Why Did Photo Software Get so F***ing Expensive?

Video Description

Photography is already an expensive hobby - cameras, lenses, tripods, the works. But in 2025, it isn’t the gear that’s breaking people, it’s the software. Once upon a time you could buy Lightroom outright for the price of a night at the pub. Now? You’re staring down endless subscriptions and annual upgrade shakedowns. This video is about why photo editing software has become so fucking expensive and what, if anything, we can do about it. 📝 For more in-depth articles and insights, check out my Substack: https://ahutchinson.substack.com 🌐 Connect with me across platforms: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andyhutchinson.com.au Pixelfed: https://pixelfed.social/andyhutchinson Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/repomonkey/ Blog: https://andyhutchinson.com.au All of my videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2TyasrRqoAvEUpaQ2_SovHo5NbbhUc-E Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:35 The End of Software You Own 06:52 The Outcome 08:39 Why Did It Get So Expensive So Quickly 09:43 Version Hopping 12:11 Champion the Little Guy 13:33 Open Source 15:05 Piracy 15:37 The End of the Prosumer 16:57 Outro