How to take great Modern + Vintage Photos

This is the harsh truth; the antique filter has seen better days. Your photographs will appear to have been taken in 2012, with sepia-tinted backgrounds and yellow vignettes – which is retro, to be sure, but only as a throwback to the early days of smartphone photography.

When smartphone cameras initially became available, they weren't all that impressive: They were a far cry from what the average smartphone can take today, with washed-out colors, low-resolution photos, and fuzzy edges. That's why picture filters were so popular: they were a quick remedy for poor image quality, a simple method to bring out some details, make images more lifelike with contrast, or simply give them a transient sense of nostalgia.

Many people's smartphones now have the finest cameras they've ever had, and they enable some serious photography. Filters aren't as necessary as they once were because there isn't anything left to hide. However, using a retro optic to give images a unique look is still enjoyable. Simple filters are a fantastic place to start, but manually editing your photos and creating your look is more enjoyable.

From my knowledge of photography, here are a few tips and tricks that I use to make my photos look like they’re from another age. It does not seem overly edited.

Colors that have faded

Always keep in mind that the look you're shooting for is from the golden age of film photography when everyone's memories were printed on paper. Photos are damaged when they are kept in photo albums or shoe boxes in attics for long periods of time. Their hues fade, their themes flatten, and details fade away.

You may get that appearance by lowering the contrast or just lowering the saturation of your photos. Then, to make it pop a little more, add some contrast or a red tint.

A Little Blurry is not bad at all

Photographs taken with modern cameras are razor-sharp. But it wasn't always like this: back in the day, cameras used less sharp lenses that rendered far less detail. In this regard, the older smartphones performed admirably. However, it's far easier to start with a technically excellent shot and diminish its sharpness than it is to try to make an old photograph look presentable. Simply adding a bit (or a lot!) of blur to your images will make them appear less sharp, giving them a completely different vibe. It’s also a look you can aim for when shooting: Just focus on something other than the intended subject and play with the blur.