Colourise Your Black-and-White Photos Using ChatGPT

Have you ever stumbled upon a cherished black-and-white photo of your grandparents or a historic moment that feels frozen in time?

What if you could see those scenes in colour, bringing them closer to the present while preserving their essence?

Thanks to advanced AI tools like ChatGPT, you can now do just that, without the need for professional software or complicated editing skills.

What makes ChatGPT different?

Unlike standard colourising apps that use preset filters and often give generic results, ChatGPT lets you guide the creative process. Its image generation capabilities allow you to colourise photos in a more nuanced and historically accurate way.

With ChatGPT, you can choose everything from the skin tones and clothing shades to the background colours, all while ensuring that the lighting, contrast, and texture remain as authentic as the original.

How to add colour to Black-and-White photos with ChatGPT

It only takes two simple steps:

1. Upload the image

Start by clicking the image icon within the ChatGPT chat window. Upload your black-and-white photo. The model, with image tools enabled, will recognize and prepare the photo for transformation.

This AI-powered process can revive your black-and-white snapshots into vivid, realistic colour photos, all with impressive precision.

2. Provide a detailed prompt

Once your photo is uploaded, the next step is to give clear and descriptive instructions. This is where you tell the AI what you want the final image to look like. You can specify skin tone, clothing style, era, and background features.

Here’s an example of a great prompt to use:

“Colorise this black and white photo as realistically as possible. Preserve natural skin tones, accurate eye color, and authentic lighting. Maintain the original atmosphere and character of the image—avoid artificial or overly saturated colors. For landscapes or street scenes, use lifelike hues for the sky, trees, clothing, and buildings. Ensure details remain sharp, and the final result should look like a genuine color photo, not something obviously edited or AI-generated.”

Once submitted, wait a few seconds while ChatGPT processes the image. The result can then be downloaded and even refined further if needed.

A modern twist to old stories

AI tools like ChatGPT are making it easier than ever to restore and personalise old memories. Whether it’s for a family album, a creative project, or just curiosity, colourising your vintage photos can bring new emotional depth to historical images.