Photographer wins hearts recreating wedding pictures of grandparents using AI

A photographer has garnered attention for documenting how he is recreating his grandparents' old wedding pictures using artificial intelligence.

In a video posted to TikTok on Sunday (Aug 2), photographer Walter Tan shared that he had been brainstorming concepts for his upcoming exhibition when he thought of the idea.

"I never thought one day I could be the one recreating their wedding photo," he wrote.

"Now, I'm part of their past," he added.

The 51-second clip showed Walter asking his grandparents what they hoped to see in the final picture before getting them to strike various poses for the camera.

When asked what kind of clothing and makeup she wanted, the photographer's grandmother laughed and said: "A pink dress...and pink lipstick."

Walter's grandfather even brought out a box of old albums after his grandson informed him of his plans, discovering a vintage battery charger in the box while he's at it.

The video has garnered over 17,600 views to date, with some netizens stating that his love and respect for his grandparents had moved them to tears.

"I love this so so much," stated one netizen.

Another comment read: "I can't even finish the video, I'm crying. I'm sorry I can't finish it but you're a good person."

"Make more content with them.. you will be making great memories," said a commenter.

According to his TikTok profile, Walter's upcoming exhibition titled Dreamland: The Factory will run from Aug 7 to 23 at Raffles City level 3. More details can be found on his social media platforms.

@asiaone Photographer Walter Tan is touching hearts after using AI to recreate his grandparents’ wedding photos, with many praising the heartfelt tribute. #sgnews #Singapore #AI #Family #Heartwarming ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Emotion and authenticity comes first

Speaking to AsiaOne about his creative process, Walter said that he had originally planned to work with a stylist and photograph his grandparents in person.

However, his grandmother's knees have become a little weak recently and he did not want to tire her out with a full-day photoshoot.

Walter told us: "Since this exhibition explores AI as part of my creative process, I thought, what if I could use it to give them something they never had?"

"With AI, I could place them into a whimsical visual world while staying true to who they are," he said, adding that he was even able to make himself a part of their wedding photograph with this method — something that would have been impossible otherwise.

Although he made use of AI for this project, Walter stressed that he wanted the final product to stay true to his grandparents' story.

"I intentionally preserved details from their original wedding photograph, like my grandmother's bouquet and grandfather's blazer brooch, and I spent countless hours ensuring their facial identities remained true to how they really look," he said.

"The technology gave me creative freedom, but the emotion and authenticity still came first."

The photographer also said that although AI has played a part in his exhibition, it is not the entirety of his creative process.

"Many of the final works are brought back into the physical world through human craftsmanship," he explained.

"You'll see photography, hand painting, embroidery, sculpting, floral work, gold leaf application and other handcrafted techniques throughout the exhibition. Every artwork is touched by human hands before it reaches its final form."

When asked why he used AI and whether he had received any backlash for doing so, Walter said: "Honestly, I haven't received much backlash, and even if I did, I think everyone is entitled to their own opinions."

"For me, (AI) isn't about replacing creativity. It's about expanding what's creatively possible. Ideas that once required enormous budgets, months of production or simply couldn't exist can now be explored in ways that weren't possible before," he explained.

Walter also said that instead of proving AI as good or bad, his focus was on understanding the tool deeply enough to use it responsibly and meaningfully.

"I don't believe AI replaces creatives. If anything, it's made me appreciate my photography background even more," he said, explaining that his years of experience allow him to tell AI what looks believable and what does not.

"AI doesn't replace creative judgement. It amplifies it."

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com