"The 'Third Generation Smartphone Photography' Pioneered by 'Project Indigo' — The Future of 'Photographic' HDR as Demonstrated by Adobe"

Prologue — In Search of "Photographic" Smartphone Photos

In recent years, smartphone cameras have continued to evolve with high-magnification zoom and AI filters. However, many photographers face the dilemma of "ending up with the same flat HDR photos on any device." Amidst this atmosphere, Adobe's new camera app, "Project Indigo", has emerged as a new option to "face photography head-on."

What is Indigo? — Computational Photography Focused on "Natural HDR"

According to a hands-on article by The Verge, Indigo is a beta app for iOS developed primarily by Marc Levoy (the father of computational photography for Google Pixel) and Florian Kainz. The app offers only two shooting modes: "Photo" and "Night." Users can set the shutter speed, ISO, and number of shots themselves, and the app combines multiple shots to generate HDR with gentle tones.theverge.comresearch.adobe.com

Adobe's Camera Philosophy: "Neither Google nor Apple"

Levoy deliberately abandoned the "high dynamic range + sharpness enhancement" method established with Pixel. Indigo preserves shadows, protects highlights, and avoids over-enhancing skin tones. Comparison images shown in Adobe Research's technology blog reveal that sky highlights do not blow out, and the details of plants remain natural.research.adobe.com

UI and User Experience — "Twin-Lens Reflex" Minimalism

The app screen is predominantly black, with a live view in the center, and a histogram and sliders below. Once exposure is set, users press and hold the circular shutter button for burst shooting. After shooting, a 16-bit DNG called "Computational RAW" is exported, which can be directly transferred to Lightroom. It is lighter than Apple ProRAW and can be used even on iPhone 14 and earlier models.theverge.comtheverge.com

The Core of the HDR Algorithm — Not "Enhancing" Colors

Traditional smartphone HDR has been about pulling the entire image towards uniform brightness and applying excessive sharpness to create a "smartphone-like flair." Indigo takes the opposite approach. It respects local contrast of the scene rather than pixel-level adjustments, minimizing global tone mapping. AppleInsider also praises it for "retaining skin texture."appleinsider.com

Heat Generation, Battery, and the "Ritualization of Shooting"

When a reporter from The Verge tested it on an iPhone 16 Pro Max, the device warmed up while processing a 30-shot burst, and the battery decreased by 2-3% per shoot. However, if you consider the few seconds of waiting for synthesis as "the afterglow of shooting," it becomes an experience akin to darkroom work in the film era.theverge.com

Evaluating "Image Creation" on Social Media

Reddit r/photography is filled with top posts praising it as "'Everyday snaps become cinematic'" and "'More natural than Pixel'." On the other hand, there are criticisms that "the interval after burst shooting is long, making it unsuitable for capturing children's movements."reddit.comreddit.com

On Twitter (X), Techmeme reported that "anyone can try computational photography for free without an Adobe account," garnering over 1,500 reposts in half a day. Among professional photographers, there are expectations such as "a subscription will be inevitable if fully integrated with Lightroom Mobile."

The Future of the "DSLR vs Smartphone" Debate

Indigo has brought the gradation expression, traditionally seen as an advantage of DSLRs/mirrorless cameras, to the iPhone. As a result, it could potentially replace the demand for mid-range DSLRs as a "high-amateur everyday camera." Adobe has hinted at future Android versions, portrait modes, and video shooting capabilities, which might fundamentally change the workflow of smartphone video color grading.theverge.comresearch.adobe.com

Synergy with the Lightroom Ecosystem

If everything from shooting to developing and sharing on social media can be completed within Adobe, Lightroom Mobile and Photoshop Express could evolve into a "smartphone version of the Creative Cloud camera tour course." For heavy users, there are signs of tiered pricing, such as subscription plans with unlimited shooting, and free plans with 5 GB of cloud storage for casual users.

Epilogue — An App to Rediscover "Shooting → Viewing → Feeling"

As the next competitive axis of computational photography shifts towards "the restoration of reality," Indigo's challenge stands out with its philosophy of "returning judgment to the photographer." Deciding exposure before pressing the shutter button and imagining the outcome during the few seconds after a burst — this process itself rekindles the joy of photography. By the time the app is officially released, the "third generation" of smartphone photography is likely to have quietly begun.