You've actually raised another really good question. So what really are the differences between Photoshop CC and Photoshop Elements in terms of features? I can't really comment on this question because I know PaintShop Pro extremely well, but am not that familiar with Photoshop.

What I typically see is a lot of people shelling out for Photoshop CC that really aren't using it in any significant way. In other words, Photoshop Elements would more than serve there purposes and they'd be saving a lot of money.

The only thing with CC is you get a boat load of software packages in the CC subscription, but if you only use one package anyway, in the end, it is really money wasted.

Highly recommend Corel AfterShot 3 Pro. Used it a bit, and it's better in some ways than Lightroom and not in a several ways. In general, I prefer it to Lightroom, and is quite a bit less expensive as well. Great alternative if you don't like the cost of Lightroom.

Hmm.. and transferring large RAW files over my relatively slow Internet connection... Nimbus does not sound like something I'd be interested in.

I think film still has some uses, especially as an artistic medium.

But the convenience of digital, great memories with my old Canon AE-1, but no can't go back.

What Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC are really all about is a subscription model.

In the end, are you a renter or a buyer? and what's the long term cost?

Subscription isn't always more expensive, but in this case it adds up. $10 a month is around $120 a year and $350 over three years.

Now let's look at a really good alternative to Photoshop. I'll use Corel PaintShop Pro as an example, but there are other really good ones as well.

The current copy of PaintShop Pro X9 will cost you around $50 (just checked and that's around what you can get it for on Amazon).

I usually upgrade software around every three years, so for me that $50 cost is the three year cost. So compare $50 versus ~$360 (over a three year period).

And it's not really about the money, PaintShop Pro is a fantastic program and almost goes toe to toe with Photoshop CC. It's actually really hard to find anything meaningful that Photoshop CC can do that PaintShop Pro can't. I love this alternative.

I personally dislike the subscription business model (because over time it can add up -- depending on the monthly fee).

In general, given the choice I prefer to be a "buyer" not a "renter", and my choice on a great alternative is very clear: "Corel Paint Shop Pro", and there are other great alternatives out there as well.