Current Version Recommendations

Last Updated: 17 October 2023

Below are the gory details, but for those in a hurry, here are the recommended versions of the software photographers use.

Lightroom Classic (LrC)

12.5

Photoshop (Ps)

2023 (24.7)

MacOS

Ventura (13.6)

Windows

10 22H2 or 11 22H2


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: 17 Oct 2023

Adobe LrC Community

Version

Release Date

Status

October 2023

Wait*

October 2023

Skip*

August 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

June 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

April 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2023

Skip

December 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

October 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

October 2022

Skip*

August 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

June 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

June 2022

Skip

April 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

December 2021

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

November 2021

Skip*

October 2021

Skip*

*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.

Adobe Photoshop

Last Updated: 17 Oct 2023

Adobe Ps Community

Version

Release Date

Status

September 2023

Wait

July 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

June 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

May 2023

Caution

April 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2023

Skip

January 2023

Skip

December 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

October 2022

Caution*

August 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

July 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

June 2022

Skip

June 2022

Skip

May 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

April 2022

Wait

April 2022

Wait

March 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2022

Skip

February 2022

Skip

January 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

*If you choose to upgrade Lightroom Classic to version 12, update Photoshop to at least version 24.0.

Apple macOS

Last Updated: 17 October 2023

Version

Release Date

Status

September 2023

Wait

September 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

September 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

September 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

September 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

August 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

July 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

July 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

June 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

June 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

May 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

May 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

April 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

April 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

March 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

January 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

January 2023

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

December 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮*

December 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

November 2022

Skip

October 2022

Skip

October 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

September 2022

Skip

August 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

July 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

May 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

March 2022

Skip

February 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

February 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

January 2022

Skip

*Most photographers are now using Ventura without issue. Though there have been a lot of issues with external hard drives being slow (solution seems to be booting up with external drive connected)

Microsoft Windows

Last Updated: 17 October 2023

Version

Release Date

Status

October 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

October 2022

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

November 2021

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

October 2021

Skip*

May 2021

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

October 2020

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

May 2020

Skip

November 2019

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

10 (1903)

May 2019

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

10 (1809)

March 2019

🌮Seal of Approval🌮

 

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