Restore a faded family group photo
A family group photo with faded tones and lost contrast brought back. Upload a clear photo, paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok, change the parts in brackets to suit you, and generate.
Part of the Old photo restoration trend
- Written for
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok
- You'll need
- A clear photo to upload
- Status
- Tested 19 Oct 2026 in grok-imagine-image-2.0
- Test settings
- Reference photo: an AI-generated old photo of fictional adults, made to look damaged for this test. Uploaded with the default copy text unchanged. Aspect ratio matched the reference photo (4:3). First result used; resized to 1600x1200 and converted to WebP.
- Variability
- Repairs and colours are the model's guess and vary between runs; always compare with your original photo.
Prompt
Use the uploaded old family photo as the reference and restore it; everyone in it is my family. Keep every face exactly as it is: same features, expression, age, skin tone and proportions; do not beautify, slim or reshape anyone. Keep everyone's ages as they are in the photo; check the result against the original. Scene: the same family group in the same places, with the yellowing and washed-out contrast corrected. Pose: keep every pose and position exactly as in the original. Clothing: keep every outfit as in the original, with its patterns made clearer only where already visible. Light: restore natural contrast and depth without changing the light direction. Style: restored family photograph, keeping the original sepia tone, fine original grain kept. Format: same aspect ratio as the original photo Avoid: changing any face, age or identity, adding or removing people, adding new details, over-smoothing skin, text, logos, watermarks.
Customise
For example: yellowing and washed-out contrast.
For example: keeping the original sepia tone.
Fields start with illustrative values; replace them with your own facts. The prompt updates as you type. Copy prompt copies your version.
How to use it
- Open an external image tool listed above. The tested model, if any, is named in Status.
- Upload a clear reference photo of the subject. If it includes identifiable people, get their consent and check each face.
- Customise the fields, copy your version, paste it with the photo and generate.
- Compare the result with the reference. If a face, pose or detail changes, ask for one correction or try again; an exact match is not guaranteed.
How to use this prompt
- This prompt changes your own photo. Choose a clear reference photo, and get permission from people who can be identified.
- Upload the photo in the external AI app you chose. Fill Customise, press Copy prompt and paste the prompt with the photo.
- Compare the new picture with the original. Face, hands, clothes and pose can change. An exact likeness is not guaranteed.
Good to know
- Small faces at the back of a group often get reshaped; zoom in and compare each one.
- Use reference photos you have the right to use; get consent from identifiable people.
