Adobe Launches New Computational Photography Camera App for iPhones

Adobe has introduced a new computational photography camera app for iPhones, named Project Indigo. One of the key figures behind this innovative application, Marc Levoy, previously contributed to the impressive computational photography features that enhanced the performance of Google’s earlier Pixel cameras.

The app, available for free, was released last week by Adobe Labs. It is compatible with the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, as well as all iPhone 14 models and newer. Adobe recommends using an iPhone 15 Pro or later for optimal performance. Notably, users do not need to log into an Adobe account to access the app.

According to the app’s description, “Instead of capturing a single photo, Indigo captures a burst of photos and combines them together to produce a high-quality photo with lower noise and higher dynamic range.” The app aims to deliver a natural, “SLR-like” appearance for photographs, while also providing a range of manual controls, including focus, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance.

For those interested in the technical aspects of Project Indigo, a detailed post by Levoy, now an Adobe Fellow, and Florian Kainz, a senior scientist, is highly recommended. The post discusses the advantages of smartphone cameras, the workings of its computational photography, the creation of its natural photo aesthetics, and insights into its image processing pipeline. You can read the post here: detailed blog post.

While I do not consider myself a camera expert, I found the insights shared in the post to be both interesting and informative. The showcased photos are impressive, and Adobe has also shared additional resources an album of photos you can browse.

In their post, Levoy and Kainz mention that Project Indigo will serve as a testbed for technologies that may be integrated into other flagship products. Future features may include a button to remove reflections, an Android version of the app, a portrait mode, and even video recording capabilities.

Levoy and Kainz express that “This is the beginning of a journey for Adobe – towards an integrated mobile camera and editing experience that takes advantage of the latest advances in computational photography and AI.” They hope that Indigo will attract casual mobile photographers seeking a natural SLR-like look for their images, as well as advanced photographers desiring manual control and the highest image quality. The app is also designed for anyone, whether casual or serious, who enjoys exploring new photographic experiences.

For more information about the app and its features, visit the official Adobe page: called Project Indigo.