There’s a charm to old photos that modern digital shots often lack. The faded colors, soft grain, and unique imperfections make them feel warm and nostalgic. With a few simple tweaks, you can recreate that vintage aesthetic using just your smartphone.
7Experiment With Flash Photography
With common film stocks set at 200 ISO and without the ability to change ISO during mid-roll, people had to rely on flash to take photographs during the night. This resulted in the harsh lighting and heavy shadows commonly seen in old photographs.
If you want to capture that classic overexposed look, try using your phone’s flash in dim settings. Position your subjects close to the camera for a stark, high-contrast effect.
If you want to soften the harshness, try covering your phone’s flash with a thin piece of tissue paper to diffuse the light. This results in harsh lighting on your subject while leaving the background darker, much like the look of film snapshots from the ‘90s.
6Shoot in 4:3 Ratio and Add Polaroid-Style Borders
The 4:3 ratio was an iconic aspect ratio often used in instant cameras like Polaroids. Instead of shooting in widescreen mode, switch to 4:3 in your camera settings. Later, you’re able to use editing apps likeSnapseedto add white borders and create that classic Polaroid feel.
If you want to push the instant film aesthetic further, try printing your photos on old, trimmed glossy paper. you may also upgrade to using an instant printer, such as theFujifilm InstaxorPolaroid Labto make printing more convenient. This adds a tangible retro feel that a digital screen just can’t replicate.
Vintage photo aesthetics come from amateur film photography—harsher lighting, boxy ratios, light leaks, warm tones, soft focus, grain, and heavy vignetting.
5Adjust White Balance and Saturation
Different film stocks used in old film cameras provided varying color tones—some have warm, yellowish tones, while others lean cooler with a bluish tint. you may replicate this by tweaking the white balance and saturation in your camera settings.
If you’re aiming for a faded film look, reduce the saturation slightly and lower the contrast. Adjusting the tint and temperature slightly can also help match different film esthetics. Cooler tones for a dreamy, cinematic look and warmer tones for a golden-hour feel.
If you want to go beyond simple color correction, consider using film emulation presets. Apps likeRNI Filmsmimic the color profiles of classic film stocks. you’re able to experiment with Kodak Gold for warm, nostalgic tones or Portra 400 for softer, muted hues.
Understanding the Camera Settings on Your Phone: What Each Feature Does
Discover what each camera setting on your phone actually does and how to utilize them for better photos.
4Simulate a 35mm Full-Frame Shot
A 35mm lens stretches the subject a lot, makes the background seem farther away, and produces no bokeh. Old film cameras shot natively with a 35mm focal length, producing images closer to the perceived field of view of the human eye (43 mm).
Smartphones today typically shoot with a focal length of 24-28mm (a lot less in selfie and ultrawide mode). When compared, the subjects in smartphone photos look stretched and have sharper backgrounds that look a lot farther away.
To simulate a 35mm shot, set your smartphone’s camera zoom to x1.5 or even x2, then move back until you have your desired frame. you’re able to then go to your photo editor and add a slight blur to the background tosimulate the bokeh effectfrom a native 35mm field of view.
3Shoot in Low Light or Add Grain and Blur
Older cameras struggled with low-light conditions, leading to grainy photos. you’re able to recreate this by taking pictures in dim lighting without artificial light sources. You can then increase the ISO for that natural grain effect. The dimmer the place, the higher ISO you can set your phone camera, and the more grain you gain.
For a more dramatic effect, try shooting under neon lights or candlelight. These lighting conditions emphasize grain and add interesting color shifts, much like photos from the ‘80s and ‘90s. If your phone allows manual controls, lowering the shutter speed slightly can add a bit of motion blur, further enhancing the retro feel.
7 Camera Settings for Low-Light Photography
Low-light photography poses several challenges, but you may adjust your camera settings to capture better pictures.
2Simulate Light Leaks and Vignette
Film cameras sometimes had light leaks, creating warm, random glows in photos. Light leaks often happen when older film cameras have small gaps in their seals, allowing extra light to hit the film. These leaks usually appear as reddish or yellowish flares along the edges of the photo.
You can replicate this effect with apps likeAfterlight, which lets you overlay subtle light leaks. A vignette effect—where the edges of the photo darken slightly—also adds to the retro feel, drawing focus to the center of your shot.
Adding these effects to your smartphone shots can help enhance the illusion of film photography. Some apps even let you adjust the intensity and placement of these leaks, making it easy to fine-tune the look.
1Tips to Make Retro Photography Easier
If you want to make things even simpler, consider using vintage-inspired filters.Retro photography appslike VSCO, Huji Cam, and RNI Films offer presets that mimic old-school film tones.
Printing your photos on instant film, like with a Fujifilm Instax Mini, can also add an extra nostalgic touch. If you really want to get creative,experiment with external clip-on lenseslike soft-focus filters to recreate the quirks of older cameras.
Another trick to getting an even more authentic retro feel is to use older smartphones. Some older phone cameras naturally produce softer, more imperfect images compared to modern flagship models. If you have an old iPhone or Android lying around, try taking photos with it to see if it naturally creates a vintage feel.
By combining these techniques, you can give your photos a timeless feel without needing an actual film camera. The key to nailing the retro look is embracing imperfections—soft focus, grain, color shifts, and unexpected light effects all contribute to the charm of vintage photography.
