What if I were to ask? We’re sure that people can wonder something like this from time to time. What if I had chosen an alternative rather than that alternative? How would my life be different now? Well, Alper Yesiltas, a 39-year-old lawyer and digital photographer, recently considered this idea regarding his favorite celebrities.
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The resulting work? The resulting work was a beautiful photographic series made with the help of AI technology entitled “As If It Never Happened.”
Here are some of Alper’s most stunning “What if?” photos of celebrities who died young.
1. Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car accident on August 31, 1997. She was 36.
This is what she might look like today if it had never happened. She would be 61.
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper was inspired by the development of artificial intelligence technology, then became interested in bringing it to life through his series. As he experimented with the technology, he considered how it might he make his life better. Needed to meet some of the people I missed, that’s how ‘As If Nothing Happened’ came to be.
2. Heath Ledger died of acute intoxication from a combination of prescription drugs on January 22, 2008. He was 28.
This is what he might look like today if it had never happened. He would be 43.
Here are the two photos side by side:
3. Selena was murdered on March 31, 1995. She was 23.
This is what she might look like if it had never happened. She would be 51.
Here are the two photos side by side:
4. Freddie Mercury died due to complications from AIDS on November 24, 1991.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 77.
5. Amy Winehouse died of an alcohol overdose on July 23, 2011. She was 27.
This is what she might look like if it had never happened. She would be 38.
Here are the two photos side by side:
In order to create these incredible images, Alper uses a variety of software and says that, while the amount of time he spends on each photo varies, they all take — as you likely imagine — “a while” to make.
6. Paul Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013. He was 40.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 48.
Here are the two photos side by side:
7. The Beatles broke up in 1970. John Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980. He was 40. George Harrison died of cancer on November 29, 2001. He was 58.
This is what John and George might look like if they were still with us and playing with Paul and Ringo. John would be 82; George would be 79.
Here are the two photos side by side:
8. Kurt Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994. He was 27.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 55.
Here are the two photos side by side:
According to Alper, “The most important part is making the image I’m processing feel realistic to me. Intentionally or unintentionally, I know a lot about the person I’m working with. Naturally the moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me feels ‘real.'”
9. Tupac Shakur died following a drive-by shooting on September 13, 1996. He was 25.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 51.
Here are the two photos side by side:
10. Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970. She was 27.
This is what she might look like if it had never happened. She would be 79.
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper stresses that while the AI technology creates new opportunities to be creative, the human element is still needed to make something special. “Hardware and software help us to produce, but it’s the emotions that are decisive.”
11. Jimi Hendrix died of asphyxia on September 18, 1970. He was 27.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 79.
Here are the two photos side by side:
Putting your work out there for the world to see can be scary, but Alper and his project have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, including impressive social media engagement. “The response encouraged me a lot,” Alper said. “What pleases me the most is that there are more comments (perhaps tens of thousands) than I imagined ever before. I love reading them.”
12. Bruce Lee died of a cerebral edema on July 20, 1973. He was 32.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 81.
Here are the two photos side by side:
13. And finally, Elvis Presley died from cardiac arrest on August 16, 1977. He was 42.
This is what he might look like if it had never happened. He would be 87.
Here are the two photos side by side:
