AI photo restoration has made professional-quality editing accessible to everyone. What once required expensive software and years of practice can now be achieved with a well-crafted prompt. These techniques work with Nano Banana Pro and similar AI image tools.

In This Guide

Identifying Your Photo Damage

Before choosing a restoration technique, correctly identify what type of damage your photo has. Different problems need different approaches.

Scratches & Tears

Physical damage creating lines or missing sections. Requires inpainting to fill gaps.

Fading & Yellowing

Age-related color loss. Requires contrast restoration and color correction.

Low Resolution

Blurry or pixelated photos. Requires AI upscaling with detail enhancement.

Water Damage

Stains, blotching, and color bleeding. Requires both inpainting and color restoration.

Black & White

No color damage — just needs AI colorization to add realistic colors.

Unwanted Objects

People, signs, or objects you want removed from the image background.

Core Restoration Techniques

Inpainting (Filling Missing Areas)

Inpainting fills damaged or missing sections of a photo by intelligently generating plausible content based on the surrounding area.

Inpainting Prompt Template
Restore this [era] photograph. Fill in [damaged areas: tears/scratches/water stains] using the surrounding context. Maintain the [style: formal portrait/outdoor scene] and [era: 1950s/Victorian] aesthetic. Preserve all existing facial features and clothing details exactly.

Restoring Old Photographs

Old photographs need a careful balance — restore enough to be clear, but preserve the authentic aged character that makes them special.

Victorian/Edwardian Portrait

Restore this damaged Victorian portrait photograph. Remove dust specks and light scratches. Improve contrast and sharpness while maintaining the authentic period feel. Preserve the sepia tone and grain. Do not over-process to appear modern.

1950s-70s Family Photos

Restore this faded 1960s family photograph. Reduce yellowing, improve contrast, remove visible scratches and fold creases. Maintain the warm vintage film character. Sharpen facial features while keeping the period-appropriate aesthetic.

War Era Photographs

Restore this WWII-era military photograph. Repair tears and water damage. Improve sharpness on faces and uniforms. Maintain the black and white aesthetic. Preserve historical authenticity while improving overall clarity.

AI Colorization

Adding realistic color to black-and-white photographs brings history to life. The key is providing context so the AI makes historically accurate color choices.

Provide historical context for accurate colors

Tell the AI the era, location, and subject matter so it can make informed color choices. "1940s British military uniform" will produce more accurate greens than just "military uniform".

Colorization Prompt Template
Colorize this [era] black and white photograph of [subject]. Apply historically accurate colors for [time period/location]. Skin tones should appear natural and warm. [Clothing/environment: specific color instructions if known]. Natural realistic colorization, not oversaturated.

Object Removal

Remove unwanted objects, people, logos, or text from photos while seamlessly filling the background.

Remove People

Remove the stranger walking in the background of this beach photograph. Fill the area with a natural continuation of the sand and ocean scene behind them. Maintain consistent lighting and perspective.

Remove Signs/Text

Remove the commercial signage from the building facade in this architectural photograph. Replace with clean brick/render matching the surrounding wall texture and color. Preserve window and door placements.

Quality Enhancement & Upscaling

For low-resolution or blurry photos, AI can reconstruct lost detail and sharpen key areas — particularly faces.

Enhancement Prompt Template
Upscale and enhance this low-resolution [subject] photograph. Reconstruct fine detail in [faces/fabric/background]. Improve sharpness throughout. Reduce noise and grain. Maintain natural appearance — do not over-sharpen to appear artificially crisp. Preserve the original character of the photograph.

Restore your photos with AI

Use Nano Banana Pro in ChilledSites to restore and enhance your photographs.

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