Rewinding Time: The Nostalgic Self-Portrait | by Christine McRoberts
The Project: Portrait Retro Brand
On the floor, wrapped in a bedsheet while hanging out of the dryer is how I found myself at the start of 2025.
Longing for fresh inspiration in a new year, I was attempting to recreate a photo I had found on Pinterest. Not much else to do during the dead of winter in Canada. Throw in some Oreos to add my own twist, and my monthly project, Portrait Retro Brand, was born.
Since January, I have continued to use retro brands to evoke a sense of nostalgia through this monthly project. Using them as a tasty distraction from a newly neglected chore, I hoped to exhibit playfulness and humour while kicking it old school.
Inspiration
At a time where the world can be a bit too much, a little simplicity goes a long way. We are constantly bombarded by endless stimuli yet often stuck in a creative rut. Time seems to fly by at an unapologetic speed, while our photography can feel at a standstill. If we could only reverse that and have time stand just a little more still, while getting those creative juices flowing just little bit faster. Well, we can!
If you ever find yourself lacking inspiration and yet simultaneously overwhelmed by life, think simple. Pretend to be a kid again. What was your favourite food, show, activity? Your least favourite chore? Think back to retro clothing or pull out those roller skates! While we cannot physically turn back time, we can have fun relishing in the past and documenting these playful moments as we do so.
Stylizing
Pick a setting that brings your vision to life. Whether it be a roller skating park, a car wash, or even a corner of your own home, use a backdrop that adds to the story you are trying to tell.
In these types of photos, choose camera settings that will allow for more of your surroundings to be seen. The wider lens helps with this, but a narrowing of aperture can be beneficial as well.
When stylizing your shoot, choose clothing and prop colours that will enhance your photo. Using complimentary colours can really add pop and balance to your image. (You can always manipulate the colour of certain objects or clothing to flow better in Lightroom or Photoshop.)
While also a huge fan of black and white, I do this entire series in colour. If you are aiming to tell a humorous story, I find colour works best. It is playful and whimsical. Similarly, if you are looking to throwback to retro vibes, colour can really add that vintage punch.
Get in the Frame
No one is around so let your guard down. (If you're in public, you will likely never see those people again. Once you get in the flow, you'll forget about the lurking strangers.)
Set up a tripod. You can use a timer, remote control, or your phone in most cases. I shoot with a Nikon z6ii and absolutely love the ease and flexibility of the Nikon SnapBridge app. (For Canon users, a similar app is available.) You can adjust all settings and shoot from your phone, not having to return to your camera for a more seamless shoot.
Take a bunch of photos, repositioning the camera and angle, change positions, facial expressions, etc. I tend to use a 35mm lens for this series to encompass as much of the setting as I can for better storytelling.
Editing
I love the saying that an editor is a painter. A photo really comes to life in the editing stage. I especially find that to be true when going for a vintage or cinematic vibe.
In this series, as with my cinematic edits, I do something a little outside the norm of my usual editing style - I go a little crazy with colour manipulation. That tint slider gets the exercise it would normally be lacking. Changing tint in these cases, can add a dramatic retro or cinematic quality that I find works well when used intentionally.
Lifting blacks is another tweak I opt for with this series, washing out the contrast a bit to further enhance that vintage feel.
The Best of Both Worlds
While modernity provides wonderful tools for capturing moments through constantly evolving gear and editing programs, we often find ourselves longing for simpler times.
Through staging, fashion, props and editing styles, we can slow time down just enough to revisit the past, and perhaps chuckle along the way.
Using new technology to recreate nostalgic images is a way to fuse past and present. The outcome being higher quality photos that tickle the soul of the inner child, a timeless story told.
