Retaking a place years later, documenting a room before and after a change, or recording construction or plant growth from a fixed viewpoint all become easier to compare when the compositions are close. Trying to match the original only by glancing at it beside the camera often introduces small differences in standing position, camera height, distance, and tilt.
Photo Re-Enactor places a JPEG, PNG, or WebP reference over the live camera. You can switch among Ghost, Outline, Blink, and Split views, and when automatic composition guidance is available it highlights one major horizontal, vertical, distance, or tilt mismatch at a time. If automatic guidance is unreliable, the reference can still be moved, zoomed, and rotated manually so you can finish the shot. This guide explains how to align the scene, compare the result, and save it.
Choose a reference with visible composition anchors
Start with the photo whose viewpoint you want to recreate. A reference that includes stable features such as window frames, columns, roads, horizons, or furniture edges is easier to align than a tightly framed subject with almost no background. Photo Re-Enactor accepts JPEG, PNG, and WebP references.
Do not try to match every detail immediately. Pick one or two large anchors first, such as the left and right edges of a building, the height of a desk surface, a window corner, or the horizon. If the scene has changed substantially, use the remaining stable landmarks to approximate the camera position and direction instead of chasing a perfect match.
Switch among Ghost, Outline, Blink, and Split for the scene
Ghost overlays the reference translucently, which is useful for lining up building or furniture edges with the live view. Outline emphasizes the reference edges when a full translucent image feels too busy. Blink alternates the reference and live view so shifts are easier to notice by eye, while Split keeps the two views separated.
You do not need to stay with one mode. You might use Ghost to find the approximate standing position and then Blink to inspect smaller angular differences. The useful mode is simply the one that makes stable landmarks easiest to compare.
Use automatic composition guidance as an alignment aid
When automatic guidance is available, the app compares the reference with downscaled camera frames locally and estimates the largest mismatch among horizontal position, vertical position, distance, and tilt. It is often easier to follow one adjustment at a time—move slightly right, step closer, reduce tilt—than to track several values at once.
The match indication is not a photo-quality score or a guarantee of a successful recreation. Analysis can become unavailable in dark, blurry, low-detail, or heavily changed scenes. The app also does not automatically match a person's pose, identify people, or trigger the shutter when a threshold is reached. You can continue shooting even when guidance is unavailable.
Adjust the reference manually when automatic alignment is unsuitable
If the crop or orientation of the old photo does not line up naturally with the current camera view, enable manual reference adjustment and move, zoom, or rotate the overlay. This provides a fallback when automatic guidance is unsuitable, so older or substantially changed scenes can still be photographed by eye.
Avoid compensating for every mismatch by moving the reference itself, because that can hide a real difference in camera position. First move yourself and the camera to match the approximate viewpoint and height, then use reference adjustment for the remaining mismatch. A shooting timer of Off, 3, 5, or 10 seconds is also available for tripod or fixed-position shots.
Compare Before/After and save only the format you need
After capture, switch among Split, Ghost, and Blink to compare the reference and result. In Split mode, drag the divider directly over the image to inspect particular building edges, furniture positions, or scene changes. If the viewpoint still feels wrong, return to retake the photo.
You can save the captured JPEG, a side-by-side comparison JPEG, or a self-contained comparison HTML that embeds both Before and After. The HTML can reopen by itself, switch among Split/Ghost/Blink, and save the two images separately. Because both photos are embedded, sharing the HTML also shares those photos. Reference photos, camera frames, and captures are not uploaded by the app, and the runtime is designed without external connections.
Step by step
- Open Photo Re-Enactor and choose the JPEG, PNG, or WebP reference you want to recreate.
- Pick one or two stable composition anchors in the photo, such as a window, column, horizon, or furniture edge.
- Start shooting, open the camera, and choose Ghost, Outline, Blink, or Split depending on which makes alignment easiest.
- When automatic guidance is available, move yourself and the camera gradually according to the horizontal, vertical, distance, or tilt suggestion.
- If automatic guidance is unsuitable, enable manual reference adjustment and fine-tune the overlay with move, zoom, and rotation.
- Optionally choose a 3, 5, or 10 second timer and capture the photo. A low match indication does not block shooting.
- Compare the result with Split, Ghost, or Blink, then save the captured JPEG, comparison JPEG, or comparison HTML you need.
Photo Re-Enactor
Overlay a reference photo on the live camera and use composition guidance plus four view modes to retake a scene from a similar composition.
Tips and limitations
- Align stable background features such as building corners or the horizon before worrying about the exact subject position; this makes the camera viewpoint easier to establish.
- For repeated documentation of the same place, record a standing-position marker or camera height as well so the next recreation is easier.
- Automatic guidance is more likely to struggle in dark scenes or against low-detail surfaces, so rely more on Ghost/Blink and manual adjustment there.
- Camera access is subject to browser secure-context rules, so the HTTPS-hosted Browser Kitty version is the most reliable choice for shooting.
Frequently asked questions
Are the reference photo or camera frames uploaded to a server?
No. Reference decoding, camera frames, composition guidance, capture, comparison, and export are processed in the browser. The app does not upload the reference or camera feed, and its runtime CSP blocks external connections.
Can it automatically match a person's pose too?
No. The current guidance helps with overall horizontal, vertical, distance, and tilt differences. It does not automatically match body poses or identify people.
Does a low match indication prevent taking the photo?
No. Match information and composition guidance are aids, not capture requirements. You can continue with overlay views and manual adjustment even when automatic analysis is unavailable.
Can I share Before/After in a single file after shooting?
Yes. You can export a self-contained comparison HTML that embeds both photos and supports Split, Ghost, and Blink views. Sharing that HTML also shares the two embedded images.
Can the camera be used from a downloaded single HTML file?
Some browsers do not allow camera access from an HTML file opened with file://. Other parts may still work, but HTTPS or localhost is the reliable option for camera use.