A new trend is taking over social media — restoring old, grainy photos with Google Gemini AI and ChatGPT. Users are transforming faded, blurry, or damaged pictures into sharp, DSLR-quality portraits that look as if they were taken recently.
These advanced AI tools use deep learning models trained on massive image datasets to enhance photos by improving lighting, color, texture, and clarity. The results have impressed users worldwide, with many saying that AI makes old pictures appear “as if the photo was taken yesterday.”
In a post on X, the official Gemini AI account said, “The most unexpected and heartwarming use of Nano Banana? Photo restoration. See how people are bringing their cherished memories to life with Gemini by refining, unblurring, and colourising old photos.”
While both Gemini and ChatGPT deliver remarkable results, early comparisons suggest that Gemini Nano Banana excels at maintaining natural color tones and texture, whereas ChatGPT performs well in preserving sharpness and fine facial details. The choice between the two often depends on personal preference and the desired visual outcome.
How to restore your old photos using Gemini or ChatGPT
Restoring your vintage images is simple. Upload the old photo to Google Gemini or ChatGPT, then use a detailed prompt to enhance it. AI will automatically process and improve the photo to make it look like a professional studio portrait.
An AI expert on X, @ShreyaYadav_, shared a detailed example prompt that has become popular among users.
Prompt:
“Restore Your Old Photo with Gemini or ChatGPT using Old Photo, AI ChatGPT and AI Gemini. Edit this photo into a professional portrait of very high quality and colour, comparable to the results of Canon EOS R5. Create like a recent photo, with great clarity and no noise. Produce razor-sharp photos. Full HD 32k.”
Top prompts to enhance your AI photo restoration
- Maintain Identity and Originality: Keep the person’s exact facial features, expressions, and natural look without altering identity.
- Clarity and Resolution: Sharpen the image to ultra-high quality, removing noise, blur, and grain.
- Color Correction: Restore authentic skin tones, balanced lighting, and natural shadows. Avoid oversaturated colors.
- Remove Damage: Clean up cracks, stains, or faded areas while preserving the photo’s authenticity.
- Texture and Detail: Subtly enhance details such as eyes, hair, wrinkles, and fabric textures for a modern finish.
- Lighting Enhancement: Add soft, natural or studio-style lighting to bring the subject to life.
- Background Refinement: Smooth and clarify the background without changing its type or setting.
- Output Quality: Ensure a crisp, noise-free image with balanced contrast and realistic depth.
- Final Result: Deliver a high-resolution, emotionally rich portrait that keeps the essence of the original photo.
With just a few prompts, users can now revive old family memories, giving decades-old photos a modern, lifelike touch through the power of AI.
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