Adobe Unveils Project Indigo: A Computational Photography App for High-End iPhones

Adobe has launched a new computational photography camera app for iPhones called Project Indigo. This innovative app was unveiled last week by Adobe Labs and is currently available as a free download for iPhone 12 Pro, Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, Pro Max, and all iPhone 14 models and above. However, Adobe strongly recommends using the app on the latest iPhone 15 Pro or newer devices for the best performance. Unlike many other apps, Project Indigo does not require users to log into an Adobe account to start taking photos. The core of Project Indigo's technology lies in its unique approach to image capture and processing. Instead of snapping a single photo, the app captures a burst of multiple images and then combines them to create a high-quality, noise-reduced image with a higher dynamic range. This method aims to produce a natural, "SLR-like" look, making photos taken on a smartphone appear more professional and detailed, especially when viewed on larger screens. For those interested in the technical aspects, Adobe Fellow Marc Levoy and Senior Scientist Florian Kainz have written a detailed blog post explaining the app's functionality. Levoy, who joined Adobe in 2020, previously played a crucial role in developing the computational photography features that garnered praise for Google's early Pixel cameras. In the blog post, Levoy and Kainz delve into why smartphone cameras have become so adept, the mechanics of computational photography, and the techniques used to achieve a natural look in photos. They also provide insights into the image processing pipeline, which is instrumental in enhancing the final output. Even for non-experts, the blog post is both engaging and informative, and the included sample photos truly showcase the app's capabilities. Adobe has also created an album of example photos, allowing users to get a better sense of what Indigo can do. Levoy and Kainz emphasize that Project Indigo is more than just a standalone app; it serves as a testbed for technologies that Adobe may integrate into its other flagship products. For instance, a feature to remove reflections from photos is already on the horizon. The development team also plans to expand the app's capabilities by adding support for Android devices, introducing a portrait mode, and enabling video recording in the near future. "This is the beginning of a journey for Adobe – towards an integrated mobile camera and editing experience that takes full advantage of the latest advancements in computational photography and AI," they write. "We hope Indigo will appeal to casual mobile photographers seeking a natural, SLR-like look for their photos, advanced photographers wanting manual control and the highest image quality, and anyone who enjoys exploring new photographic experiences." Project Indigo thus represents Adobe's commitment to pushing the boundaries of mobile photography, offering a blend of ease-of-use and sophisticated manual controls that cater to a wide range of users. Whether you're a hobbyist or a seasoned professional, this app promises to enhance your mobile photography and potentially pave the way for future innovations in the field.