How to colorize black and white photos with Google Gemini — no Photoshop required

1. Ensure you’re using the right model

Launch Gemini and ensure you are using the 2.5 Flash Image model. Use the dropdown menu to select it if it doesn’t appear.

2. Upload an image

Next, upload an image of up to 100MB in size — select + and choose Upload files before browsing your hard drive for something you’d like to work with.

For this, I tested Gemini's abilities using a public domain sepia photo downloaded from the Library of Congress to test Gemini’s magic.

3. Colorize an image

You can bring an old black-and-white image to life by colorizing it. To do so, you simply need to type the prompt: colorize this photo and press Return on the keyboard.

4. Check the result

The first attempt at colorization was subtle. It removed much of the sepia tone but it still wouldn’t count as color.

You shouldn’t be afraid to follow up with a further request. I used the following: can you make it more vivid?

5. Be more precise

More color was added but it still wasn’t right. I then prompted: Keep going but with more color across the whole image, and it began to get closer to what I was after.

But here’s the thing, you can be very specific. You can ask Gemini to concentrate on a specific aspect of an image. For example, change the color of the woman’s top to blue. Within seconds, it obliged.

6. Replace a background

You can even alter a background. For example, I asked: Change the background so that it looks more like a modern home.

It retained the people and position of the people in the image along with the bicycle they were working on but placed them in a contemporary room.

7. Change an appearance

You could also alter someone’s appearance. The clever thing is that Gemini will analyze the photo and ensure that it’s contextual and appropriate.

So when I asked: Give everyone more modern clothes. Maybe sportswear — it not only obliged, it ensured the sportswear the woman was dressed in was related to cycling.

8. Download the image

The key is to keep playing around. You could use it to remove scratches from images or to bring faded photos back to life.

And when you’re done, you can click the download button and save a copy at its original size. It will put a small watermark in the bottom-right corner of the image but, to be honest, this could be easily cropped out.