Creating Ghibli style photos is a special art. Studio Ghibli is a famous animation studio from Japan, whose films are famous all over the world for their extraordinary artistry, heart-touching colors, and unique storytelling style. Ghibli style usually means soft colors, timeless scenes, and artistry that reflects the commitment between nature and human relationships.
To create Ghibli style photos, you must first understand its special characteristics. This style mostly uses natural scenes to create a magical atmosphere. Usually, blue sky, green trees, clouds, green lands, and a background with many natural colors are the main characteristics of these photos. Soft transitions between different colors, slowly fading light, and lively atmosphere all become a special attraction of Ghibli style photos.
Another main element found in Ghibli animations is the emphasis on emotions. Each frame should tell a story. It’s not just about capturing a beautiful place, it should convey a unique feeling. For example, clouds moving through a small town, the evening light coming through the window, the feeling of a little boy holding his hand in the air – these are the small details that make Ghibli-style images special.
Digital tools are also very useful for creating Ghibli-style photos. You can use software like Photoshop and Procreate to transform ordinary photos into Ghibli-style ones. This mainly involves using techniques like softening colors, softly blending blue and green, and adding delicate brush strokes.
Recently, AI-based tools have also been used to create Ghibli-style photos. It is possible to transform ordinary photos into Ghibli-style ones through AI image generation tools and filters. However, you can achieve more amazing results by drawing pictures yourself or doing digital painting.
Ghibli style photos not only feature nature, but also many other elements. For example, house structures in small towns, railway stations, walking streets, green fields covered with raindrops – all these are the main elements that inspire the Ghibli style. When creating images in this style, emotions are more important than technology.
The specialty of Ghibli photos is that they are more calm than dramatic. These images that make us enjoy the beauty of nature with patience bring peace to our minds. Therefore, these photos should not be limited to just artistry, but should also convey a feeling. In addition to today's technology, our artistic perspective is also essential to create images in the Ghibli style.
Another key element in creating Ghibli-style photos is the use of color. In this style, colors should be very soft and natural. Typically, Ghibli films feature soft blue shades of clouds, soft greens of green trees, a mix of orange and pink in the evening, and blue darkness at night—all these elements together create a dreamlike atmosphere. For Ghibli-style photos, we need to keep this balance in mind when creating or editing the photo.
Ghibli photos tend to have a "nostalgic" feel. That is, they immediately evoke a sweet, nostalgic emotion in us when we look at them. For example, a train running through a small village, a green field covered in dry leaves, a street at night with a quiet rainstorm—all these scenes are deeply emotional. When thinking about what kind of photo we want to create, we need to consider what kind of emotion we feel when we look at that scene.
Another characteristic of the Ghibli style is the combination of "ordinary life and magic". In Studio Ghibli films, it is a specialty to show the small miracles in ordinary life. For example, the way the light falls on the water droplets on the road after it rains, a small dazzling light between the trees, the happy faces of children walking in the sunflower fields—all of these create a magical feeling. We should also be able to convey that magic in the photo we take.
Furthermore, "composition" is also very important in Ghibli style films. In normal photography, the main effort is to compress the focus of the subject correctly. But Ghibli style films have "deep composition". That is, there are detailed details at all levels of the foreground, midground, and background. If a person is walking in front, the landscape behind is also highlighted well. When taking a photo or creating digital art, this type of composition should be given importance and worked with.
Another key element in Ghibli-style films is "light and shadow." For example, the dramatic way the shadows of trees fall on the ground, the evening light coming through the house window and mixing with the dust, the shimmering glow in the waterscapes—all these subtle lighting effects add a layer of realism and beauty. When creating photos, you need to be aware of how to use light in particular.
Today's AI tools allow us to transform ordinary photos into Ghibli-style ones. Some special software and filters make this even easier. But, as an artist or creator, it is very valuable to understand and work on elements such as colors, light, and composition ourselves.
Ghibli-style photos should be peaceful when we look at them. They should not just be a simple scene, but also reveal our inner emotions on the screen. Nature, emotion, use of color, and special lighting effects—all of these combine to transport our photos into a magical world like Ghibli.
In conclusion, creating Ghibli-style photos is not just about understanding a technique. It is about conveying a feeling, a world to others through our art. When we take a photo or create a digital painting, if we work with the feeling that we are telling a story, that emotion will be clearly reflected in our creation. This style is not just an art; it is a great experience, a scene that will remain a memory.
Another important aspect of creating Ghibli-style photos is "the way it beautifies ordinary life." Every small scene in Studio Ghibli films feels very natural and close to life. For example, a person drinking coffee outside and watching the rain, a wind blowing from behind in the fields, a small bus slowly traveling through the clouds—there is a special magic in these small things. When we design photos, we should also aim to capture this small beauty.
Another important aspect of the Ghibli style is the "hand-painted feeling." The backgrounds in Ghibli films look like they are not real photos, but hand-painted paintings. The watercolor finish, soft edges, and delicate color combinations that can be seen in them—we can also follow these characteristics in photos. Through digital editing, changes such as reducing contrast and changing colors to slightly pastel tones can be made to make the original scene look like a painting.
Another thing that makes the Ghibli style unique is the "connection with nature." In Ghibli films, people are united with nature. Rather than large buildings and metal structures, scenes that highlight nature are the main focus. When we take photos or create art, giving priority to natural scenes can bring us closer to the Ghibli style. For example, a little girl walking among green trees, children playing in colorful flower fields, a village covered in mist in the morning—these types of scenes are especially useful in Ghibli style photos.
Another beautiful aspect of Ghibli films is the feeling of "nostalgia". Looking at the Ghibli world, we are reminded of our childhood. Ghibli films have the power to show the dream world we imagined as a child as a reality. We should also try to create this feeling in the photos we take. For example, a boy riding a vintage bicycle, lost in his imagination, a group of childhood friends standing happily in the rain—these nostalgic moments add to the emotion of the photos.
The "balance of light and shadow" is also very important in Ghibli-style films. For example, the way the sunset shines through the trees in the evening, the sky with its blue and pink hues at dawn, and the light of a lamp shining in the window of a small house at night—these are all magical light moments seen in the Ghibli world. If we use this kind of light, our photos will become more cinematic.
Recently, it has become very popular to transform ordinary photos into Ghibli-style ones through AI-based photo editing tools. But the artistic satisfaction of editing photos yourself is very special. By using software like Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, and Lightroom to change the color balance and add text to make the photos look like soft-painting, we can create Ghibli-style photos manually and according to our tastes.
Finally, the main point in creating Ghibli-style photos is "Emotional Focus." When we look at Ghibli films, we feel touched by the emotions of the characters in them. Also, the photos we create should not only be beautiful, but also evoke a feeling. A young boy waiting for the train he has been waiting for, a young woman thinking about her heart alone on a beach—these types of scenes can provide the emotional depth seen in Ghibli photos.
Overall, creating Ghibli-style photos is not just a technique; it is an art form. When we take photos or do digital painting, we should work with the feeling that there is a story behind every little scene. If we can show the beauty of nature, childhood memories, slow changes in light, delicate color blends, and most importantly, emotions through our photos, it's like we have created a magical world like Ghibli!
Another important element of Ghibli-style photos is the "slowness of time." In Studio Ghibli films, every scene moves calmly and slowly, rather than in a rush. The photos we take should also reflect that slowness. For example, a mother in the evening, holding her toddler in her arms and rocking in a chair while watching the sunset, or an old man watering the plants in his garden—these scenes create the feeling that time is passing at a slower pace. This is a key concept in the Ghibli style.
Everything in Ghibli-style photos should feel soft and cozy. For example, leaves swaying in the wind, water droplets floating in a waterfall, sunlight shining through the bushes—all these elements together create a dreamy effect. When creating photos, you should make sure that everything is soft and natural, without sharp edges.
Another element that we often see in Ghibli films is the "unexpected magic wand." That is, there is a bit of magic in the ordinary world. For example, fireflies flashing in the blue sky at night, small lights appearing to move between the trees, birds suddenly flying magically in the air over the sea—these little magical touches have a special place in the Ghibli style. We can use special photo editing techniques to bring this feeling to the photos.
The "world of children" is also an important part of Ghibli style films. Children see the world with great wonder and novelty. Everything is magical to them. A child standing in amazement looking at dots, the scene of children flying kites together, children running around in the sunset—these are the elements that seem magical in Ghibli style photos.
Another important aspect of the Ghibli style is the "classic Japanese influence." Studio Ghibli has taken traditional Japanese art as inspiration for many of its animation films. Adding elements such as traditional rural scenes, small temples by ponds, cherry blossom trees, and onsen hot springs to the photos can bring the Ghibli style closer.
"Real human emotions" are also very important in Ghibli style films. Sometimes, a character in Ghibli films can be seen as humorous, sometimes very serious, and sometimes very emotional. If we can show the same feeling in the photos we take, they will seem more slow and lifelike.
Another important thing is "Seasonal Changes." In Ghibli films, we can clearly see the changes of seasons such as spring, summer, winter, and autumn. For example, spring represents renewal. Summer is reminiscent of walking on wet ground. Winter is snow-covered roads, hot tea—if we can show these changes in photos, they will be closer to the Ghibli style.
Now, if we want to create Ghibli-style photos using digital tools, we can use tools like Photoshop and Procreate. Changing the colors to slightly pastel tones, softening the light a little, and reducing the structure a little can make Ghibli-style photos more natural.
Conclusion
Creating Ghibli-style photos is an art. It's not just about taking a photo, it's about making it touch the heart. Capturing the beauty of nature, reflecting the small joys of life, and bringing the magic of dreams—only when these three elements come together can we create true Ghibli-style photos. Whenever we create a Ghibli-style photo, we want the viewer to feel like they've stepped into a beautiful story.