Adobe has unveiled Project Indigo, a free iPhone app that offers professional shooting control and the most natural image possible, on par with big cameras. The program works in a similar way to Google’s beloved “camera.”
Indigo’s main feature is its aggressive use of computational photography: the app underexposes frames, takes up to 32 frames at a time, and combines them to minimize noise and preserve highlight detail. Unlike most apps, Indigo aims to preserve textures while avoiding excessive smoothing. You can shoot photos in JPEG or DNG, both formats taking full advantage of multi-frame processing.
According to the developers , instead of the usual “smartphone” look with oversaturated colors, increased brightness and sharpness, Indigo offers a more natural picture – close to what a DSLR produces. There is a subtle local tint, thanks to which the photos look realistic even on a large screen, and not just on a phone.
The app offers two shooting modes — normal and night. The latter uses long exposure and combining up to 32 frames if the device is stabilized. Moreover, even when shooting in RAW, the zero shutter lag option is available, meaning the frame is saved at the moment the button is pressed, and not after a split second, as is the case with DSLRs.
Indigo can increase detail with digital zoom due to multi-frame shooting. The company notes that this is not neural network “finishing”, but a real improvement in detail due to shooting from different angles with natural hand tremors. As a result, even with strong zoom, the image remains clear. The application also has a professional mode with manual shooting settings. There are also additional functions such as removing glare and reflections from photos.
The app is already available in the App Store and works on all iPhone 12 Pro and above, as well as regular iPhone 14 models. Plans call for an Android version, portrait mode with manual settings, panoramas, video with computational effects, personalized profiles, and advanced bracketing modes (exposure, focus, etc.).