Latest news with #Photoshop
Deccan Herald
7 hours ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
Adobe finally brings Photoshop app to Android phones
The new Photoshop app is considerably better than the Photoshop Express, which has been available for close to a decade.
Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
ON1 Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation in Photo Editing Software
Marking Two Decades of Creativity, Community, and Cutting-Edge Tools for Photographers PORTLAND, OREGON / ACCESS Newswire / June 4, 2025 / ON1, a pioneer in professional photo editing software, proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. For two decades, ON1 has empowered photographers with powerful editing tools that combine speed, flexibility, and creative control-earning the trust of its customers 20th Anniversary ON1 Anniversary Sale Graphic Founded in 2005 in Portland, Oregon, ON1 (formerly onOne Software) began by acquiring popular Photoshop plugins like Genuine Fractals and PhotoFrame. Over time, it transformed from a plugin developer into a full-featured editing platform, culminating in the launch of ON1 Photo RAW. The company has consistently led the way in creating software built specifically for photographers. 'We started ON1 to build tools that worked the way photographers think-not the way software forces them to think,' said Craig Keudell, ON1 founder and CEO. 'That same mission still guides us 20 years later.' Celebrating 20 Years with a Massive Sale To thank its community and celebrate this milestone, ON1 is offering up to 75% off its apps and plugins throughout June. Whether users are looking to start with ON1 Photo RAW 2025, expand their editing workflow with ON1 plugins, there's never been a better time to enhance your photo editing workflow with ON1. Software Built with Photographers, Not Just for Them At the core of ON1's success is its commitment to listening. Through the ON1 Photo RAW Project, launched in 2016, the company has implemented nearly 1,000 user-submitted ideas, transforming feedback into actual features. 'Our users are part of the development process,' said Dan Harlacher, VP of Product. 'That's why our tools feel intuitive-because they're shaped by people who shoot and edit every day.' ON1's suite includes advanced AI tools, such as Super Select AI, NoNoise AI, and Resize AI, along with workflow-enhancing features like layers, presets, masking, and mobile-to-desktop syncing. A Passionate Team That Puts Users First From support to product design, ON1's culture is rooted in connection. Longtime team members, such as Jonny Davenport, a photographer and support lead, note that direct conversations with users often shape updates and improvements. ON1's lead educator, Dylan Kotecki, has helped thousands of photographers maximize the potential of ON1's tools. 'Teaching users how to unlock their creativity and simplify their workflow-it's incredibly rewarding,' said Kotecki. The Road Ahead As ON1 looks to the future, its focus remains on solving real-world problems for photographers. With innovations in AI, streamlined editing workflows, and deeper mobile integration, the next 20 years are already in motion. 'Twenty years in software is rare-twenty years with this kind of loyalty is even rarer,' said Patrick Smith, Senior VP and GM. 'It's a privilege to keep building for the community that got us here.' About ON1 ON1 is a leading provider of photo editing software for photographers of all levels. Based in Portland, Oregon, ON1 Photo RAW and its suite of plugins help users create stunning images with speed, power, and complete creative control. Learn more at Contact InformationPatrick Smith Senior Vice President SOURCE: ON1 press release
GSM Arena
9 hours ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Adobe Photoshop beta now available for Android users
Following its iOS release earlier this year, Adobe has now made its Photoshop (beta) app available for free on Google Play. Adobe Photoshop (Beta) for Android You'll need an Android 11 or later device, with at least 6GB RAM (Adobe recommends 8GB for optimal performance) and you're good to go. So, what can the Photoshop app do? Pretty much everything you can with the desktop version. From messing around with layers and masks to removing unwanted parts of images with the Tap Select tool and using AI for Generative Fill. Adobe Photoshop (Beta) for Android Photoshop mobile features: Combine and blend images using core Photoshop tools like selections, layers, and masks Quickly remove or replace parts of an image with the intuitive Tap Select tool Brush away distractions in seconds using tools like the Spot Healing Brush Use Firefly-powered generative AI features like Generative Fill to effortlessly add or transform elements in visual designs Enhance creative work with a growing library of free Adobe Stock assets Make accurate selections with Object Select and Magic Wand Refine images with advanced tools like Remove and Clone Stamp Control layers and effects with advanced blend modes and adjustment layers Adobe also confirmed that all features are free to use during the beta period and that 'additional capabilities are coming soon'. Source
CairoScene
9 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- CairoScene
How Arwa Al Neami Paved the Way for Saudi Women in Contemporary Art
What role can art play in a country undergoing rapid transformation? For Saudi artist Arwa Al Neami, it has long been a way to spark dialogue about social change. Through installations, films, and photography, the Abha-hailing 40-year old artist often uses humour and at times irony to explore the restrictions placed on women and the complex dynamics of life in a changing Saudi Arabia. Al Neami's career began long before Saudi Arabia's art scene gained the visibility and acceptance it enjoys today. When she entered the field in the early 2000s, art was not widely embraced in the country, and spaces for contemporary artistic expression were extremely limited. Despite these barriers, Al Neami's work pushed against social boundaries, laying the groundwork for the more open discourse now emerging within the Saudi art community. Born in a military compound at King Khalid Military Airbase, Al Neami grew up in a unique environment that shaped her worldview. 'It was a military city, quite different from the outside world. My schoolmates and neighbours were from various nationalities. I was a social girl with many Egyptian and Sudanese friends,' Al Neami tells SceneNowSaudi. Her childhood, although spent in the disciplined setting of a military compound, was filled with art and creativity from a young age. "Art has been part of my life since I was four. I started drawing at that age. My artistic spirit had nothing to do with tools or mediums—it was always there.' However, her adolescent years brought about a stark cultural shift when her family relocated to Abha. 'It was a complete culture shock,' Al Neami recalls. The freedoms she once enjoyed were suddenly restricted. She started wearing an abaya and gloves, and her school offered no art classes. "Everything was haram," she says. Even her Minnie Mouse backpack had its head removed after being deemed inappropriate. But these changes didn't stifle her creativity. Instead, they fueled a deeper sense of questioning and rebellion within her—a spirit that would later be channelled into her artistic work. After graduating high school, Arwa Al Neami faced a challenge—there were no formal art programs available for her to pursue. Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands. She would visit stationery stores, gather canvases and paper, and lay them out on the floor over a white sheet, creating without a structured starting point or formal techniques. 'I would just take out my pencils and colours and start creating,' Al Neami tells SceneNowSaudi. With no art major to choose from, she instead studied IT at King Khalid University, where she discovered Photoshop. This tool - new at the time - opened doors for her creativity. Hearing about an art competition at Al Muftaha Village, she instinctively created a large multimedia piece, letting the work flow naturally. 'I didn't know the medium or how I started or finished; it just happened,' she says. Her piece won a distinguished prize, one that wasn't awarded every year, and that was the moment she truly identified as an artist. 'I felt like a billionaire,' Al Neami recalls, after winning SAR 5,000. The first thing she did was purchase her own computer and Photoshop software, quickly mastering the program to the point where even her professors asked for her techniques. Al Muftaha Village was predominantly a male-dominated space, and she could only visit her artwork on family days, which limited her connection with the community. However, her artistic journey continued in Jeddah, where she began working more with canvas. Her first contemporary project, titled 'Ya Taybah', involved collecting dolls from Makkah. 'There was a belief that dolls were haram – you couldn't play with them at night or sleep next to them,' Al Neami explains. But one doll, which played the spiritual song 'Ya Taybah', sparked something within her. She recalls witnessing a father, initially reluctant to buy the doll for his daughter, change his mind when he heard the song. "That moment changed his perspective on the doll and, by extension, on art." The project was a video, featuring three of these dolls, all playing 'Ya Taybah' at varying speeds. This contrast between the dolls and the spiritual songs enticed Al Neami; a contradicting duality, and in essence, commentary on a culture that is neither here nor there. Al Neami's exploration of contradictions and complex societal norms comes through strongly in 'Red Lipstick', a nine-minute video installation that examines her relationship with the niqab. Initially, she viewed the niqab as something that sharpened her ability to recognise people by their eyes. Wearing it heightened her observational skills and sense of connection, as everyone dressed similarly in abayas. However, after she stopped wearing the niqab, she noticed an unexpected change: men seemed more intrigued by her when she was veiled, drawing attention to how societal rules create allure around what is deemed "forbidden." In 'Red Lipstick', Al Neami used a Christian Lebanese friend as the model, someone who had never worn the niqab before. The video shows the niqab flying around, alternating between revealing either the model's eyes or her lips, which are adorned with striking red lipstick. This visual contrast encapsulates the tension between modesty and attention, between what is hidden and what is seen. The project, exhibited underground in Jeddah, explores not only the niqab's layered meanings but also how societal perceptions are shaped by what remains covered. "It was an experience for her as well," Al Neami tells SceneNowSaudi, reflecting on how the project challenged both herself and her model to think about cultural symbols and their shifting significance. 'Red Lipstick' became one of her most pivotal works, capturing the contradictions she would continue to explore in future projects. The niqab remains a pivotal element in Al Neami's artistic journey, and her series 'Never Never Land' offers a striking example of how she draws from personal experiences to explore the complexities of societal norms. Showcased at the City Gallery Wellington in New Zealand in 2018, 'Never Never Land' depicts fully veiled Saudi women playing bumper cars at a carnival. While the scene appears playful, the signs surrounding them call for modesty and restraint, even in moments of leisure. Through this subtle satire, Al Neami comments on the tension between personal freedom and societal rules, especially in a country where direct criticism of authority is often suppressed. 'Never Never Land' also reflects the changing dynamics within Al Neami's home region of Asir, where, historically, women had greater freedom and were seen as equals to men. She tells SceneNowSaudi how the region's traditions have evolved: 'Women in Asir didn't cover themselves in the past, but over time, that changed.' Her visits to local amusement parks in 2010 revealed a stark contrast between the present and the past. At first, boys and girls rode the same rides together, but gradually, segregation became the norm, and extra sheets and coverings were put up to shield women from view while they played. By 2017, the restrictions had grown even more severe, with black curtains placed around the bumper cars, making it impossible for anyone outside to see the women having fun. Al Neami's work captures this societal shift, where women are sometimes treated as if their very presence could cause disruption or chaos, even in spaces meant for joy and play. Through 'Never Never Land', she questions these evolving norms with quiet but powerful critique. Her installations and films don't just observe these changes—they participate in them. In 'Art is Not a Race', exhibited at Doha's Fire Station in Qatar in 2022 and 2023, a child model collapses on a long walking mat with the phrase 'Art is not a race' inscribed in Arabic. The installation critiques the pressures and competitive nature of the contemporary art scene, questioning whether the pursuit of recognition is undermining artistic integrity. It's a reminder that both life and art require patience and thought, and perhaps…waiting things out even when 'better days' seem impossible. One of Al Neami's most defining projects took place in 2014 within the Kingdom itself. 'A Piece of Paradise' saw her become the first woman ever granted permission to photograph the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, capturing the intricate centuries-old calligraphy and the grandeur of the mosque's 177 domes. But this series is more than an architectural study; it reflects her contemplation on faith, beauty, and the desire to preserve cultural heritage across generations. For Al Neami, the project embodied both the physical and the spiritual aspects of her work, preserving not only the mosque's magnificent design but also the deep reverence it inspires in those who visit. Al Neami recalls the moment that inspired the project. 'When I entered the Haram for the first time, I looked up and saw the domes, each one so beautiful and unique. I asked, 'What is this? Who made them?' but there was no information.' Determined to document the mosque's overlooked architectural details, she took her phone and began photographing the domes, eventually presenting her idea to Prince Faisal. Her proposal was bold—to photograph each of the 177 domes of the Prophet's Mosque, a feat no one had attempted before. Despite challenges in securing permits and initial skepticism, Al Neami persisted. Officers expressed surprise at the sight of a camera inside the mosque, as such access had been unheard of. But her determination paid off, and the result was not just a remarkable visual archive but a historic milestone. 'A Piece of Paradise' disrupted traditional norms around access, opening doors not only for Al Neami but for other women in Saudi Arabia, making it a pivotal moment in both her career and the cultural landscape of the Kingdom. Al Neami's early success came despite the conservative social climate at the time, where being a Saudi woman pursuing contemporary art was met with skepticism, if not outright resistance. Her art isn't about offering easy answers—it's about sparking thought and reflection. As Saudi Arabia continues to undergo significant change, her work pushes viewers to question, laugh, and engage with the world around them. Through her social commentary, she has become an essential voice in Saudi contemporary art, well before the country began to embrace the arts as it does today. As Saudi Arabia continues to undergo significant cultural shifts, Al Neami is optimistic about the future of art in the Kingdom. "I'm so happy with where art is now in Saudi Arabia. It's a new chapter, and there is so much support. Art is the future," she says. Her upcoming projects will explore the Kingdom's relationship with the land, sea, and sky, focusing on the spiritual and human evolution happening within the country. "We are witnessing remarkable progress, and my current work is more philosophical and meditative," she explains. Her work continues to reflect the questions she's been asking since her youth—questions that are finally being answered as Saudi Arabia's artistic community grows and evolves.
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
How e-waste art is powering a new creative movement in Hyderabad
A 14x22-foot green 'tree' — lush with white, pink, and yellow flowers — rises up one of the walls at Sattva Knowledge Park in Hyderabad's Hitech City. At first glance, it looks like a vibrant mural. But look closer: this 600 kilogram Tree of Tech is made entirely from discarded electronics — motherboards, circuit boards, keyboard wires, switches, mouse cables, and metal plates from old desktops. Its symmetry and depth come alive through painted MDF cut-outs of leaves, flowers, and branches, giving the piece a striking, sculptural effect. 'Recycling e-waste into art is a small step towards sustainability,' says artist and sculptor Ranganadh Komari, who created the work alongside fellow artists Ram Bhoopal and Applachary for the Sattva Group. The trio also crafted a life-sized deer from e-waste at the group's Sattva Signature Towers in Banjara Hills. 'At JNAFAU, our professors constantly encouraged us to explore scrap as a medium,' Ranganadh recalls, referring to his interest in recycling that dates back to 2010. Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, such works are drawing attention to the role artists play in repurposing e-waste. For Chetan Sai Vignesh, an art student, working with scrap was a creative turning point. His recent 3x2-foot mural of Padmapani — drawn from the Ajanta caves — uses motherboards, wires, and vintage television parts. 'I first sketched the figure onto plywood, then layered and cut the electronic parts to fit the form,' he explains. But turning tech trash into visual storytelling comes with challenges — from sourcing components to making them aesthetically compelling. 'The concept was 'growth',' says Ranganadh of the tree mural. 'We sourced components from Secunderabad and Mumbai, and used Photoshop to prototype the design. But just the e-waste felt too flat. So we introduced carved MDF for a 3D effect.' The structure, made heavier by its 25mm plywood base, was eventually divided into four parts for transport. 'Cutting motherboards is tricky, they chip easily, and some shards are sharp enough to injure.' Leading sustainability While artists across India are experimenting with e-waste, one of its earliest adopters is Bengaluru-based Vishwanath Mallabadi Davangere. For over 30 years, the 64-year-old has been crafting birds, animals, and abstract figures from resistors, capacitors, coiled diodes, and keyboard keys. 'I was always fascinated by what lay inside a gadget,' he says. As his studio filled up, he began selling pieces to make space. A sustainability conference in Hyderabad in 2019 was a turning point. 'It gave me the platform to showcase this niche form of art,' he recalls. He now conducts online workshops, introducing others to the medium. Still, Vishwanath is pragmatic. 'Creative expression is vital, but art alone cannot resolve the e-waste crisis,' he says. 'Recyclers face numerous challenges — extracting gold from circuit boards is chemically complex and economically unviable at scale.' The United Nations' Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 paints a sobering picture. Electronic waste is growing five times faster than it's being formally recycled. As reported in The Hindu, India's e-waste volumes have surged by over 150% in six years — from 7,08,445 metric tonnes in 2017–18 to 17,78,400 metric tonnes in 2023–24. That's an annual increase of nearly 1.7 lakh tonnes. Given the magnitude of the crisis, e-waste art may only scratch the surface. But it serves an equally vital purpose — raising awareness, prompting dialogue, and inspiring creative solutions. Because sometimes, the best way to confront a looming environmental challenge is to make people stop and look.
