How to Create Your Retro Photos
To get the most realistic results and avoid looking like you just slapped a cheap filter on a modern photo, follow these steps:
- Open ChatGPT Plus (or your preferred AI image generator like Midjourney or Gemini).
- Upload a clear, well-lit photo of yourself where your face is easily visible.
- Copy one of the detailed prompts below and paste it directly into the chat.
- Hit generate! If the AI alters your face too much, ask it to "preserve my exact facial identity and proportions".
Best '80s AI Image Prompts
Copy and paste these directly alongside your photo for that perfect vintage aesthetic:
- The 1980s Family Album: "Transform my uploaded photo into an ordinary 1980s family-album photograph. Preserve my identity and expression. Use a modest living room, patterned curtains, wood furniture, period clothing, on-camera flash, warm film color, and fine grain. Keep the framing slightly imperfect."
- The Classic '80s Studio Portrait: "Create a realistic late-1980s studio portrait from my uploaded photo. Preserve my face and identity. Use period clothing, a voluminous hairstyle, tasteful statement accessories, a neutral studio backdrop, warm key light, and soft-focus 35mm photography."
- The '80s College Snapshot: "Recreate my photo as a genuine mid-1980s college portrait. Preserve the same person. Use an era-appropriate shirt, a campus wall, and a slightly awkward formal pose. Add direct flash, warm film tones, and subtle grain. Remove modern objects."
- The '80s Road Trip: "Turn my uploaded photo into a genuine 1980s road-trip photograph. Place the subject beside a vintage car with simple travel clothing. Use late-afternoon light, disposable-camera softness, light film grain, and imperfect framing."
Best '90s & Y2K AI Image Prompts
If you want to jump forward a decade, use these prompts:
- '90s Street Style: "Give this photo an authentic 1990s street-style makeover. Add oversized denim, sneakers, a casual graphic T-shirt, and a vintage urban setting. Use muted film colours, natural lighting, and realistic 35mm film grain."
- Y2K Early-2000s Fashion: "Turn this photo into a stylish early-2000s Y2K fashion portrait. Add low-rise jeans, a fitted top, glossy makeup, and chunky accessories. Use the look of early digital cameras with a nostalgic flash effect."
- Google Gemini