# AI Yearbook Photo > One selfie in, a 1990s high school yearbook portrait out, laser backdrop and all. - URL: https://soracai.com/ai-yearbook-photo - Type: photo effect - Category: Retro (https://soracai.com/effects/retro) - Cost: 10 credits per run (packs from $4.99; pricing: https://soracai.com/pricing.md) - Inputs: Your photo – One person, face clearly visible, head and shoulders; Extra details (optional) (optional) – e.g. scrunchie and plaid blazer, or class of 1997 grunge look - Time: about 15 seconds - Watermark: none - Updated: 2026-10-04 ## What is the AI Yearbook Photo? The AI yearbook photo template turns a regular selfie into the kind of portrait that sat in an American high school yearbook in the mid-1990s. You get the mottled blue-grey backdrop school photographers used, soft studio flash, slightly faded color, the angled-shoulder pose, and a hairstyle and outfit from the era chosen to suit you: think denim jackets, oversized knits, curtain bangs or frosted tips. Yearbook filters went viral in late 2023, when an app-driven trend filled TikTok and Instagram with 90s-style school portraits of people who were not even born then. The joke worked because the format is so specific. Everyone recognizes the laser backdrop and the slightly awkward smile, and seeing a friend in it is funny and a little sweet at the same time. The trend has come back several times since, usually around back-to-school season and class reunions. This template keeps your face as it is and changes only the styling, lighting and background, so the result looks like you, just photographed in 1995. It is a photo template, so it runs in roughly 20 to 40 seconds and new accounts can try it with their free credits. If you want a particular look, such as grunge, preppy or a specific prom-night style, add it in the text box. Otherwise the model picks period details that match your hair and face. ## What makes a portrait look like 1995 Three details do most of the work. First, the backdrop: the speckled blue-grey laser pattern was everywhere in school portraits of that era, and it reads as yearbook at a glance. Second, the light: a single soft flash with a little falloff, not the even ring light of modern selfies. Third, the film: slightly lifted blacks, warm skin tones and mild grain, as if the print was scanned from a book. On top of that come the hair and clothes. The template asks for styles that suit your face rather than one fixed costume, so results vary from person to person, which keeps a group grid from looking copy-pasted. ## Keeping it recognizably you A yearbook photo only works if friends can tell who it is. The prompt tells the model to keep your face, identity and skin tone exactly as in the upload and to change only the styling around it. Your expression is nudged toward the friendly yearbook smile, but your features stay the same. If the result drifts, the usual cause is the source photo: strong shadows, a very wide-angle selfie or a face partly hidden by hair. Try a clearer photo taken from a little further away. You can run the template again at any time; each run is a new take. ## How to use it 1. Open https://soracai.com/ai-yearbook-photo and upload a photo. 2. Press Generate (10 credits). 3. Download the image. ## Tips - Use a straight-on or slightly angled head-and-shoulders photo; full-body shots lose detail when cropped to yearbook framing. - Even, soft light on your face gives the cleanest result, because the template adds its own studio flash. - Remove sunglasses and hats unless you want them in the portrait. - Try the text box for a specific vibe: "grunge flannel", "preppy cardigan" or "big 90s curls". - Run it for a group of friends one by one, then post the portraits as a yearbook-style grid. ## Use cases - Throwback posts for back-to-school season or a class reunion invite. - A matching set of 90s portraits for a friend group or team page. - A funny profile picture or birthday card for someone who loves the 90s. - Costume reference before a 90s-themed party. ## FAQ ### How do I do the AI yearbook trend? Upload a clear photo of your face, optionally describe the look you want, and press Generate. The template returns a 90s-style yearbook portrait in about 20 to 40 seconds. ### Is the AI yearbook photo generator free? New accounts get free credits that work on photo templates, including this one. After that, runs use credits from a pack or plan, and the cost is shown before you generate. ### Can I choose a different decade? This template is tuned for the mid-1990s. You can push the style with the text box, for example "late 80s big hair", but for other eras the results are less consistent. ### Will it change my face? It is designed not to. Only hair, clothing, lighting and background change. If your face looks off, try a sharper, front-facing photo with even light. ### Can I make a yearbook photo of a friend? Yes, as long as they are fine with it. Only upload photos of yourself or of people who agreed, and do not use the result to embarrass or impersonate anyone. ### Where are my photos kept? Uploads are stored in Firebase Storage (Google Cloud) under your account so the run can happen and the result shows in Creations. They are not public, and you can email support to request deletion. To run the effect, a copy is sent to our AI model provider (kie.ai); result files are kept for 14 days, so download what you want to keep. ## Related effects - [AI 80s Photo (1985 Me)](https://soracai.com/ai-1985-photo): See yourself in a real-looking 1985 snapshot: big hair, acid-wash denim, harsh flash and a date stamp. - [AI Polaroid Generator](https://soracai.com/ai-polaroid-generator): Upload two photos and get an instant-film Polaroid of you both hugging, flash, grain and white frame included. - [AI Ghostface Trend](https://soracai.com/ai-ghostface): Your selfie on pink satin sheets with a 90s phone, and a masked figure watching from the doorway. - [AI Headshot Generator](https://soracai.com/ai-headshot-generator): Turn one clear selfie into a clean, studio-style headshot for LinkedIn, your resume or a team page. - [AI Hairstyle](https://soracai.com/ai-hairstyle): Try a new haircut or color on your own photo before you book the salon. - [AI Age Progression](https://soracai.com/ai-age-progression): See yourself decades older, or ask for a younger version, from one photo. - [AI Portrait Generator](https://soracai.com/ai-studio-portrait): A magazine-style studio portrait from one photo: dramatic softbox light, charcoal backdrop, editorial styling. - [Photo to Anime](https://soracai.com/photo-to-anime): Upload a photo and get a clean, modern anime illustration of you, like a key visual from a TV series.