Key Takeaways
- Use filters on your smartphone to add warmth, contrast, and fade for a vintage look.
- Shoot in diffused, sunny, or rainy lighting conditions for vintage-style photos.
- Look for vintage clothing and surroundings, and download vintage-style camera apps.
Don’t feel disheartened if you thought you could only create vintage-style photos on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, because that isn’t true. Today, I’ll identify the ways that I create a vintage look in my photography using only my smartphone.
1 Use the Right Filter on Your Phone
Many vintage-style photos that come from a camera did not look like that when the photographer originally took the picture. Instead, the creator made their images look more vintage in post-production. While you can download third-party apps, your phone often has everything you need.
When trying to create a vintage-style look via a filter, look for something that adds warmth to your picture. You should also try to find something with a lot of contrast, and—if possible—some fade. For example, as an iPhone user, I really like Dramatic Warm for adding a vintage-style look to my images.
Besides picking the right filter, you can make further edits to your picture by adjusting multiple sliders. Start with saturation, tint, and vignetting. You might also want to consider these mobile apps that offer creative photo effects.
2 Shoot in Lighting Conditions That Suit a Vintage Style
Every type of photography relies a lot more on lighting than you think, and picking the right conditions to shoot in can significantly change the mood of your images. While I almost never recommend taking pictures in harsh lighting, I often make an exception for vintage-style images.
Since vintage photos often diffuse the light, having more to work with can be an advantage. Taking photos in sunny weather is also a great way to recreate how some of your favorite movies from the 1970s and 1980s looked.
Cloudy and rainy weather also offers a great opportunity to recreate vintage pictures. If you’re going to do this, I recommend trying to find spots of colors that you can use to make everything work in your favor. This is one of many ways you can turn rainy days into photography opportunities.
3 Look for Vintage-Style Clothing and Surroundings
While you can make modern subjects look vintage, doing so is much more difficult. If possible, you should strongly consider looking for vintage-style clothing, objects, and surroundings, such as cars. If you’re in a major city, you’ll probably encounter at least one person dressed in vintage clothing each day—especially since it seems to be back in fashion now.
Capturing timeless subjects, such as the yellow New York City taxis, is another idea. And if you’re traveling around Europe, consider photographing some of the older architecture that many cities across the continent have.
You will naturally have to work with your surroundings, and you might also need to be a bit more creative. Nonetheless, using subjects that are already vintage will make a huge difference in how easy it is to create what you’re aiming for.
4 Download a Vintage Camera App
When I first started testing different photo styles on my smartphone, I downloaded numerous camera apps—many of which had a vintage look. You’ll find numerous tools that will help you achieve this style; some will also add a retro date to make your pictures look even more old-fashioned.
1998 Cam is my favorite tool for instantly taking vintage photos with my smartphone. I can also recommend DAZE CAM. Besides downloading standalone apps, you may also wish to look at different Instagram filters to see if anything matches what you’re trying to achieve.
5 Try to Capture Lens Flare in Your Images
Capturing lens flare on a smartphone is harder than if you use a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but it’s by no means impossible. Focusing your camera on the light source is one essential starting point, and I recommend using this effect when the sun is closer to the horizon (e.g. later in the afternoon or early morning).
Increasing your on-screen brightness can also help you capture lens flare in your pictures. Try experimenting in different settings to see what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to adjust based on each individual picture.
While it’s admittedly easier to create vintage photos with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, it’s not impossible to do the same with your smartphone. By picking the right filter and choosing your lighting appropriately, you can capture the exact types of images you want.
