Diving Deeper Into Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop was created in February of 1990, and still remains as one of the most popular photo editing tools in the industry. One of the main reasons why this tool is so popular is because of its wide variety of purposes. According to the American Graphics Institute, "Adobe Photoshop is a critical tool for designers, web developers, graphic artists, photographers, and creative professionals. It is widely used for image editing, retouching, creating image compositions, website mockups, and adding affects." In short, it is used for photo editing and image creation, and is used by people across a wide variety of professions. Recently, Photoshop has expanded its popularity from solely among professionals, to increased recreational users as well.

Why is Photoshop such a popular tool? How is it different from any other editing tool? According to Learning Computer, one of the main reasons why Photoshop has withstood the test of time with rising competition is because "your work looks professional. Photoshop allows you to combine techniques, tones, and effects in such way that even a basic image will look like a work of art when you are finished." In addition, they also award Photoshop with other great qualities like time saving ability, versatility, and compatibility. It is also growing in popularity because, as mentioned previously, it is not solely limited to professional use. To elaborate, social media, especially Instagram, has become a place to display your photos. This has led to a rise in photo editing, like adding filters, changing the exposure and brightness, and sometimes even completely altering the photo itself. This is why more and more users are becoming interested in this editing tool. In addition, it can also be a useful tool for educators, for creating unique assignments and worksheets for students. This can help to make learning easier and more engaging. Also, the educator has the creative freedom with this tool to make something special and helpful, catering to the needs of their students specifically. For example, for a social media specific class, the teacher may create an outline of a social media platform (like Instagram,) and then have their students fill in the blanks, such as draw a picture and write a caption for the post. This could help students to understand the importance of brainstorming, and thinking out what you post before it's officially posted.

While the concept of Photoshop is full of good intentions, like being able to highlight photographs in their best light, there are also some negatives that have come from the tool. For example, as mentioned previously, Photoshop has become popular on social media for altering photos. This has led to a lot of social media users to take advantage of this feature, by editing and changing the looks of their faces and bodies in photos. As a result, social media now has a reputation for presenting unrealistic expectations and beauty standards. People are looking at influencer's photos that have been altered, but believe that it isn't filtered. This can lead to comparing yourself to these unrealistic expectations that have been presented, which creates a toxic social media environment. This also happens in the professional aspect as well, such as with models and advertising. Many models and celebrities have come forward stating that the image of them on the front of that popular magazine, or high up on a billboard, is not them. Instead, they claim their face or their bodies were altered to meet this same unrealistic standard set by society. Another con for Photoshop, opposed to some of its other competitors, is that it can be difficult to use for users who are not experienced with the tool. Although there are many non-professional users on the app, there are many easier alternatives that they may decide to choose from. This causes a battle between ease of use and quality of finish, where Photoshop may lose to its competition depending on the customer's wants and needs.

Overall, Photoshop is a great tool that dominates a wide span of creative industries; such as marketing and advertising, website development, and social media, just to name a few. It has commanded the photo editing industry, and rightfully so, with qualities like professional finishes and unique, creative results. For a program that has withstood the test of time for over three decades, it is clear that Adobe Photoshop is here to stay, and will continue to be the leader in many industries, for years to come.