ChatGPT ’90s photo trend: Step-by-step prompts to transform your pictures

The ’80s-inspired photo trend may have taken social media by storm, but users can now take their nostalgia a decade further with ChatGPT.

By uploading a photograph and using carefully worded prompts, people can transform their pictures into AI-generated images inspired by the fashion, hairstyles and photography styles of the 1990s.

From classic studio portraits and family holiday pictures to glamorous Bollywood-inspired looks, the prompts can recreate the visual style associated with the decade while keeping the person’s facial identity recognisable.

If you have ever wondered what you might have looked like in the ’90s, here are some ChatGPT prompts you can try.

1. For a classic 1990s studio portrait
For a picture that resembles a traditional studio photograph from the 1990s, upload your photo to ChatGPT and use the following prompt:

• ‘Transform my uploaded photo into an authentic 1990s studio portrait. Keep my facial features, identity, skin tone and natural expression recognisable. Give me a classic hairstyle and outfit from the 1990s, with a simple studio backdrop. Use studio lighting that feels slightly harsh yet soft, similar to photographs taken with a conventional film camera. Add subtle analogue grain, slightly faded colours and minor imperfections. Avoid the sharp, polished look of modern digital photography.’

2. For a 1990s holiday photograph

Those looking for a more candid, vacation-style image can use a prompt designed to recreate the feel of family photographs taken during the decade.

The English prompt reads:

• ‘Turn my photo into a candid holiday photograph from the 1990s. Preserve my face and identity. Give me authentic 1990s vacation clothing and place me in a sunny travel setting. Use the characteristics of a consumer film camera, including slightly washed-out highlights, warm colours, analogue grain, imperfect framing and natural candid body language. Make it look like a genuine family vacation photograph.’

3. For a 1990s Bollywood-inspired portrait

For those who want a more glamorous transformation, ChatGPT can also be prompted to recreate the aesthetic of 1990s Indian film and Bollywood publicity photographs.

The English prompt reads:

• ‘Turn my uploaded photo into a glamorous 1990s Indian film-inspired portrait. Preserve my facial identity and natural features. Give me authentic 1990s Indian fashion, hairstyle and accessories. Use dramatic studio lighting, rich but slightly faded colours, soft focus and realistic analogue film grain. The photograph should feel inspired by a 1990s Bollywood magazine or film publicity shoot, without looking like a modern photograph with a vintage filter.’

These prompts can help recreate different visual elements of the decade, from hairstyles and clothing to film-camera grain, faded colours and studio lighting.

By adjusting the setting, outfit or photography style in the prompt, users can experiment with different versions of their ’90s-inspired AI portraits.