Current Version Recommendations
Last Updated: 10/13/2021
Below are the gory details, but for those in a hurry, here are the recommended versions of the software photographers use.
Lightroom Classic (LrC)
10.3
Photoshop (Ps)
2021 (22.5.1)
MacOS
Big Sur 11.5.2
Windows
10 21H1
Software Updates Status
I know, I know. That little red circle telling you there is an update to your software is SCREAMING at you. You have to press the button and update. Trust me, I get it.
However, if you are a photographer who 100% relies upon your computer and your software for your business to function - a photographer who simply can't have any bumps in the road - resist that urge. Let us "settlers" who will push that button as soon as Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft provide updates take those arrows (if there are any) .
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that you have updated your software as soon as updates are available and have NEVER had a problem. You are lucky and you didn't even know it. Software is so complicated these days and the testing the software companies is doing frequently ends up not being enough.
I hear from photographers almost every single day who tell me that they have heard me share this advice and thought it wouldn't happen to them and then share very sad stories about how an update killed their productivity and made them miss expectations with clients.
I don't want that to be you. Below is information where I maintain my recommendation on when photographers should update their software. My educated opinion comes from my own testing, testing from other "settlers", and watching the support forums. When an update seems to be having very few issues and is ready for general use it gets my Photo Taco "🌮Seal of Approval🌮".
Legend
Status
Definition
Skip
Don't install this release, install the newer update that fixes the issues of this one.
Wait
Based on my own testing, the testing of others I follow, and/or what I am seeing the support forums the release is not ready for general use and photographers would be wise to hold out. EVERY new update gets this status for at least 2 weeks following a release.
Caution
Looks pretty clear in general but photographers who simply CANNOT AFFORD any downtime should hold off.
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
Good to go! Doesn't mean you are guaranteed to not have problems, that simply can never happen, but it should be pretty safe for every photography to update.
Adobe Lightroom Classic
Last Updated: 10/13/2021
Version
Release Date
Status
*The catalog is upgraded with this version so you can't go back to the previous version unless you want to restore your catalog and lose any work done under the new version.
NOTE: The 10.x release was one of the buggiest releases I have seen since I have been watching this closely. The issues are worst on Mac, though PC has a lot of them too. Adobe seems to have found some stability with 10.2, better with 10.3. Kind of a step back with 10.4 and a sync adjustments issue that would be a large problem for many photographers.
Adobe Photoshop
Last Updated: 10/13/2021
Version
Release Date
Status
2020 (21.2.5)
March 2021
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
No special notes for now!
Apple macOS
Last Updated: 10/13/2021
Version
Release Date
Status
Catalina (10.15.2)
December 2019
SKIP
Catalina (10.15.1)
October 2019
SKIP
Mojave (10.14.6)
September 2019
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
*Most photographers are now using Big Sur without issue. Though M1 Mac users should be aware that there are reports of batch processing in Ps (e.g. T&I) filling up a hard drive with "purgeable" data that can't be reclaimed even when formatting the drive using Big Sur. Bug is confirmed as being fixed on MacOS Monterey.
Microsoft Windows
Last Updated: 10/13/2021
Version
Release Date
Status
10 (1903)
May 2019
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
10 (1809)
March 2019
🌮Seal of Approval🌮
*Windows 11 is for early adopters who want to check out what is new, not those who want to get work done. Even though Ps and LrC are certified by Adobe for Windows 11, most photographers should wait before upgrading for now. Certainly photographers who have a computer that does NOT pass the upgrade check for Windows 11 should wait. It is very likely to get the Seal of Approval early in 2022.
