Adobe just announced two new versions of their photo-editing software, "Lightroom," called Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Lightroom CC. Sounds like they're the same program, right? But what exactly are they and how does this impact the photography community?

Let's start with Adobe Lightroom Classic CC. The key here is the 'Classic'. For anyone currently using Adobe Lightroom 6.xx or any variant therein, Classic CC is an updated version of the original. It'll retain all of the functionality of the current Lightroom program, but it's smoother and faster than before.

I'm personally very excited about the speed updates, as "Lightroom" historically has been a rather clunky photo-editing software, even on powerful, specialized machines. I haven't had time to test it out yet, but I'm hoping that it makes editing and cataloging my projects less time-consuming.

The bigger headlines surround Adobe Lightroom CC (nothing 'Classic' here). It's a web-based version of Lightroom that allows you to sync your photos and edits across various platforms and devices through Adobe's cloud services, similar to their existing Lightroom Mobile app.

This is something we've been able to do for a little while now, albeit limited in practice, through Lightroom Mobile and Adobe CC. However, Adobe Lightroom CC will work on tablets, phones and desktops, allowing for an even more streamlined editing experience across various devices.

So why wouldn't you, as a photographer, switch over to Lightroom CC as your preferred editing platform?

For me, I am deterred by the stripped-down capabilities of Lightroom CC. When working on multiple projects and edits, "Lightroom's" import features and catalog organization are vital for me to maintain a clean and efficient workflow.

Lightroom CC does away with those features.

Also, having used Lightroom Mobile for a long time (with extremely satisfactory results), there is just a bit of control that Lightroom Classic CC offers over editing and file-management that Lightroom CC won't.

Lightroom CC isn't a bust, though. I personally think that it will be fantastic for travelers or the everyday photographer looking to improve their edits. Just because it's a bit stripped down doesn't mean it's a poor editing platform. Take a look at a photo I shot with my iPhone and edited in Lightroom Mobile:

Certainly not the best photo in the world, but that's with the basic abilities of the mobile platform, upon which Lightroom CC will expand and improve.

The final question, then, is cost. There are various pricing options available.

The "Creative Cloud Photography Plan with 1 TB" offers Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC with a terabyte of Adobe cloud storage for $19.99/month, but it is available for $14.99/month for the first year if you're already a Creative Cloud Photography customer.

Seems like a decent option if you're the type of photographer that will benefit from the flexibility of the new platform.

Next is the "Creative Cloud Photography Plan," which will be an updated version of the existing plan. This will give you access to Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and 20 gigabytes of Adobe Cloud Storage for a mere $9.99/month.

I'm currently on the "Creative Cloud Photography Plan." I believe it to be the best value, but that is based on my personal workflow and set-up.

Last, but not least is the "Lightroom CC Plan," which gives you Lightroom CC and a terabyte of Adobe Cloud Storage, also for $9.99/month.

I'd advise against this unless you know for a fact you want Lightroom CC, not Lightroom Classic or Photoshop, and want the terabyte of Adobe Cloud storage.

Now a word of caution for those of you who are not on prescription plans: Adobe has updated Lightroom 6 for the final time meaning that, in the future, new cameras won't be supported, there won't be any bug-fixes or patches and new features won't be rolled out.

For better or worse, cloud-based subscription services are taking over.

So shut up and just take my money.