Nano Banana prompt for a black-and-white studio headshot from a selfie
A detailed community prompt that turns a selfie into a monochrome, magazine-style studio headshot.
- Model
- Gemini / Nano Banana
- Task
- Portrait
- Source
- Shared by @Skybornfx on X
@Skybornfx shared this prompt on X in August 2026 and says they tried it in ChatGPT and Nano Banana. It spells out the whole shoot: a chest-up crop, one large softbox with a Rembrandt-style shadow, a graduated grey backdrop, a dark crew-neck sweater and a high-contrast black-and-white grade, while the face from the photo stays unchanged. Upload your own selfie, and edit the subject lines if the photo shows a woman.
The prompt is quoted from @Skybornfx’s post on X.
- Prompt
- Goal: Transform the attached photo into a professional black-and-white studio headshot in the style of a Marco Grob editorial monochrome portrait, the TIME magazine cover aesthetic: simple, psychologically intense, character-first.
Subject & identity: The man in the reference image. Keep his exact facial features, facial structure, skin tone, eye color, hair, and hairline completely unchanged - same age, same build, instantly recognizable to people who know him. Change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe, and tonal grade.
Composition & camera: Classic head-and-shoulders crop, chest-up, his eyes in the upper third of the frame, centered composition with a small margin above his head. Body squared to camera or turned 10-20 degrees, shoulders relaxed and level, head straight into the lens, chin neutral. Hasselblad medium-format look: short-telephoto perspective (about 100mm equivalent), no wide-angle distortion, extremely shallow but controlled depth of field - both eyes critically sharp, background fully defocused, smooth medium-format tonal transitions.
Lighting: Single large 5-foot softbox slightly above his eye level and 30-45 degrees to one side - soft but clearly directional, sculpting a gentle Rembrandt-style shadow on the far cheek with a gradual edge. One soft rectangular catchlight in the upper half of each eye. Subtle silver-reflector fill from the opposite side: shadows keep detail with a faint specular crispness, never flat. Ambient reads slightly underexposed so he pops from the frame. Only a slight whisper of edge separation from the backdrop.
Background: Seamless studio gray, graduating from mid-gray behind his head to near-black at the frame edges with a natural falloff vignette. Smooth and empty, no props, texture, or scene.
Expression & mood: Direct, unwavering eye contact: alert, present eyes carry the portrait. Composed and quietly intense, mouth relaxed and closed, subtly smiling at the corners. Gravitas and self-possession; keep his natural optimistic micro-expression rather than a generic pleasant mask.
Wardrobe: A dark, well-fitted crew-neck sweater, wool texture in charcoal, black, or deep navy that reads as distinct dark tones in monochrome. No patterns, logos, tie, or crisp corporate suit.
Style & grade: Photorealistic editorial photograph in high-contrast neutral black and white: deep clean blacks, rich midtone separation across his face, controlled bright highlights, texture held in both shadows and highlights. Skin mapped to luminous, finely graded grays with visible pores, expression lines, and stubble - character over polish, minimal retouching only. Pure monochrome: no sepia, split-toning, or faded matte look.
Constraints: Do not alter his identity, age, or facial proportions. No beauty-filter smoothing or plastic skin, no reshaped features, no whitened teeth, no symmetry correction. No text, logos, or watermarks. Avoid AI-portrait tells: waxy skin, dead eyes, fused hair strands, over-sharpened halos.
Output: High-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait, 4:5 crop. - What it produces
- Asks the model to turn an attached selfie into a black-and-white editorial studio headshot while keeping the person's face unchanged.
- Source link
- x.com
- Original post
- x.com
- Added
Questions
Does the prompt change my face?
It tells the model to keep facial features, skin tone, hair and age unchanged and to change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe and tonal grade.
What output does it request?
A high-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait with a 4:5 crop.
Can I use it in ChatGPT too?
The author says they tested it in both ChatGPT and Nano Banana.
See also
Sources: each prompt is quoted from the official example or the public post linked on its page. Promptline is not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Midjourney.