Adobe’s acquisition of Topaz is part of a bigger, depressing trend in photo editing software, reckons street photographer Jimmy Cheng
If you are a keen photographer or a videographer (or both in my case), there is a high chance that you use, or have used, software from Adobe and Topaz.
Adobe has been the established giant in both photography and video-editing software for as long as I can remember; Topaz, a relatively new company, has been a smaller software powerhouse specializing in photographic and video enhancements by using AI. I’ve been using its photo and video enhancement programs for over six years.
Sad and angry
Recently I learnt that Adobe had acquired Topaz, news that immediately caught my attention. I couldn’t help feeling both sad and angry.
From the photography side, I understand that it’s a strategic and logical move for Adobe, especially witnessing its sustained push to incorporate AI into Lightroom and Photoshop.
Acquiring Topaz’s well-established AI enhancement models will not only save time and money in development, but also eliminates a direct competitor in a highly competitive industry.
With many of Adobe’s competitors, such as ON1, Luminar and DxO, continuing to roll out more advanced AI features, Topaz’s experience in developing AI imaging enhancement will help Adobe pull away when it comes to both performance and features.
On the video side, I think that Topaz’s Video AI is unique, and so far, I haven’t seen anyone come close to matching its video enhancement results. However, whether you decide to get a perpetual licence with one-year updates, or take out a subscription to Video AI, the price is high – high enough to deter some serious hobbyists.
That means only professionals or those who really need these enhancements can justify the cost. Yet Topaz understands its users and has maintained this focus for its AI models since the very beginning.
Adobe’s acquisition of Topaz means that it will get access to all the AI video models that Topaz has spent the past decade perfecting. Adobe will instantly get the crown for the best AI video enhancement in the industry.
I worry the consumer will suffer
So why is all this upsetting me, based thousands of miles away here in London? I feel sad that another (comparatively) small company is being swallowed up.
While I don’t know how this acquisition will play out, I worry that Adobe will dissolve Topaz and integrate its technologies into Lightroom, Photoshop and Premier Pro, thereby erasing a company that I’ve grown to admire and like.
I feel angry because the industry has lost a unique competitor, in a field that’s so specialized and focused that the consumer will pay a heavy price for the results that Topaz helps them achieve.
My feeling is that Adobe may lose an enemy and gain a few brownie points for its ever-growing arsenal of software, but for customers like me, losing a competitor means less choice, less room for competitive pricing, and potentially less innovation in the end.
I have seen this happen before in my 25 years as a professional photographer, and I don’t like it.
Jimmy Cheng is a highly experienced street photographer and videographer, and OM System ambassador. See his Instagram page here.
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: [email protected]
Related reading:
- Photographers, it’s time to boycott Adobe
- Adobe Lightroom’s new Denoise tool – how does it compare?
- Best Photoshop alternatives – no-subscription photo editing software
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