Built by a still life creator obsessed with Black Mist
"I reach for Black Mist filters whenever I photograph ceramics or food. The bloom softens practical lights, keeps textures intact, and turns simple objects into cinematic set pieces. That mood should start in-camera, not in post."
The Problem with Mobile Photography
Most camera apps apply effects after capture, which means you're shooting blind. You compose a scene, take the shot, then hope the post-processing delivers the mood you envisioned. This workflow breaks the creative flow and often leads to disappointing results.
MistLens creator Johnny couldn't find an iPhone camera that previewed this glow while composing still life scenes, so he engineered it from the ground up.
Real-time Preview Changes Everything
MistLens renders the Black Mist effect live in the viewfinder, allowing you to:
- Compose with the final look in mind
- Adjust lighting and positioning based on the glow
- Fine-tune parameters before capturing
- Maintain creative momentum without interruption
Perfect for Still Life Photography
The app was specifically designed with still life creators in mind:
- Styled tabletop still lifes with practical lights softened in camera
- Product detail shots that need a cinematic bloom without post
- Moody food photography where highlights stay controlled
- Interior vignettes with instant before/after Black Mist previews
The Technical Challenge
Creating real-time Black Mist effects on mobile devices required solving several technical challenges:
- Performance: Rendering complex diffusion effects without dropping frames
- Accuracy: Matching the look of physical Black Mist filters
- Control: Providing precise parameter adjustment during live preview
- Compatibility: Working across different iPhone models and lens configurations
Looking Forward
MistLens represents a new approach to mobile photography apps—one that prioritizes the creative process over post-processing convenience. By bringing professional filter effects into the live viewfinder, we're enabling creators to work more intuitively and achieve better results.
The goal isn't to replace traditional photography workflows, but to offer mobile creators the same level of creative control they'd have with physical filters and professional cameras.