Hallelujah! I am now Adobe free.

That means no more Photoshop or Lightroom. Why? Back in 2013, Adobe decided to not sell their software. They decided to rent it. They call it a subscription. Now you must pay monthly or yearly to use their software. If you stop paying, you are no longer able to access the apps. It can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 per month depending on which apps you want to use. I subscribed to the Photography Plan, which included Photoshop and Lightroom. Ironically, perhaps, a couple of years before they started renting instead of selling, I had bought Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom for $700. I could still use the older versions, but Adobe no longer supports or upgrades them. So I finally bit the bullet and subscribed for $127 per year. For two years I rented at that price. Six months ago, I began looking for alternatives.

A UK company called Serif showed up in Google searches. At the time, they had just one app available called Affinity Photo. The reviews and Internet buzz was impressive, so I bought it. Shortly thereafter, they released Affinity Designer, an alternative to Adobe Illustrator. I bought that, too. And just a few weeks ago, they released Affinity Publisher, the alternative to Adobe InDesign. Needless to say, I now own (not rent) all three desktop apps and the iPad Pro versions of Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. An iOS version of Affinity Publisher is due out in the fall. The price? A one-time $50 each for the desktop apps, and $20 for the iOS versions.

What the folks at Serif have accomplished is nothing less than astonishing. The apps are beautiful and intelligent. If you are currently renting Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign, I highly recommend checking out the offerings at Serif.com.

A woman walking who, at first glance, appeared to be having a rather angry exchange with her left breast. Then I saw the iPhone peeking out above her bra. Our eyes met. She smiled nervously then quickly looked away as we passed one another. Moments later my phone began vibrating. I answered. Just the muffled sound of traffic, a car horn, then silence.

Celebrate the imagination! It is what separates the human being from the video camera.

Exploring with the Procreate Pocket app and the SuperimposeX app on an iPhone 11 Pro Max. I started with a photo of the sliding doors to our balcony at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Is Blogo dead and gone? Or will it be resurrected? I certainly hope the great app makes a full recovery.

We visited with Linda. Looked at the art. And we left with two new works to add to our collection. Or was it three?

Stop what you are doing right now. Well, maybe after you read this. Then stop and look out the window and check out that blue, blue sky and those white, fluffy clouds. Better yet, go outside and take it all in: the warm sunshine, the breeze, and of course that sky and clouds I mentioned while we were both still sitting down. Now throw you arms wide and fill your lungs with life-giving oxygen. As you exhale, think to yourself, “It ain’t Mars, but it will have to do.”

Reading Glasses

Well, I’ve finally given in to wearing reading glasses. I’m nearsighted, so I have my regular prescription glasses for distance viewing, but over the last six months, the need for reading glasses has made itself abundantly clear (or should I say “slightly out of focus”). Now I have a special pair for the computer that filter out some of the blue light so they reduce eye fatigue, a pair for iPhone distance (also blue filtered), and a pair for working on my iPad Pro (blue filter, too). And yes, there is a difference in the optimal distance I hold my iPad and iPhone. Adapting to an aging mind and body at 68 years old is absolutely necessary. Oh boy, I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years can throw at me!

And in case you are wondering where I shop for my reading glasses (and why wouldn’t you?), my two favorite places are http://eyeneeds.com and http://readers.com. Both have cool styles and cool prices and fast shipping. I’ll see you around no matter how close or distant you may be standing at the time.

Take it from me, aging and reading glasses should never be boring. And they don’t need to be. Just acquired these Wynn Computer Readers from readers.com. Cool, right?