AI photo prompts that say what to keep before what to change

Edit this photo of [me]. Keep the face shape, features, expression, hairstyle and clothes exactly as they are.
Change only the light: even out the light on the face and soften the shadows under the eyes.
Match the original colour of the skin and keep real skin texture with visible pores.
Avoid: slimming the face, changing eye colour, whitening teeth, smoothing skin into plastic.

The "avoid" line matters most here. Without it, many models default to beauty-filter skin.

Turn this photo into a professional headshot. Keep my face, features, skin tone, glasses and hair unchanged.
Change my clothes to a [navy blazer over a plain white shirt] and the background to a plain [light grey] studio backdrop.
Match soft, even front lighting, head-and-shoulders framing, camera at eye level.
Avoid: changing my age, adding jewellery, any text or logos.

Swap the outfit line for anything: a [dark crew-neck sweater] reads well for tech and creative jobs.

This is a photo of my product, a [ceramic coffee mug].
Keep its shape, colour, size, label and any printed text exactly as they are.
Change the background to a plain white studio sweep with a soft shadow under the product.
Match even studio light from the upper left with a faint reflection on the surface. Square crop, product centred.
Avoid: extra props, new text, changing the label.

Printed text on a label is easy for a model to garble. If it changes, run the edit again with the label sentence moved to the top.

Keep the [bottle of hot sauce] exactly as it is, label and cap included.
Change the setting: place it on a [rustic wooden table next to a plate of tacos].
Match warm late-afternoon window light from the right and a shallow depth of field, with the product as the sharpest thing in the frame.
Avoid: a second bottle, hands, any readable text in the background.

Restyle this photo as if it were shot on 35mm film around [1998]. Keep the person's face, pose, expression and outfit the same.
Change the colour and texture: warm, slightly faded tones, soft film grain, gentle glow around bright lights.
Match a [golden-hour] light falling from the side.
Avoid: modern phones, logos, a date stamp with numbers.

This is the same structure as the retro saree trend that spread through Gemini prompts; add the outfit template below if you want the full look.

Keep my face, hair, expression and pose exactly as they are.
Change my outfit to a [silk saree in emerald green with a gold border] and the background to [a doorway lined with small oil lamps] for a [Diwali] portrait.
Match warm, low light and realistic fabric folds.
Avoid: extra jewellery beyond [small gold earrings], changing my skin tone.

Works for any occasion: a [linen suit] for a wedding guest photo, a [red knit sweater] and fairy lights for a Christmas card.

Make this photo look like an instant camera print. Keep everyone's faces, positions and expressions unchanged.
Change the format to a square crop inside a thick white border, with slightly washed-out colours and a soft on-camera flash.
Avoid: any writing on the border, extra people.

Keep the person exactly as they are: face, hair, clothes, pose and the light on them.
Change only the background to [a quiet cobbled street at dusk].
Match the background's light direction and colour to the light already on the person, and add a soft shadow where they stand. Background slightly out of focus.
Avoid: changing the person's outline or proportions.

If it looks pasted on, the light usually disagrees. Name the direction the light comes from in the original ("from the left") and ask for the new background to match it.

Remove the [person in the red jacket on the left edge] and fill the space with the [sand and sea] around them.
Keep everything else in the photo exactly as it is.

Short on purpose. Removal prompts work best with one target per run.

Redraw this photo as a frame from a hand-drawn animated film. Keep the people recognisable: same hairstyles, clothes, poses and expressions.
Change the style to clean ink outlines, soft watercolour backgrounds and gentle pastel light.
Avoid: text, logos, extra characters.

Name the look, not a studio. Describing the style gets you closer than a brand name, and keeps the result yours.

Turn the person in this photo into a small collectible figurine standing on a round clear base on a wooden desk.
Keep their outfit, hair colour and pose.
Change the material to glossy painted plastic, with studio lighting and a softly blurred desk behind.
Avoid: any text on the base or packaging.

This is the evergreen version of the figurine trend that went round Nano Banana prompts.

Image 1 is [me]. Image 2 is [my partner].
Keep both faces, hairstyles, heights and clothes as they are in the originals.
Change the scene: put us side by side at [a lantern-lit night market], both looking at the camera, waist-up framing.
Match warm, natural light falling on both of us from the same side.
Avoid: merging features, extra people.

Needs a model that takes several photos, such as Nano Banana or Nano Banana Pro. Up to 5 photos per edit.