Photoshop Photography Program Aims To Lure CS3 Owners To Subscribe

Adobe has revealed the Photoshop Photography Program, a $9.99 per month scheme that the company claims its specifically targeted at digital photographers who currently use an older version of Photoshop. The subscription package – open to anyone with Photoshop CS3 or higher – bundles several features of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite, including Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5, for those who might not want, need, or make use of the other software usually included in the more expensive package.

"One common request was a solution specifically tailored for photographers" Adobe said of the Creative Cloud feedback since the service launched in 2011.

Rather than the full suite, Photography Program members will get two of the key apps as well as Behance ProSite and access to the Creative Cloud Learn online training system. There'll also be 20GB of online storage, and the promise of upgrades and updates moving forward.

The $9.99 price will kick in when Lightroom 5.2 is released in a few weeks time, Adobe says, and be offered until the end of 2013. After that point, it sounds like the Photoshop Photography Program will potentially get more expensive, at least for new sign-ups, though Adobe says existing users won't have to pay more.

Would-be subscribers will have to agree to a 12-month contract, though the $9.99 is collected monthly. They'll have to be currently using a legal copy of Photoshop CS3.x, CS4, CS5.x, or CS6 too.

Adobe's existing packages for Creative Cloud currently run to $49.99 for full access, though there's also the option to subscribe to an individual app. Photoshop CC is priced at $19.99 in that case.