Overview of The Vergecast: Why Rian Johnson Made a Photo App
In this Vergecast episode, filmmaker Rian Johnson joins David Pierce for a deep, highly nerdy conversation about smartphone photography, film vs. digital imaging, and the creation of Johnson’s new camera app, Chromograph. The episode blends camera talk, filmmaking philosophy, and gadget obsession, with Johnson explaining why he wanted a phone app that could make iPhone photos look closer to the visual style he and his longtime cinematographer Steve Yedlin use on their films.
Why Rian Johnson Built Chromograph
Johnson’s main motivation was simple: he wanted to take better-looking photos on his phone without always carrying larger cameras.
- He had been shooting with the iPhone camera app and editing in Snapseed, but felt limited by the built-in processing.
- After reading The Verge’s smartphone photography advice, he began experimenting with RAW photography and third-party apps.
- That eventually led him to push Yedlin to build Chromograph, a camera app that:
- shoots RAW
- bypasses some of Apple’s default image processing
- applies Yedlin’s custom film-inspired look
- includes burst capture and image merging for better dynamic range
Johnson says the app is meant to make phone photography feel more intentional and more like the aesthetic control he gets when shooting professionally.
Film vs. Digital: Johnson and Yedlin’s Core Argument
A major theme of the conversation is that the film vs. digital debate is often exaggerated.
What Johnson and Yedlin believe
- The medium does not define the art by itself.
- Digital can be made to look very film-like if you understand the processing pipeline.
- Film has a romantic mythology around it, but a lot of what people call “the film look” is really about:
- the curve
- grain
- halation
- color science
- scanning and post-production choices
Johnson’s practical view
- He still loves film and still shoots it personally.
- But for professional work, digital offers:
- more consistency
- more control
- less hassle on set
- lower cost and faster turnaround
He and Yedlin have gradually moved more of Johnson’s film work toward digital while still preserving the look they want.
How Johnson Thinks About Photography
The episode spends a lot of time on Johnson’s personal photo habits and why he still enjoys older formats.
His favorite tools
- Leica M6 for film
- Leica M11 for digital stills
- Fuji GFX 100 II for medium-format digital
- Mamiya 7 for film medium format
- An 8x10 camera he assembled during the pandemic
- Experimental gear like a 3D-printed panoramic camera and an anamorphic Leica M lens
Why he likes film
- It slows him down.
- It creates a sense of surprise.
- You can’t instantly check every frame, which changes the process.
- He likes the tactile, experimental nature of not knowing exactly what will come out.
He also admits that phone cameras have become good enough that he uses them a lot for everyday shooting, especially for casual sharing and quick capture.
Apple’s Camera Design: Praise and Critique
Johnson has a lot of respect for the iPhone camera system, even while building an alternative around it.
What he praises
- Apple’s camera app is very well designed
- Its lens switching, zoom behavior, and HDR handling are more thoughtful than many people realize
- Apple’s default processing often makes phone photos usable in more situations
What he dislikes
- Apple’s heavy-handed multi-frame HDR can flatten contrast
- He’s skeptical of overly “corrected” image processing
- He wants more creative control, including things like:
- more natural contrast
- better access to RAW features
- a grain-size control
- more optical zoom options
He specifically says he wants Apple to expose the 48MP mode to third-party camera apps.
Bigger Ideas: Tech, Creativity, and “Vibe Coding”
The conversation also turns to broader tech culture.
On modern tech
Johnson feels less wowed by new consumer tech than he used to, but still gets excited by:
- clever hardware
- 3D printing
- tools that help people build their own creative workflows
On AI and “vibe coding”
He’s open to the speed of prototyping with AI tools, but skeptical of the resulting quality when companies ship unfinished or sloppy software.
- He sees value in using tools like Claude to get ideas moving faster.
- But he worries about a flood of unfinished or low-quality code entering consumer products.
Film, Color, and the Future of Look-Making
Johnson and Pierce also discuss the future of image aesthetics in filmmaking and photography.
Key points
- Johnson is irritated by HDR in TV and cinema, which he feels can distort the intended look.
- He and Yedlin are interested in how digital tools can create new visual styles, not just imitate film.
- Johnson is intrigued by the idea that digital processing could move beyond film emulation into entirely new aesthetic territories.
- He’s excited by processes that let creators experiment, but he insists the story should always come first.
Notable Takeaways
- Chromograph is Johnson’s attempt to bring a more cinematic, controlled look to iPhone photography.
- He and Steve Yedlin argue that image “look” is mostly a product of processing choices, not the sensor or medium alone.
- Johnson remains a film lover, but he’s also deeply pragmatic about digital tools.
- The episode reinforces a recurring Verge theme: understanding the tech helps you use it creatively.
Recommended Follow-Ups Mentioned in the Conversation
If you want to explore the tools and ideas discussed, the episode points toward:
- Halide for advanced iPhone RAW shooting
- Lightroom Mobile or Darkroom for more powerful editing
- experimenting with RAW capture, burst merging, and more manual camera controls
- trying out different optical approaches, from phone lenses to legacy film gear
Overall
This is part interview, part gear talk, part philosophy session. If you like cameras, filmmaking, or the tension between analog craft and digital control, it’s a rich and lively conversation. Johnson comes across as both a serious artist and a deeply committed gadget nerd, which makes the episode especially fun for Verge listeners.