The ChatGPT '80s photo trend has taken over Instagram, with users transforming their modern photographs into portraits that look like they were captured decades ago. The AI-generated images recreate the fashion, hairstyles, lighting and photography styles associated with the decade.
From Bollywood-inspired studio portraits to old family-album photographs, users are experimenting with different ways of recreating the distinctive look of the 1980s. The images typically feature voluminous hairstyles, colourful Indian clothing, statement jewellery, warm lighting, soft focus and subtle analogue film grain.
The trend can also be given a regional touch by recreating photographs inspired by Kerala and Malayali culture of the era. Users can ask ChatGPT to incorporate details such as traditional gold jewellery, classic Kerala homes and period-appropriate hairstyles while keeping the person's facial features recognisable.
(Also Read: 1980s AI photo trend: Step-by-step guide to create your own retro portraits using ChatGPT)
Here are 5 ChatGPT prompts to create 1980s Kerala-style images
Classic Malayali family portrait: Recreate this photograph as an authentic Malayali family portrait from Kerala in the mid-1980s. Keep everyone's natural facial features, identities and expressions recognisable. Dress the women in traditional Kerala kasavu sarees and the men in period-appropriate shirts and mundus. Add authentic 1980s hairstyles and simple traditional jewellery. Set the photograph inside a modest Kerala home with wooden furniture and subtle traditional decor. Use warm studio lighting, soft focus, subtle film grain and slightly faded colours. Make it look like a genuine family photograph taken in Kerala in the 1980s, not a modern photo with a vintage filter.
{{/usCountry}}Classic Malayali family portrait: Recreate this photograph as an authentic Malayali family portrait from Kerala in the mid-1980s. Keep everyone's natural facial features, identities and expressions recognisable. Dress the women in traditional Kerala kasavu sarees and the men in period-appropriate shirts and mundus. Add authentic 1980s hairstyles and simple traditional jewellery. Set the photograph inside a modest Kerala home with wooden furniture and subtle traditional decor. Use warm studio lighting, soft focus, subtle film grain and slightly faded colours. Make it look like a genuine family photograph taken in Kerala in the 1980s, not a modern photo with a vintage filter.
{{/usCountry}}1980s Kerala wedding portrait: Transform this photograph into an authentic Kerala wedding portrait from the 1980s. Retain the original facial features and identities. Dress the woman in a traditional cream-and-gold kasavu saree with classic Kerala gold jewellery, and the man in a traditional mundu with a period-appropriate shirt. Add natural 1980s hairstyles and a simple wedding-studio backdrop. Use warm studio lighting, soft focus, subtle analogue film grain and slightly faded but realistic colours. Avoid excessive sepia or artificial ageing.
Vintage Malayali woman portrait: Recreate this photograph as a glamorous yet authentic 1980s Kerala studio portrait of a Malayali woman. Preserve natural facial features and identity. Add a traditional Kerala saree, classic gold earrings, bangles and a simple bindi, with a voluminous 1980s hairstyle inspired by the era. Use warm studio lighting, soft focus, subtle film grain and slightly faded colours. Keep the colours natural and slightly faded.
1980s Kerala college portrait: Turn this photograph into an authentic 1980s Kerala college-era portrait. Keep the original face, facial structure and expression recognisable. Add period-appropriate 1980s Indian clothing and hairstyle, with a simple Malayali look. Keep the result photorealistic. Avoid excessive vintage effects, sepia tones or artificial-looking ageing. The photograph should look naturally shot on an analogue camera in the 1980s.
Malayalam cinema-inspired portrait: Recreate this photograph as an authentic 1980s Malayalam cinema-inspired studio portrait. Keep original facial features, identity and natural expression recognisable. Give me period-accurate 1980s hair, makeup and clothing, with dramatic studio lighting, soft focus, subtle film grain and the look of an analogue camera.