The fascination with older photography standards like point-and-shoot cameras or 35-millimeter film still persists in people too young to remember when that gear was cutting edge, similar the allure of vinyl records, classic video games, and the early internet. Apart from nostalgia and Instagram filters, the appeal of “vintage” photography is evident in the numerous apps designed to emulate the film, lenses, and visual quirks of predigital photos and movies.
Using a high-end smartphone camera to produce imperfect images that appear oversaturated, jittery, low-contrast, unfiltered, or otherwise analog may sound ironic. However, going for a retro look can help you practice your composition skills and evoke a different time period’s creative sensibility. If you are not yet ready to buy the original equipment, you can still get the vintage vibe.
Apple, Google, and Samsung include a variety of filters in their default photo apps, as well as built-in editing tools that can help you achieve the visual effects you desire without extra software. Manual adjustments of color saturation, tint, and other elements can make the photo look as if an ancient film camera had taken it.
For specific historical looks, apps with filters and algorithms designed to emulate certain analog film stocks, camera lenses, and other factors, like simulated light leaks and dust speckles are available. Just search the app store for camera or photography programs with keywords such as “vintage” or “retro.” Some apps may charge for extra filters, require a subscription, or have technical requirements, so be sure to read the specifications.
Hipstamatic for the iPhone is one of the best-known retro camera apps, originally released in 2009 and still around, offering filter combinations to mimic the look of prints taken with a cheap plastic 1980s camera. Other specialized apps for Android and iOS like Super 16, 8mm Vintage Camera, and more, offer customizable filters for both photos and videos.
To modernize old photos, you can also experiment with colorizing them using apps that use artificial intelligence to convert monochrome images, such as Colorize and Colorize Images, both available for Android and iOS. Genealogy services like MyHeritage and Ancestry offer a free photo colorization tool for subscribers using artificial intelligence to convert monochrome images.
These apps are generally less expensive than trawling eBay’s used camera section or getting film developed, but there are some things to keep in mind to reverse any editing on an original image or make duplicates for your experiments as a safe backup. Plus, some apps capture content with embedded effects leaving you with a permanently vintage-looking photo or video.
