Sometimes, life simply doesn’t allow one to look after one’s blog. Then there’s a break. Cause for this has been, partly, “post 404” at fotografr.de, the last one, for 8mt has shut down his blog. This news still has me locked in a kind of shock … As far as one gathers, he spends his time polishing up the image of an unknown company in Dubai. Sounds exciting, but it leaves us photography bloggers somewhat lonely here, since we used to like 8mt’s photography, his wonderful writing (even if it grew more and more esoteric these last weeks) and his nature studies and travel reports very much. sniff, sniff …!
More than a fun pastime: Adobe Photoshop Express beta
If you want to pass your time whilst waiting for new Schauplatz posts, you may check out the new Adobe Photoshop Express beta. The online image-editing software has turned out a bit different than I had expected: rather than a Photoshop-like application slightly downgraded for online use, it is now a quick and not really dirty, very intuitive image processing tool. Of course one shouldn’t expect a full-scale graphics application with layers or other sophisticated processing tools. Still, a first short test left me positively impressed: the pages come in the new quasi-standard dark, Lightroom-like design, show a clean look, and it’t easy to get good results by using the intuitive image-processing tools. I particularly like the little row of previews above the photo being edited, which, similar to the Lightroom editing presets, give mouse-over previews of different settings.
Screenshot of Adobe Photoshop Express (klick to enlarge)
You can try your hand at the test images (saving not possible of course) or open a free account and upload up to 2 GB worth of images, process them and share them with others. Photoshop Express is not only a web-based picture-editing tool for graphics dummies and quick, mobile photo processing but also a photo hosting site with community elements. It doesn’t have anything to to with Photoshop, the desktop application, but still: not bad, Adobe!
Beware: Adobe grabs your image copyrights!
Unfortunately, the Adobe Terms of Service contain a passage whereby you grant Adobe worldwide practically all copyright and usage rights, the right to sell and make revenue of your images, etc (see paragraph 8). This usage seems to be granted to an extent which would never be legal in Germany (maybe in other countries neither). Meanwhile, Adobe seems to have announced to review the passage in question and correct any misunderstandings.
Schauplatz thinks, this (the service, not the photo hosting rights issue) is worth
[rate 4]
Schnell und günstig an Bilder kommen, war bzw. ist das das Ziel von Adobe? Dann wird die Anwendung nicht viel Erfolg haben, denn wer will schon seine Rechte so ohne weiteres abgeben. Und so grandios ist die Anwendung nun auch wieder nicht, dass man dafür bereits bekannte Applikationen links liegen lässt.
Die AGB sind natürlich indiskutabel, aber ich gehe davon aus, dass Adobe sie ändern wird.
Für mich liegt der Reiz der Anwendung eher darin, mal rasch online ein Photo zu bearbeiten von unterwegs aus, und das in einer ansprechenden Arbeitsumgebung. Dass Adobe Photoshop draufsteht, bringt sicher einen gewissen Vertrauensbonus, auch wenn wenig Photoshop drin ist.
Im Übrigen glaube ich, dass viele Hobbyanwender sich nicht drum scheren, was mit ihren Rechten geschieht, und wer liest schon AGBs? Ich. Meistens. 🙂