Like many photographers, I was disgusted by Adobe’s new pricing model when it was announced a few years ago. Luckily, they responded to the backlash and created a Photographer’s package that only costs $10 a month, a spoonful of sugar which made the medicine go down a little easier. But I was still just biding my time.
The truth is, I love Photoshop. I’ve used it for 20 years, so it’s familiar and I know how to get what I want out of it. What I hate is Adobe’s non-ownership pricing model. I don’t want to keep paying for Photoshop every month for the rest of my life. It’s like having more student loans, but I’ll never get out from under these payments. Unfortunately for professionals, though, Photoshop was the only game in town (GIMP isn’t ready for professional use).
So, when Serif software announced Affinity Photo last year, an all new, fast, full-featured, pro-level photo editor, I was ready to switch. It cost only $50. It was attractive. But it was only available for Mac, and my computers run Windows.
I was ready to switch. It cost only $50. It was attractive. But it was only available for Mac
But that has just changed. Yesterday, Serif software announced that their popular photo editing software, Affinity Photo, will soon be available for Windows. A free, public beta version will be available in 2-3 months (you can sign up for it now), which means that an initial stable release may be available by the end of summer, or even sooner. The Windows version will still only cost $50, one time, up front.
Now it’s time to look for a Lightroom replacement (though Lightroom can still be purchased, at least).
Not familiar with Affinity Photo yet? This video is a great place to start:
