Photo shoots in retro style are incredibly popular today, and this is not surprising, because the exciting era of the 20th century still excites the imagination with its elegance, sophistication, standards of beauty and luxury. Surely every girl dreams of imagining herself in the image of a sophisticated lady of the 20s or 50s. In our article we will tell you in more detail about what the Retro style is and how to take beautiful photos.
So, retro is an abstract concept that combines various trends of the 20th century, from the 20s to the 80s. Such a wide time period allows you to choose the era that is most suitable in nature. A retro style photo shoot is a great idea for those who love musicals, jazz, legendary actors and actresses, as well as the unusual and adventurous spirit of the time.
The highlight of the photographs is the play with light and shadows, allowing you to convey the smallest details. Black and white and sepia images are especially popular because they have a stunning vintage feel.
To create a luxurious look for a photo shoot in retro style, you need to think through and recreate the style as much as possible, choose the right wardrobe and attributes for the shoot. It is equally important to feel the atmosphere of the era and convey it as much as possible, using facial expressions, poses, and demeanor.
Retro Photo Ideas: 20s
One of the favorite images of modern girls, mysterious and filled with special energy. The ideal of the 20s is a slender brunette with short wavy hair in a slightly tight dress with a low waist and a revealing cutout at the back.
For many, the 20s are associated with the famous Coco Chanel, who revolutionized the fashion of that time. As a wardrobe for a retro style photo shoot, you can use a men's cut trouser suit, a white shirt, a hat with a veil, a pencil skirt, etc. Props can be a fan, a string of pearls, a fluffy boa, a cigarette holder, a cloche hat, or dark lipstick.
How to take photos in retro style?
This genre is quite labor-intensive: it requires both preliminary preparation and serious post-processing of images. First, the photographer must find “pieces of antiquity” that he will capture in the photo - clothing for a portrait, dishes for a still life, or an ancient building for a city streetscape. After shooting, you need to age the photo by working on the colors, contrast and brightness.
When shooting a portrait, it is important to recreate the fashion of the chosen period. To do this, you can look at old magazines, movies or grandma’s outfits that have been preserved from the time of her youth. In addition to clothes, one should not forget about hairstyle, makeup and accessories. Even gestures and posture can mentally assign us to a particular decade. Cigars, strings of pearls, which were introduced into fashion by Coco Chanel, rotary phones, vinyl records, typewriters and other recognizable antiques look great in the frame. It is important not to forget about the surroundings: a modern plastic window will negate all the romance.
Photo shoot in the style of “Hipsters”: 40s
This trend appeared in the USSR in the 40s, when, contrary to generally accepted standards, young people tried to stand out from the gray crowd. To do this, she dressed in everything bright and catchy, listened to forbidden music and had a blast. How to make a retro photo in the style of “Hipsters”?
A bright and colorful wardrobe, catchy accessories, unusual hairstyles, as well as open and free poses will allow you to recreate a unique atmosphere. There can be many ideas for a photo shoot. You can shoot in retro style on the street, on the dance floor, near colorful buildings. Vivid images and emotions will allow you to fully convey the fiery mood of the era of dudes.
Retro photo shoot at home
To shoot in an apartment or house, you need to recreate the right surroundings. For example, the house must be made of wood, the wallpaper must be antique, without large patterns or bright colors, if we are talking about a country house.
Fashionable interior of the 80s
In some places, chipped plaster, worn paint and old furniture are only a plus, since under the socialist system many lived poorly, and food, clothing and furniture were in short supply. Only party members and government employees had beautiful, spacious houses with perfect, at that time, renovation.
Note! For the surroundings, you can choose records with a player, the first tape recorder, a pile of newspapers and a typewriter to embody the style of the USSR. If you can find a small TV or landline telephone, they will also fit well into the interior.
If you want to realize an extraordinary photo shoot in an old style, it is important to think through the image to the smallest detail, study photographs in the style of bygone years in order to correctly convey the atmosphere and harmoniously fit into the image.
Ideas for a photo shoot in retro style: 50s
The ideal of the 50s is radically different from the image of the 20s. Now the model of beauty is a blonde with scarlet lips, big eyes, fluffy eyelashes and measurements 90-60-90. We bet you immediately remembered Marilyn Monroe, didn't you? Girls of the 50s are characterized by sophistication, sexuality, femininity and a kind of naivety.
To create an image for a photo shoot in retro style, fitted dresses with wide belts, godet skirts, wide-brimmed hats, gloves, small bags, scarves, glasses, etc. are suitable. The designs of the clothes are in bright sunny colors with simple designs like polka dots, squares, flowers etc.
The image of girls at this time was actively used on the covers of magazines and posters. It was this era (although the phenomenon itself appeared much earlier) that gave us such a trend as Pin up (from English to pin up - to pin, that is, a poster pinned to the wall).
Retro-style clothing by year. Photo
The word retro is translated from Latin as “facing into the past or backwards.” Simply put, retro-style clothes are clothes and images of past years. But here we must understand that we cannot endlessly turn our gaze back. For example, the clothes of the ancient Romans are no longer retro! For now, retro style means the time period from the 20s to the 70s of our century. True, some are already adding the 80s and 90s to the retro style.
To dress in retro style, you must follow the most important rule: do not mix different eras! It makes sense, a 20s style dress and 70s clogs would look silly when paired together.
Therefore, let's find out in a little more detail the distinctive features of each decade, so that if you wish, you can choose the time period that appeals to you most and dress elegantly and beautifully in retro style!
Outrageous 20s
In the 20s, every fashionista wanted to stand out, look as impressive and original as possible. In this decade, women preferred luxury and chic: a lot of pearls, a lot of fur, cigarettes with an elegant cigarette holder, legendary waves in their hair, feathers in their hair and cloche hats. The fashion of this time is sometimes called “Chicago style.”
It was from the 20s that charming fishnet stockings, seductive feminine dresses with low waists and open backs, as well as stunning fringed dresses and, of course, boas came to us!
The 20s are the time when the corset finally went out of fashion. But thinness has become a trend: small breasts and narrow hips. In addition to Chicago-style dresses, a boyish, even tomboyish style was also in fashion: many fashionistas began to dress unisex and wear trousers.
The queen of fashion of the 20s, without a doubt, was Coco Chanel and her legendary black dress!
Today, the style of the 20s is very relevant not only for theme parties, but also in everyday life. Many designers add the charm of these years to their collections.
Graceful 30s
After the “skinny” 20s, the incredibly feminine and graceful 30s come to the delight of the male half of humanity. The Chicago style is still in fashion, but boyish looks have been replaced by elegant dresses made of flowing fabrics that highlight the beautiful curves of the female body.
Style icons include the charming Katharine Hepburn, the elegant Marlene Dietrich, the unsurpassed Greta Garbo and the beautiful Vivier Leigh. Therefore, fashion includes fur, long gloves, hats and all kinds of draperies, which fashionistas copied, looking at their favorite actresses.
Today, the style of the 30s is reflected in evening dresses. The most popular movie divas of our time often appear on the red carpet in luxurious outfits in the spirit of the 30s.
Minimalistic 40s
The beginning of the 40s promised bright prospects in the fashion world: feminine full skirts, playful puffed sleeves and beautiful blouses with charming bows. But, unfortunately, wartime made its own adjustments. The outfits became as simple and monotonous as possible, naturally there was no glitz or chic. Women made the look more festive by adding white collars and drawing arrows on their legs, imitating scarce tights.
After the end of the war, women sought to look as festive and beautiful as possible, as meager funds allowed. It was at this time that many famous designers showed the height of their skill, inventing simple, but elegant and feminine dresses.
The legendary Christian Dior laid the foundation for the fashion of the 50s in the late 40s, offering a stunning dress style with narrow shoulders, a thin waist and a beautiful flared skirt. And of course the famous pencil skirt, the best creation of the master, which has become the standard of style and beauty!
The modern interpretation of the images of the 40s looks very touching and beautiful.
Romantic 50s
Women who suffered during wartime want to love and live beautifully again! Therefore, the new look style, the basis of which was proposed by Christian Dior in the late 40s, is becoming the most relevant. Fluffy layered skirts, brighter colors, bold prints and ruffles. During this period, elegant stiletto heels are included in the wardrobe of every fashionista. It is the style of the 50s that is considered the most romantic and feminine.
The 50s also became the founders of the catchy pin-up style: cropped high-waisted trousers, short bodice tops, flirty skirts, perky checks, headscarves and bright colors.
The style legend of this period is the incomparable Marilyn Monroe!
Today, many modern fashionistas love to copy the style of the 50s, creating bright and spectacular looks!
Epochal 60s
Revolution in the world of fashion! Only the outrageous 20s can compare with the popularity of the 60s. Today, many designers and fashionistas from all over the world are copying the style of the rebellious 60s: the time of the birth of daring miniskirts, the popularization of jeans and unisex clothing.
Seductive arrows, voluminous hairstyles with a backcomb, A-line dresses, geometric prints, short pleated skirts and skinny knee-high boots are still part of the wardrobe of fashionistas from all over the world!
Style legends are the charming Twiggy and the incredibly elegant Jacqueline Kennedy.
Bold 70s
Many designers consider the 70s to be a time of bad taste, when the hippie style emerged, rejecting all existing rules and canons of fashion.
Twiggy on the cover of Vogue
But with all this, it is the free and independent hippie style that most often provides inspiration for designers of our time.
Alberta Ferretti, Emilio Pucci, Blugirl
The disco style also emerged in the 70s: flared jeans and bell-bottoms were especially popular. Shirt dresses, overalls and blouses with bright patterns are in fashion. And, of course, crazy platform shoes and crazy afro hairstyles!
These days there is a real BOOM of the 70s. True, this is not a complete copy of the style, but rather its modern interpretation. But nevertheless, one cannot help but note such a craze for the images of these particular years.
80's and 90's
Fashion includes sports and everything connected with it. Aerobics is taking over the world! Girls wearing bright leggings and T-shirts are increasingly appearing on the streets. At this time, women's heads are decorated with stunning bouffants, revealing outfits with large jewelry and flashy makeup are becoming increasingly popular. The trend is glamorous shiny fabrics and jackets with wide shoulders. At this time, rock style begins to gain momentum: a leather biker jacket, metal studs and ripped jeans become the hit of the era!
Today, the style of these years is more used for themed parties. But certain elements of style are increasingly being copied by young girls into their everyday looks.
As we said above, if you want to dress in a retro style, you must stick to plus/minus one era. At the same time, it is desirable that your entire image as a whole be consistent in this style: hairstyle, makeup and accessories should correspond to the chosen time.
But let’s make a reservation right away. Today it is allowed to mix retro style with modern clothing elements. And also, on the contrary, adding individual retro-style details to a modern look. The main thing is to do everything in moderation!
For example, you can wear a dress in a retro style, the same 20s or 50s, but at the same time take a modern clutch and wear fashionable elegant sandals. Of course, such an image will not be considered a full-fledged look in retro style, but no one will call you a girl with bad taste.
Retro photo shoot in Hippie style: 60s
Simple and comfortable clothes with unusual ethnic patterns, jeans, massive accessories and voluminous jewelry - all this is inherent in the Hippie style, which is loved by many. By the way, even today the movement does not lose its popularity. Firstly, the concept of culture is close to many people. Secondly, it is in this style that many see freedom from the shackles of social standards.
How to take a photo in retro style? Choose a matching unisex wardrobe and matching accessories. A guitar, a small van, wreaths of wild flowers, Holi colors, etc. can create an ambience. It is recommended to conduct a photo shoot outdoors, for example in a forest, park or while traveling.
Features of a vintage photo
Vintage is a style in photography, intended primarily for the elite public. For authentic vintage photographs taken by the artist 30 or more years ago, many collectors are willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money. And exhibitions of such works become an extraordinary event in the field of art.
To take a skillful vintage photo, it is not enough to have high-quality equipment and a passionate desire to create. To achieve the desired goal, the artist has to give his all. In such a matter there are no unimportant nuances; every little detail in the composition plays an important role, be it:
- pose, hairstyle, makeup, accessories and clothing of the characters in the work;
- environment and background;
- image color and contrast;
- presence of small defects in the image (scuffs, scratches, blurs).
An experienced person will always be able to distinguish a skillfully made vintage photograph from its mediocre copy. In the same way, a true art connoisseur immediately notices the difference between an original painting and its reproduction.
Photo in the style of “Hot Disco”: 80s
Extravagant style that will allow you to create unforgettable images. The main idea of a retro photo shoot is to show all the originality and brightness of a person. The main attributes are colorful leggings, sportswear, stretch jeans, glasses with colored frames, and shiny jewelry.
The style can combine incongruous things, the main thing is that everything is bright and catchy. The shooting can be done in the gym, at a disco, or outdoors. We shouldn’t forget the mood that the photo should convey: impudent, slightly eccentric, mischievous.
A photo shoot in Retro style and the creation of images should be taken seriously and prepared in advance. It is necessary to think through every detail, from wardrobe and props to equipment. Instax instant cameras will allow you to convey the atmosphere of the chosen era as much as possible, with which you can create cozy and “lamp” photo cards. Such pictures can charge you with a special mood. Find out more about how to take retro photos using instant cameras on our blog.
Why vintage photos attract people
Interest in vintage photography on the part of collectors can be explained by many reasons:
- A small proposal. The number of vintage photographic masterpieces on the market remains very limited from year to year. There are always many more people wishing to purchase exclusive photographs than there are offers worthy of attention.
- High artistic value. Masterpieces easily stand the test of time. They never go out of fashion, despite the emergence of new trends and periodic changes in the tastes of society.
- Investment attractiveness. Buying an original vintage photo is a profitable long-term financial investment. Over the years, the value of such a photograph will steadily increase; its owner can sell it at any time to make a substantial profit.
- Obvious image acquisitions. The owner of an exclusive vintage photo gets a unique opportunity to make a worthy impression on others. Such a photo not only attracts the attention of guests, but also helps to increase the status of its owner.
- Aesthetic component. A vintage photo is a beautiful work of art. You can admire it in moments of joy and sadness, enjoy and be proud of it throughout your life, and pass it on to your descendants in your declining years.
Vintage photography continues to gain popularity even in the era of computer technology. And masters capable of creating unique masterpieces using photographic equipment will continue to be in demand by art connoisseurs in the future.
The Very Important Lot portal gives all visitors an excellent opportunity to take part in art auctions and purchase antique masterpieces, including rare vintage ones. Here you can directly buy paintings and original photographs from talented contemporary artists.
VSCO
If you don’t know how to take a retro photo, then the VSCO program will come to the rescue. You can download it from official stores.
VSCO filters that create the effect of old film in a photo:
- The A4 filter makes the photo faded and gives it brownish tints;
- Filter C1 gives the frame a warm effect;
- C5 gives photos a yellowish tone and whitens them a little;
- The M5 filter creates a muted green tint;
- P7 is somewhat similar to sepia;
- The T1 filter makes all colors softer and more delicate.
How to take a retro photo in VSCO:
- Exposure (Shutter speed) decrease by -1 or -2.
- Clarity (Sharpness) increase by +1.
- light areas to +3.
- Discolor by +2.
- Set Grain to +3 (at your discretion).
- If desired, the Shadows can be changed to a green tint by +1 or +2 (such colored circles).
All values are approximate, you need to set them based on your original photo.
Fashionable images in retro style. Photo
For inspiration and just as examples, we have selected for you photos of modern fashionable and beautiful images in retro style.
12th January, 2015
