Your Instagram feed is about to get a serious upgrade. Leica’s latest update to its Lux iPhone app introduces “Artist Looks” – professional-grade filters that do what those cookie-cutter presets never could: make your photos look like they belong in a magazine spread. If a similar version lands on Android, it could easily join the ranks of essential Android apps.
Released on May 15th, the standout feature is a filter developed with British photographer Greg Williams, whose high-contrast black and white images have graced everything from James Bond movie posters to the covers of Vanity Fair. His signature style – that moody, cinematic look that makes even Hollywood’s elite appear genuinely human – is now literally at your fingertips.
The filter leverages Leica’s legendary color science to create something that feels like you’ve loaded up a classic Kodak Tri-X 400 film in a vintage camera. What sets this apart from the sea of filters is its authenticity – subtle off-white tones and calibrated image noise create depth without looking filtered.
“I wanted to create a look that feels real – not overdone, not artificial. No extra sharpening, no effects – just the image and the moment. The Leica LUX app made it possible to bring that aesthetic to the smartphone – with a cinematic depth I previously only knew from my Leica cameras” Williams explains. Coming from a photographer who shot over 200 film sets, that philosophy carries serious weight.
What would take you 20 minutes of slider-adjusting in Lightroom happens in one tap here. While your TikTok friends are still fiddling with endless editing apps, trying to nail that elusive “cinematic look,” you’re already posting gallery-worthy shots. And unlike those BeReal moments that everyone immediately scrolls past, these images make people stop and notice.
For the truly filter-obsessed, there’s good news: this is just the first in what Leica promises will be an expanding series of Artist Looks. The subscription runs $6.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly – that annual option saves you about $14 compared to monthly payments.
The big question is whether digital filters, even those crafted with Leica’s expertise, can truly capture professional photography magic. After using Williams’ filter, it’s clear this isn’t just another preset. The results have a genuine film quality that your phone’s default camera app could never achieve.
For photography enthusiasts who can’t justify dropping thousands on a real Leica camera, this app offers a taste of that legendary look. And for pros seeking quick mobile editing with their established style, it’s a no-brainer addition to the toolkit.
Leica plans to extend this functionality to its Leica Photos app for compatibility with selected Leica cameras, creating a consistent aesthetic across both smartphone snapshots and serious photography sessions.
While professional photographers might scoff at one-tap filters replacing years of experience, the democratization of high-quality aesthetics is worth celebrating. Sometimes you just want your vacation photos to look less like they were taken by your uncle and more like they belong in a travel magazine.
