The Mad Color Science Behind Rian Johnson's New Camera App

Key Points:

• Cinematographer Steve Yedlin, director Rian Johnson, and coder Eric Cameron developed Chromagraph, an iPhone app that uses advanced color science to create cinematic-looking photos by bypassing the iPhone’s default image processing.
• The app processes RAW images using complex mathematical algorithms inspired by film camera color rendering, aiming to produce aesthetically pleasing and artful images rather than strictly photometrically accurate ones.
• Chromagraph offers users control over contrast and saturation, allowing for nuanced or vibrant color adjustments, and is designed as a single cohesive look rather than multiple presets.
• The app was developed in just ten weeks and currently supports only iPhone photography, with no immediate plans for Android compatibility or video support.
• Chromagraph provides a convenient alternative for iPhone photographers seeking professional-level color aesthetics without needing to import photos into advanced editing software.