It’s wild to think that I’ve been using Adobe Photoshop for over 13 years now. When I first started out as a photographer, I wasn’t anywhere near where I am today. I was just figuring things out, learning my camera, and trying to capture what I saw in my head. Back then, my very first editing tool was Photoshop Express, Adobe’s lightweight app that introduced many of us to the basics of photo editing (Adobe, n.d.-a).
I remember being blown away by how much I could do with it at the time—adjusting colors, cropping, cleaning things up a little. It felt like I had unlocked a whole new world of creativity. That little app was my first step into realizing how powerful editing could be.
As my photography grew, so did my tools. Over the years, I moved into Photoshop and Lightroom, and honestly, they’ve been complete game changers. Photoshop gives me the freedom to really bring out the details in my work—it’s where I can push my creativity, polish my images, and make them look exactly how I imagined (Adobe, n.d.-b). Lightroom, on the other hand, keeps me sane. It organizes my files, helps me move quickly through edits, and makes sure I don’t get lost in a sea of photos (Adobe, n.d.-c).
What I love is how Adobe keeps evolving right alongside me. Just like my skills, the software never stops growing, and there’s always something new to learn. The recent addition of AI-powered features like Generative Fill and the launch of Photoshop and Lightroom online has only made editing faster and more intuitive (Adobe, 2023). I can look back at those first edits in Photoshop Express and smile, because that’s where it all began.
Thirteen years later, I can honestly say Adobe has been part of my photography journey every step of the way. With the newest updates, it helps me take moments that mean so much and turn them into art at the speed of light (yes, that’s my little photography pun)—and that’s exactly why I love what I do.
Adobe. (n.d.-a). Adobe Photoshop Express. Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/express/
Adobe. (n.d.-b). Adobe Photoshop: Photo, image, and design editing software. Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
Adobe. (n.d.-c). Adobe Lightroom: Photo editing and organizing software. Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html
Adobe. (2023, May 23). Adobe Photoshop gets generative AI upgrade. Adobe. https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2023/Adobe-Photoshop-Gets-Generative-AI-Upgrade