very little time.

Basically, Photoshop action record everything you have done for the first task and then can perform all the same actions to other tasks easily at lightning speed with just a simple click. If you are familiar with Photoshop actions, you may even run several actions by just pressing a button which will certainly save your times. In addition, all your action can also be used as Photoshop droplet. What is Photoshop droplet? Photoshop droplets allow you to perform batch images processing same as Photoshop actions right from your local computer file browser. You can simply select a group of images that need to be processed to the Photoshop droplet and it will do it for you automatically.


These Photoshop actions can be saved and shared on the internet. You can browse tons of Photoshop actions on-line and use them to enhance your daily workflow. However, these features also provide opportunities for many amateur and casual users to create amazing images that will threaten the position of professional photographers. In order to maintain their prides of professional, these professional photographers need to create something really outstanding works to distinguish themselves from the amateur and casual users.

In conclusion, Photoshop certainly help professional photographers a lot with all its convenient functions, but in the same time creating opportunities for the amateur and casual users to create images that catch up or even surpass the level of professional photographers. Photoshop indeed is a double-edged sword to professional photographers. It may help them or threaten them, depend on how they look at the Photoshop.

References:
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How Adobe Photoshop Affect The Photographers

Have you ever thought before how photographers take and edit photographs before the invention of Adobe Photoshop? During that period, when a photographer wanted to take an amazing shoot, what he needs to do is to carry his heavy camera with all of his other equipment with him everywhere and when noticed something interesting, he needs to immediately set up the camera settings and all those equipment to catch the photograph before the moment went away. For example, if a photographer want to take a sunset photograph, he need to set up his camera settings and other equipment such as lens, tripod or flashlight before evening and wait for the sunset moment to capture the photograph. The models need to spend plenty of times in the make-up room and the studio must be in well-lit before the photographing sessions begin. Can you imagine how many details a photographer want to take a wonderful photograph? If you do not have the patient, you cannot be a photographer in the past.

However, with the invention of Adobe Photoshop nowadays, all the troublesome process can be minimize or simplify. With all of its supreme tools and functions, Photoshop create a huge reformation wave in photography industry. Nowadays, photographers no longer need to carry all their heavy equipment with them everywhere when capturing the photograph. They can manipulate these setting in the post production stage with the help of Photoshop. With this ability, photographers can stop worrying about losing the splendid moment because of slow equipment setting up and capture whatever interesting photographs on the spot without caring about the settings. This indirectly enhances the creativity of the photographers as they capture a lot of interesting moments and compose them into a wonderful image. These can give us a new perspective on the world.

In addition, the comprehensive functions of Adobe Photoshop enable the photographers to adding additional styles and removing the blemishes of models in the photographs. They can make an image reach its perfect performance before publish them to the public. The can also create futuristic effects that invoke our imagination. In short, Adobe Photoshop really creates much more possibilities for the photographers and photography industry.

References:
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Thursday, 1 August 2013

Adobe Photoshop: Digital Cosmetic Surgery?

There are lots of arguments of Adobe Photoshop rise in these past few years. Recently, there are also some voices talking about Photoshop as a digital cosmetic surgery in this digital driven century. Most of these voices are against Photoshop retouching models in media nowadays such as magazines, billboards and websites. There is even an Anti-Photoshop campaign done by a 14 years old teen, Julia Bluhm which asked the magazine not to Photoshop its models. However, are these arguments really having their points?

There are some people who think that an image should be composed fully from the camera without using any other medium such as Photoshop because they think that digital manipulation is cheating. However, in my opinion, once you alter the setting in your camera before taking a photo, you are already digital manipulated your image taken. It is very hard to define what really the digital manipulated image is because whatever you have change in the camera such as different setting and exposure when you take the photograph already part of digital manipulation of image editing.

In addition, as an editorial publication, its objective is to make the images reach its standard of perfection before it is published to the public. Many people think that digital altering the images is against the reality and trying to cheat the public visual perception. However, if you think in another way, what is the difference of digital retouching the model with every girls wake up in the morning and try to make up and style themselves? There is no difference. The objective is same, to present to the public the best version of themselves.

In Alice Chen article, there is a very humorous fact which I think it is very true. In her article, she stated that what Julia Bluhm forgets is that asking magazine to stop “Photoshopping” the model just as same as asking every girls stop make up and style themselves. It is our own responsibilities to present to the public the best of ourselves, so what Julia asking for is just trying to grab away the ability of magazine to “make up” their image, which indirectly asking the purpose of existing of digital manipulation software such as Photoshop.

In my opinion, Photoshop is just another great invention in this technology advancing century. We should try to explore our creativity with these wonderful software, but not limit ourselves because of rumours about Photoshop is a bad invention.

References:
  • Divine, R. (2010) Photoshop: Art or Artifice?. Available at: http://www.smashandpeas.com/photoshop-art-or-artifice/. [Accessed 1 August 2013] Annotation: This website talk about Photoshop as the digital cosmetic surgery in advertising industry. It state quite a lot of information about Photoshop image editing ability and how to use them correctly.
  • Chen, A. (2012) Op-Ed: In Defense of Photoshop: Why Magazines Should Photoshop Their Models. Available at: http://www.hercampus.com/style/catwalk-campus/op-ed-defense-photoshop-why-magazines-should-photoshop-their-models. [Accessed 1 August 2013] Annotation: This is a interesting website that the author support the magazine to Photoshop their models. It is has quick a solid reasons for magazine to Photoshop their models. In some part of these website, the author also humorously bring out her views against Julia Bluhm anti-Photoshop campaign which I find very interesting to read about.
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Wednesday, 31 July 2013

23 Years of Adobe Photoshop Contribution

Adobe Photoshop, or normally known as Photoshop, has becoming a must in this digital driven century. Almost every image around us such as advertisement, billboards and websites were manipulated or retouched in some way by Photoshop. Without Photoshop, these effects apply on the images need to be edited or do some exposure in the dark room in order to get the same effects as a few clicks done by Photoshop. Because of Photoshop, designers and photographers can have more adequate times to enhance their creativity such as inserting new shapes or designs that we can’t see in the reality.

During 23 years of developments, Adobe Photoshop slowly improving and adding new tools and functions to help simplifying the works of designers. From an ordinary image editing software, Photoshop slowly developed into multimedia software that can support website design and video editing. In creative industry, it is hardly to find any designers that do not know about Photoshop. It has slowly becoming the basic in the creative industry. Without Photoshop, the designers nowadays may not know how to continue their work and the visual satisfaction we enjoy nowadays will certainly cannot be achieved.

There is also a joke about Photoshop that environment activist should thanks to Photoshop because the designers no longer need to crumple heaps of sketches paper when the ideas need to be redeveloped. Rex Crowle, an England designers said before that before the invention of Photoshop, the amount of forest he destroyed were certainly a lot more than now. Imagine how many minutiae need to be manipulate by designers in order to satisfy the clients and if without using Photoshop, how many tons of paper will be wasted? Is the invention of Photoshop that promote paperless design in the creative industry and this is certainly saving a lot of trees from being cut down and produce into papers.

As Photoshop is currently progressing into its third decade, let’s be grateful to what Photoshop have contributed to our digital life and we should always bear in mind that do not misuse the Photoshop as it is a technology that invented to bring benefits to our society, but not the drawbacks and misunderstanding.

References:
  • 第一证券水晶球. (2012) Photoshop对我们生活的影响. Available at: http://cz1sjq.blog.sohu.com/236794404.html. [Accessed 31 July 2013] Annotation: This is a chinese website that basically talk about how the present of Photoshop affecting our life. It show some different perception about Photoshop contribution which I find very interesting and meaningful.
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Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Photoshop Effects in Advertising Agencies

Can a common looking woman turn into supermodel? With Photoshop, the answer is yes. Photoshop supreme function enables the advertisers to discard every imperfection found in photographs and enhances the models appearance such as sexy lips and big, attractive eyes.

Ogilvy Toronto, one of the Anti-Photoshop parties, criticised Photoshop on International Women’s Day. In its video entitle “Thought Before Action”, Ogilvy records how it develop a Photoshop tool named “Beautify” that said to be able to give a skin glow effect to models in photographs. The tool is then uploaded on website and spread over the internet by offering a free download. However, the truth behind the trick is when users clicked the button to use the tool, it undo all the changes in the image to its original rather than beautify it. The result of the video which has more than 800,000 views on YouTube is the awareness and information about the art directors, graphic designers and photo retouchers should be blame for digital altering images and change the viewers’ perception. However, there is also a question found in the video, where does the demand for photo retouching come from?

Linda Carte, the vice president and associate creative director at BBDO Toronto stated that most of the images in fashion and beauty have been modified, but the demand for retouching is not created by advertising agencies. In my opinion, the demand of retouching actually comes from our society. We love to look at beautiful things, and that is why the advertisers beautify the models to satisfy our eyes’ demanding to look at beautiful things, to attract more attentions and to gain more profits.

Fabio Apelbaum, a director of graphic arts at a television station, stated that Photoshop is needed in almost all post production project and it is a good thing as it produce excellent result and performance that satisfy their needs. However, he also stated that there is a limit on how much retouching occurs should be done. From his words, I may say that Photoshop is actually a beneficial invention to advertising agencies, but is the advertisers themselves that make Photoshop to be blame nowadays. They must have a basic ethic as an advertiser that do not cheat viewers’ eye by over manipulating the images.

In this digital driven century, there will be more and more supreme software and technologies being invented, some of them may overpass the Photoshop someday. At that time, do the public still able to differentiate the reality of the image? The quick answer from the professionals in the industry is they can’t. It is human that misuse the technologies, not the technologies harm the human. Even if Photoshop is not invented, there still will be other endless technologies that enable advertisers to manipulate the images. In conclusion, It is the ethics of advertising that should be cure, but not the technologies or software.

References:
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