Create a Retro Selfie with Your Baby Version Using Gemini

Picture this: you’re scrolling through old family photos and see one of your mom holding you as a baby. You think, “What would it look like if I could hold my own baby version?” It sounds like something straight out of science fiction, but thanks to Google’s new AI image model, you can actually make this weird and wonderful idea come to life.

I tried this myself and the results were both hilarious and surprisingly touching. There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing yourself holding a tiny version of you, complete with your same facial features and hairstyle.

Google recently released their Nano Banana image model as part of Gemini, and it’s genuinely impressive at photo editing. The model understands faces well enough to create believable variations of your appearance at different ages.

Getting started is simple. Head over to gemini.google.com and start a new chat. You can also use aistudio.google.com – just select “generate media” and then choose “nano banana.”

The Baby Version Prompt

Following is the reference photo I used.

Once you’re set up, attach your photo and use this prompt:

Create a retro style selfie of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me but younger, as an infant, wearing same kind of dress I wore. The baby version should have the important facial features and hair style of the adult. Both of us should appear in the mirror phone selfie, with me holding the baby in one arm. The style should look like an old printed photo from the 1980s, with warm tones, slight grain, and a white border.

This prompt works because it gives the AI clear instructions about what you want while being specific about the style. The “retro” element adds charm, and mentioning specific details like “warm tones” and “slight grain” helps create that authentic vintage look.

7 Creative Prompt Variations to Try

Want to mix things up? Here are seven different approaches that each create a unique vibe:

1. Polaroid Instant Magic

Create a Polaroid-style selfie of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me but as an infant, with similar features and hairstyle. I should be holding the baby in one arm while taking a mirror selfie. The photo should look like an instant film print from the late 70s, with soft faded colors, a Polaroid white frame, slight blur, and nostalgic overexposure on the edges.

2. Vintage Studio Portrait

Create a retro studio portrait photo of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me as an infant, with similar features and hairstyle. Instead of a mirror selfie, the shot should look like a posed portrait in front of a vintage painted backdrop, with warm film tones, slight vignette, and soft flash lighting typical of 1980s family portraits.

3. Classic Black and White

Create a black-and-white retro selfie of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should resemble me as an infant, with the same facial structure and hairstyle. I should be holding the baby in one arm while taking a mirror selfie. The photo should look like an old printed black-and-white photograph, with film grain, scratches, and slightly torn edges for a vintage touch.

4. Sunny Outdoor Moment

Create a retro-style photo of me holding my baby version outdoors. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me as an infant, with similar features and hairstyle. Instead of a mirror selfie, make it a candid outdoor shot under sunlight, as if taken during a summer afternoon in the 1980s. Add warm film tones, slight overexposure, and a faded postcard-like look.

5. Sepia Nostalgia

Create a sepia-toned retro photo of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me as an infant, with important features and hairstyle. Both of us should appear in a mirror selfie. The photo should look aged, with sepia color grading, visible creases, slight fading, and textured paper to give it an authentic old-photo effect.

6. VHS Time Capsule

Create a retro VHS-style frame of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me as an infant, with the same facial structure and hairstyle. I should be holding the baby in one arm while taking a mirror selfie. The picture should look like a freeze-frame from an old VHS tape, with visible scan lines, timestamp in the corner (1987), and a slightly blurred, nostalgic aesthetic.

7. Dreamy Soft Focus

Create a dreamy retro-style selfie of me holding my baby version. Use my uploaded photo as the adult reference. The baby should look like me but younger, with matching hairstyle and features. Both of us should appear in the mirror selfie, but the photo should have a soft focus effect, pastel tones, warm 80s glow, and slight lens flares for a dreamy nostalgic feel.

Upload a clear, well-lit photo where your face is visible and not obscured by shadows or accessories. The AI works better when it can clearly see your facial features.

Also try the same prompt multiple times. AI image generation can produce different results each time, so you might get an even better version on your second or third try.

Each of these prompts creates a different mood and aesthetic. The Polaroid version feels casual and authentic, while the studio portrait has that formal family photo vibe. The VHS style is perfect if you want something that looks like it came from an old home video.

Creating these images is surprisingly fun and the results often look convincing enough to fool your friends (at least for a few seconds). Give it a try and see how your baby self would have looked in your arms.