Gemini AI photo editing: how to write prompts that keep your face the same

Pavan Vora

By , SEO Expert
, 6 min read

Gemini can turn an ordinary phone photo into a studio headshot, a retro portrait or a festive greeting card in seconds. Most disappointing results come from the same few prompt mistakes, and all of them are easy to fix.

Step by step

  1. Open Gemini in the app or at gemini.google.com.
  2. Upload your photo using the + or image button. A sharp, front-facing photo in good light gives the best results.
  3. Paste your prompt. Start with one from our Gemini photo editing library and replace the highlighted parts.
  4. Review and refine in the same chat. Ask for one change at a time.
  5. Download the image you like.

The prompt structure that works

A good photo editing prompt has five parts, in this order:

Part Example
What to create “Turn my uploaded photo into a professional headshot”
What to keep “Keep my face, hairstyle and skin tone exactly the same”
What to change “Dress me in a navy blazer and white shirt”
Light and setting “Plain light-grey studio background, soft even lighting”
Framing and shape “Head and shoulders, portrait orientation, 4:5”

The “what to keep” line matters most. Without it, image models tend to “improve” faces, and the result doesn’t look like you.

Fixes for common problems

The face looks like someone else. Use a sharper, front-facing photo. Then reply: “The face has changed. Restore the face from my original photo exactly and keep everything else.”

Skin looks plastic or over-smoothed. Add “natural skin texture, no beauty filter, no smoothing” to the prompt.

The background looks pasted on. Ask it to “match the lighting on the person to the new background, with natural shadows”.

Text in the image is misspelled. Put the exact text in quotes, keep it short, and ask for one line of text at a time.

The result is close but not quite right. Don’t start a new chat. Ask for a single change, like “make the background slightly darker” or “make the saree deep red instead”.

Prompts to try first

If you want to create images from scratch rather than edit a photo, the AI image prompts library covers that.

Questions people ask

What is Nano Banana in Gemini?
Nano Banana is the popular nickname for Google Gemini’s image generation and editing model. It’s what runs when you upload a photo to Gemini and ask it to change or restyle the image.
How do I stop Gemini changing my face?
Use a clear, well-lit, front-facing photo, write “keep the face, features and expression exactly the same” in your prompt, and ask for one change at a time. If the face drifts, reply in the same chat asking it to restore the original face.
Can I edit photos of other people with Gemini?
Only edit photos of people who’ve agreed to it. Don’t use edits to mislead, embarrass or impersonate anyone. Gemini also adds an invisible SynthID watermark to images it creates.