Rian Johnson has launched Chromagraph Camera, a $12.99 iOS application developed in collaboration with cinematographer Steve Yedlin and programmer Eric Cameron, which captures RAW images and applies the custom image processing mathematics used in films like Brick, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, and the Knives Out franchise.
The Bottom Line
- The iOS app retails for a one-time purchase price of $12.99 on the App Store.
- It shoots in RAW and bypasses the native iPhone camera app’s standard rendering to apply Yedlin’s custom color, tone, grain, and halation processing.
- The software currently supports still photography only, with no video capabilities.
Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin Package Their Cinematic Look into an App
After nearly 30 years of collaboration behind the camera, Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin have packed their signature film aesthetic into a consumer tool. Johnson announced the release of Chromagraph Camera this week, noting that he had badgered his cinematographer into building his ideal still camera application. Yedlin writes the image processing math used across their filmography, including 2005’s Brick, 2017’s Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, and the Knives Out franchise, which most recently yielded last year’s Wake Up Dead Man.
So I recently badgered my cinematographer @steveyedlin into making my ideal iPhone still camera app. It shoots RAW, bypasses the iPhone's look processing and instead uses the same image processing we use on our movies. https://t.co/makZzhFd2Q
The software operates directly on unprocessed RAW image data captured by the iPhone. Rather than letting Apple’s native rendering engine process the picture or stacking a traditional filter on top of a finished preview, Chromagraph bypasses the phone’s look processing entirely. Users cannot access the raw, untouched data files afterward, nor can they view the custom processing until after the photograph has been snapped.
Custom Controls, Pricing, and Hardware Limitations
The application provides built-in fine-tuning options for color, exposure, grain, and halation, though the editing parameters remain intentionally restricted to preserve the core aesthetic. The app’s output leans into a distinct warm hue, heavier shadows, and reduced digital sharpening compared to stock iPhone captures.
Priced at a one-time cost of $12.99, Chromagraph Camera is currently restricted to still photography. Programmer Eric Cameron helped build the software, but a video capture mode is not currently supported, though Johnson left open the possibility for potentially adding this feature on Pro model iPhones. Furthermore, an Android port is not available. The team cited the vast fragmentation of Android hardware as a barrier for a small team to ensure the app performed as intended.
| App Feature | Chromagraph Camera Specification |
|---|---|
| Platform | iOS (iPhone) exclusively |
| Price | $12.99 (one-time purchase) |
| Capture Format | RAW (processed via custom film mathematics) |
| Supported Media | Still photography only (no video) |
| Key Personnel | Rian Johnson, Steve Yedlin, Eric Cameron |
The Creative Division Over Aesthetic Point-and-Shoot Processing
While the point-and-shoot utility offers everyday hobbyists a direct route to replicating Hollywood color science, professional photographers may find the rigid boundaries limiting. Users accustomed to the deep manual controls and granular custom editing found in dedicated cameras might miss the ability to craft independent edits from scratch.
I've messed with plenty of good 3rd party tools but this is an elegant one-stop-shop, it just takes beautiful shots with Steve's special sauce processing. You can fine tune the image in the app (with color, exposure, grain and halation tools) and export it to your camera roll.
The application’s rigid adherence to Yedlin’s bespoke color science means pictures emerge with a deliberate cinematic stamp. Chromagraph represents a rare instance of a major feature-film crew commercializing their proprietary post-production pipeline directly for everyday mobile snapshots.
