Portraits are the most common thing people create with Nano Banana, and the easiest to get subtly wrong: plastic skin, light that does not match the background, or a face that drifts away from the person in the reference photo. This guide covers how to keep someone recognisable, headshot prompts for different professions, editorial and creative looks, the lighting words photographers use, and how to frame the result for each platform. Every prompt can be copied into the image studio.
Model options and credit prices are the ones the NanoBananas studio uses on November 9, 2026.
Keeping the person recognisable
When you work from a real photo, the reference matters more than the prompt. The model can only keep features it can clearly see.
| Good reference | Poor reference |
|---|---|
| Face toward the camera, both eyes visible | Strong profile or head turned away |
| Even, soft light on the face | Hard shadows, backlight or mixed colored light |
| Face fills a good part of the frame | Small face in a group or wide shot |
| Sharp, uncompressed photo | Blurry, heavily filtered or screenshot quality |
| Nothing covering the face | Sunglasses, hands, hair or masks over features |
Identity-preserving opener
Keep the person's facial features, face shape, skin tone, hairstyle and expression exactly as in the reference photo.
You can upload up to four images. A second photo of the same person from a slightly different angle often helps more than a longer prompt. Refer to them as the person in the first and second images.
Professional headshots by profession
A believable headshot needs three things in the prompt: clothing that fits the profession, a simple background, and studio-style light. Keep the framing to head and shoulders, and match the details to the field.
| Field | Clothing | Background | Light and mood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate, finance, law | Navy or charcoal suit, white shirt | Plain light gray studio | Soft key light, calm expression |
| Tech and startups | Plain crew-neck or overshirt | Blurred modern office | Window light, relaxed half smile |
| Creative industries | Textured knit or denim jacket | Warm textured wall | Side light, candid feel |
| Healthcare | White coat or scrubs | Bright clinic, softly out of focus | Even, bright light, approachable |
| Real estate and sales | Smart blazer, open collar | Bright interior or city street | Warm light, confident smile |
| Speakers and authors | Smart casual | Dark seamless backdrop | Rembrandt light, thoughtful look |
Corporate headshot
Keep the person's facial features, hairstyle and expression exactly as in the reference photo. Professional head-and-shoulders headshot wearing a navy blazer over a white shirt, plain light gray studio background, soft key light from the front left with gentle fill, sharp focus on the eyes, natural skin texture.
Tech or startup headshot
Keep the person's facial features and hairstyle exactly as in the reference photo. Head-and-shoulders portrait in a plain dark green overshirt, in a bright modern office with plants softly out of focus behind, soft window light from the right, relaxed half smile, natural skin texture.
Healthcare headshot
Keep the person's facial features and hairstyle exactly as in the reference photo. Head-and-shoulders portrait wearing a white doctor's coat over a light blue shirt, bright clinic corridor softly out of focus, even front lighting, warm and approachable expression, natural skin texture.
Editorial and lifestyle portraits
Editorial portraits tell a small story: a place, a time of day, an activity. They work well for about pages, press kits and social profiles where a stiff studio headshot feels out of place.
City editorial
A natural editorial portrait of a man in his twenties in a long camel coat, walking on a quiet city street at golden hour. Waist-up framing, warm backlight with soft flare, shallow depth of field, realistic magazine photography.
At work
Keep the person's facial features and hairstyle exactly as in the reference photo. Environmental portrait of them at a wooden workbench in a ceramics studio, hands resting on a half-finished bowl, soft daylight from a large window, documentary photography style.
Gala portrait
Keep the person's facial features and hairstyle exactly as in the reference photo. Full-length portrait in a champagne-gold evening gown in a grand hotel lobby with chandeliers, warm ambient light, elegant pose, realistic event photography.
Creative looks
Film still
A cinematic film still of a woman in a red raincoat under a neon-lit awning on a rainy night street, reflections on wet pavement, teal and magenta color grade, anamorphic framing, moody atmosphere.
Painted portrait
Keep the person's facial features exactly as in the reference photo. Reimagine the portrait as a classical oil painting with visible brush strokes, dark umber background and soft Rembrandt lighting.
Black-and-white studio
Keep the person's facial features and hairstyle exactly as in the reference photo. High-contrast black-and-white studio portrait, head and shoulders, hard light from one side with deep shadow on the other, plain black background, fine film grain.
Lighting words that change a portrait
Naming a real lighting setup gives the model a precise target. These are the terms photographers use, and Nano Banana understands them.
| Term | What it looks like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Soft key light | Gentle, even light from one side of the camera | Corporate and LinkedIn headshots |
| Window light | Natural, directional, soft shadows | Lifestyle and approachable portraits |
| Rembrandt lighting | A small triangle of light on the shadowed cheek | Speakers, authors, painterly looks |
| Butterfly lighting | Light from above and in front, shadow under the nose | Beauty and fashion portraits |
| Rim light / backlight | A bright outline around hair and shoulders | Separating the subject from a dark background |
| Golden hour | Low, warm sunlight with long shadows | Outdoor editorial portraits |
Avoiding the plastic look
| Avoid | Use instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| flawless skin, perfect skin | natural skin texture | Perfection words push the model toward airbrushing |
| beautiful lighting | soft window light from the left | A named source produces believable shadows |
| ultra realistic, 8k | realistic photography, sharp focus on the eyes | Quality buzzwords add little; resolution is a setting |
| studio light on an outdoor background | light that matches the scene | Mismatched light makes the person look pasted in |
Render final portraits at 2K or 4K so hair, eyelashes and fabric stay crisp. Draft at 1K while you settle the look.
Framing and aspect ratio for each use
| Use | Aspect ratio | Framing tip |
|---|---|---|
| Profile pictures | 1:1 | Head and shoulders, face centered, space above the head |
| Portrait posts | 4:5 or 3:4 | Waist up, eyes on the upper third |
| Stories and reels covers | 9:16 | Leave room at top and bottom for interface overlays |
| Website about pages | 3:2 or 16:9 | Subject on one side, space for text on the other |
Generate at the ratio you need rather than cropping later, so the model composes for it. For small adjustments, the crop and social media resizer tools are free.
Matching headshots for a team
Team pages look professional when every headshot shares the same background, light and framing. Write one fixed style sentence and reuse it for every person, changing only the reference photo.
Team style sentence
Professional head-and-shoulders headshot, plain warm gray studio background, soft key light from the front left with gentle fill, camera at eye level, 4:5 framing with the same space above the head, natural skin texture.
Use the same model and resolution for everyone. If one result looks different, regenerate that person rather than editing the others to match.
Which model for portraits
| Goal | Model | Credits (1K / 2K / 4K) |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematic, textured portraits | Nano Banana Pro | 8 / 12 / 20 |
| Group shots, text on clothing, team consistency | Nano Banana 2.1 | 6 / 8 / 16 |
| Quick looks and variations | Nano Banana 2 | 3 / 4 / 8 |
A practical path: try four outfit and background ideas on Nano Banana 2 at 1K (12 credits), then render the chosen one on Pro at 2K (12 credits). Want the portrait to move? The image to video guide shows how to animate it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a selfie into a professional headshot?
Yes. Upload a clear, front-facing selfie in Image to Image mode, start with the identity-preserving sentence, then describe clothing, background and studio light.
Why does the face look slightly different from my photo?
Low-resolution, side-lit or partly covered faces give the model less to work from. Use a sharp, evenly lit reference, add a second photo of the same person, and repeat the "keep facial features" instruction.
Which aspect ratio is best for headshots?
1:1 for profile pictures, 4:5 or 3:4 for portrait posts, and 9:16 for stories and reels.
Which model is best for portraits?
Nano Banana Pro for cinematic texture and mood, Nano Banana 2.1 for group shots and team consistency, and Nano Banana 2 for cheap variations.
How do I avoid the plastic AI look?
Ask for natural skin texture, name a real light source, keep the light consistent with the background, and render at 2K or 4K.
How much does an AI headshot cost?
From 3 credits on Nano Banana 2 at 1K to 20 credits on Nano Banana Pro at 4K. Most people draft at 1K and render one final at 2K.
Can I make headshots of other people?
Only with photos you have the right to use and the person's consent. Do not create images that misrepresent a real person.