Adobe Announces New Products, Updates

At MAX 2017, Adobe's Creativity Conference in Las Vegas, the company announced new products and big updates. Lightroom CC was introduced, and Lightroom Classic CC, Lightroom mobile and Lightroom.adobe.com updates were detailed, in addition to Creative Cloud Photography plan changes and a new Lightroom CC plan.

The company is rebranding the current version of Lightroom CC as “Lightroom Classic CC” and is launching a new Lightroom CC, which is a cloud-based workflow. With a “streamlined” interface, the new Lightroom CC is designed to provide easy access to images on any platform across the company’s range of products, but has a completely different, minimalist look.

Adobe is also changing their pricing for the products, which we outline below. There will be a variety of ways to get access to Lightroom CC, including the standard Creative Cloud Photography plan, one with more storage and one with more storage but fewer bundled apps.

Now, here’s all the news we have about the new changes to Adobe Lightroom CC and other new products and updates.

Lightroom CC + Lightroom Classic CC

Adobe has rebranded one product as it introduces another. Lightroom becomes Lightroom Classic CC, with the launch of Lightroom CC, which Adobe says “is designed to be a cloud-based ecosystem of apps that are deeply integrated and work together seamlessly across desktop, mobile, and web. Lightroom Classic CC is designed for desktop-based (file/folder) digital photography workflows. It’s a well-established workflow solution that is distinct and separate from our new cloud-native service. By separating the two products, we’re allowing Lightroom Classic to focus on the strengths of a file/folder based workflow that many of you enjoy today, while Lightroom CC addresses the cloud/mobile-oriented workflow.”

Adobe says its Lightroom Classic CC changes were based on user experience issues. They include:

• Application launch time
• Preview generation
• Import selection workflow with Embedded & Sidecar preview option
• Switching between Library and Develop Module
• Moving from photo to photo in the Develop Module
• Responsive brushing
• New tools to make precise color and tone-based selections for local adjustments

As for the new Lightroom CC, it’s designed and built upon three principles, according to Adobe: Powerful, but simple, seamless workflow across all devices—desktop, mobile and web—and cloud-based.

Lightroom CC on the desktop is a new app for Mac and Windows. Featuring a new interface, it’s intended to let creatives have access to their original images, edits and metadata, synced and stored in the cloud. What’s called Adobe Sensei, Adobe’s version of Artificial Intelligence, lets users automatically tag photos for search capability and much more.

As for mobile, Lightroom also adds new tag and search functionality, and it has been optimized to work with iOS 11 and Android O, the latest version of the Android OS.

For web, Lightroom CC gets additional sharing tools and the new Tech Preview (experiment with new Adobe technologies and provide feedback) and a new Lightroom CC Gallery, among other features.

Also, Lightroom for Apple TV has been updated with new features to make sharing photos easier.

Creatives also should note that Lightroom 6 is the last stand-alone version of Lightroom that can be purchased outside of a Creative Cloud membership, though there will be no camera support updates or bug fixes after 2017. However, Lightroom 6.13 with support for the Nikon D850 will be released on October 26, 2017.

Adobe also made announced and updated these products:

• Dimension CC—a new product powered by Adobe Sensei that enables creatives to design in 3D
• KyleBrushe.com—CC members now have access to Kyle T. Webster’s brush collection
• Photoshop CC—a huge list of new features, including easier access to your photos, a simplified Pen tool, in-product learning and more
• Adobe Camera Raw improvements

As for Adobe’s cloud plans, the new Lightroom CC is available in three photography plans:

• The Creative Cloud Photography plan with 1 TB includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile/web, Photoshop CC, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio and 1 TB of cloud storage ($19.99/month; $14.99/month for the first year for existing Creative Cloud Photography users)
• Lightroom CC has been added to the existing Creative Cloud Photography plan with an additional 20 GB of storage. The plan remains at $9.99/month and includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile/web, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio, and 20 GB of cloud storage. Creative Cloud All Apps members also have access to the new Lightroom CC service.
• Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile/web, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio and 1 TB of cloud storage for $9.99/month
• The Lightroom Mobile plan for iOS and Android is available with 100 GB, at $4.99/mont

Visit adobe.com for all the details.

See the press releases below:

Adobe Introduces New Lightroom CC Cloud Photography Service Integrated Cloud-based Service Enables Easy Editing, Organizing, Storing, and Sharing of Photography From Anywhere

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Oct. 18, 2017 —Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the all-new Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC cloud-based photography service. Launched over a decade ago, Lightroom became the industry’s leading desktop application for editing and organizing photography. Now in an increasingly mobile-centric world, and with major improvements in smartphone cameras, Lightroom is transforming digital photography again. Built for professionals and enthusiasts, the new Lightroom CC fulfills the demands of today’s photographers for a more accessible, cloud-based photography service for editing, organizing, storing and sharing their photos from wherever they are.

Featuring a streamlined user interface, Lightroom CC enables powerful editing in full resolution across mobile, desktop, and the web. With Lightroom CC, photographers can make edits on one device and automatically synchronize their changes everywhere. Lightroom CC makes organizing photography collections easier with features like searchable keywords that are automatically applied without the hassle of tagging. And Lightroom CC makes it simple to share photos on social media.

“As the leader in digital photography, today Adobe is unveiling Lightroom CC, our next generation photography service,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Media at Adobe. “Lightroom CC answers photographers’ demand for a deeply integrated, intelligent, cloud-based photography solution.”

Key Lightroom CC capabilities include:

• The most powerful image editing technology: Built on the same imaging technology that powers Photoshop and Lightroom, Lightroom CC offers a new streamlined interface with easy-to-use sliders, presets, and quick adjustment tools.
• Edit anywhere: Lightroom CC allows photographers to edit full-resolution photos anywhere – on mobile devices, desktop, or the web. Edits made on one device are automatically synced across devices for anywhere access.
• Worry free back-up, cloud storage: Lightroom CC has scalable storage options for safe and secure back up of full resolution photos – including raw files.
• Powered by Adobe Sensei: Adobe Sensei uses machine learning to automatically apply searchable keywords to objects in photographs – making organization in Lightroom CC effortless.
• Built-in sharing tools: Lightroom CC makes it easy to share photos directly via social media and to create custom Lightroom web galleries that can be shared via link. Photographers can also share their work through new Adobe Portfolio integration with Lightroom CC.
• Updated award-winning mobile and web experiences
• Lightroom CC for mobile on iOS: Built-in search functionality powered by Adobe Sensei, keyword support, hierarchical album support, an enhanced iPad app layout, and iOS 11 files support.
• Lightroom CC for mobile on Android: Tablet support and a local adjustments brush, along with the same built-in search functionality, keyword support, and hierarchical album support as seen in the iOS app.

Updates to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC

Previously known as Lightroom CC, major updates to Lightroom Classic CC include an enhanced Embedded Preview workflow that enables users to scroll through large sets of photos to select a subset of images significantly faster than before. Lightroom Classic CC also features new editing capabilities, including a new Color Range and Luminance Masking functionality that enables users to apply precise edits. As contrasted with the cloud-centric, anywhere workflows of Lightroom CC, the new Lightroom Classic CC continues to focus on a more traditional desktop-first workflow with local storage and file and folder control.

Availability, Plans, and Pricing

The all new Lightroom CC is available across three photography plans:

• For photographers that want an all-in-one plan that offers the full benefits of the Lightroom CC service plus the transformative power of Photoshop, the Creative Cloud Photography plan with 1 TB includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile and web, Photoshop CC, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio, and 1 TB of cloud storage ($19.99/month, but available at $14.99/month for the first year for existing Creative Cloud Photography customers)
• Lightroom CC has also been added to the existing Creative Cloud Photography plan with an additional 20 GB of storage to help users get started on the new service. This plan remains at $9.99/month and includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile and web, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio, and 20 GB of cloud storage. Creative Cloud All Apps members also have access to the new Lightroom CC service.
• The all new Lightroom CC plan addresses the needs of photographers who want a cloud-based photography service for editing, organizing, storing and sharing their photos from wherever they are, and includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom for mobile and web, Adobe Spark with premium features, Adobe Portfolio, and 1 TB of cloud storage ($9.99/month)

For those who are truly mobile and don’t require a desktop photography solution, the Lightroom Mobile plan for iOS and Android is available with 100 GB ($4.99/month).

For more information on available plans, please visit https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html.