Leica has long since earned its status as one of the most influential brands in photography. With its camera app Leica LUX, you can take advantage of the manual shooting capabilities of Leica cameras on iPhone, courtesy of digital renditions of the brand’s signature looks and lenses.

To unlock the app’s full potential, Leica teamed up with acclaimed British photographer Greg Williams to create a new Artist Look feature that replicates Williams’ iconic style.

The war-photographer-turned-Hollywood-lensman has gained worldwide recognition for his candid, black-and-white cinematic photographs.

He spoke to the App Store Editors about his creative sensibilities, how he developed his Artist Look for Leica LUX and his advice for aspiring photographers.

The philosophy behind Williams’ body of work sits at the heart of his collaboration with Leica LUX. ”For me, it’s not about chasing perfection. It’s about going for authenticity and intimacy – getting pictures that you and the viewer genuinely believe in when you look at them,” says Williams.

To bring that into his Artist Look, Leica’s imaging team did a deep analysis of a selection of photos handpicked by Williams. They then worked to articulate the distinct tone and atmosphere of Williams’ shots while he provided meticulous feedback. Everything was tested on iPhone from the beginning, and it was an exercise in precision not unlike his earlier fieldwork.

Williams wanted to create a filter that works consistently under both hard and soft lighting conditions. As a result, Artist Look is the only filter in Leica LUX with a contrast adjustment slider.

“To get a look that holds up whether you’re shooting in harsh sunlight or flat, cloudy light and then making sure people can tweak the contrast without ever pushing it so far that it no longer feels like my aesthetic required some pretty strict limits on how far things can go either way.”

Another key element is the film grain effect, made with Leica’s algorithm, which perfectly achieves the realistic analogue-like graininess that Williams envisioned. It even varies in response to light exposure, just like real film.

“You can expect a filmic grade, a contrast level that feels real – not overdone, not gimmicky. There’s no extra sharpening, no crazy curves. It’s all about the photo and making the moment sing. We added a subtle warmth – very light – but it gives you that feeling you used to get with beautiful old bromide prints. We haven’t applied a generic tone. It’s considered. It’s classic.”

Williams focused on photography basics in his first photo shoot using his Artist Look. “The idea was to show the simplicity of how I work. By following a few basic principles – composition, how you use light, where you place your subject – you can take great pictures. That’s what I want people to take away.”

For Williams, black-and-white photography isn’t just a filter option. “There’s something powerful about seeing today’s stars shot the way the greats were back in the day, and that was mostly in black and white.

“I often work so quickly that I don’t have time to give colour images the grading they may deserve. I always use the example of the orange hoodie – if someone in the background has one on, your eyes are going to go to it. In black and white, that distraction disappears.”

Williams’ career beginnings as a war photographer deeply influenced how he navigates work: “It taught me not to take things too seriously – essential in Hollywood – and to work fast.” So what advice does he have for those looking to get into photography, either as a pro or enthusiast?

“Have a single voice – cultivate it, stay true to it. The average amateur is too good now. If you want to stand out, find the one thing only you can do – and then do just that. I live by that.”