Nano Banana (Gemini) Prompts: How to Write Them, With Examples for Portraits, Product Shots and Edits

To write a good Nano Banana prompt, describe the image as you would to a photographer: the subject, the setting, the light and the style. To edit an image, say what should change and what must stay the same. Below are the steps, plus 18 real prompts from the PromptHero community for portraits, product shots and edits, each next to its result.

How to write a Nano Banana prompt

1. Decide whether you are creating or editing. A new image needs a full description. An edit only needs the change.
2. Name the subject first. «An amber coloured face serum bottle with a white dropper top» says far more than «a bottle».
3. Set the scene and the light. Say where it is and what the light does: «on a marble surface with soft shadows».
4. Pick a style. Studio photograph, engraving, flat vector or 3D render each lead to a very different image.
5. When editing, protect what matters. Add a line such as «do not change anything else» or «do not change background color or product shape».
6. Change one thing at a time. Short follow-ups are easier to check, as examples 2 and 3 show.

What to include for each kind of image

Goal	What to include	Example below
Portrait	Expression, direction of the gaze, light, background	No. 1
Product shot	Exact product, surface, lighting, intended use	No. 6
Background change	The new background and a line protecting everything else	No. 10
Photo restoration	The damage to fix and what must stay identical	No. 12
Image with text	The exact words and the type of lettering	No. 15

18 Nano Banana prompts you can copy

Each prompt appears exactly as its author wrote it, so some have typos. Edit prompts need your own image attached, and the picture shown is the author’s result. Only edit photos you have the right to use. For more examples, browse all Nano Banana prompts on PromptHero.

Portraits

1. Black and white portrait

Portrait of a woman with long, wavy hair, looking up and to the side. Black and white with strong chiaroscuro accentuating facial features. Dramatic lighting, focused on the face, with a dark, blurred background. The expression is pensive, with the mouth slightly open. A high-resolution, fashion aesthetic with fine detail.

See this result and its settings on PromptHero

2. Head shot of a king on his throne

create a head shot for the king on the throne the camera should be in the front of the king capturing his front view

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3. The same head shot from a new angle

create a head shot for the king looking slightly towards his left

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4. Yourself as a boxed action figure

Action figure packaging design, featuring a tall, well-groomed 20-year-old man as a collectible toy. Dressed in a professional photographer's black t-shirt and black cargo pants, he is equipped with a high-end DSLR camera. inside the package are miniature items that represent him: a camera, a tripod, a laptop , ID cards, SD memory cards, a pair of stylish sunglasses, an extra black t-shirt, a black backpack, multiple camera lenses, a flash unit, a light meter, a remote shutter release, and lens filters.' The overall composition is 2:3 ratio, photorealistic style, illuminated by white studio lighting, highly detailed, ensuring every accessory is visible through the transparent packaging

See this result and its settings on PromptHero

Product shots

5. Serum bottle in water

Product photography, natural light. A hand holding an amber coloured face serum bottle with a white dropper top in a pool of water surrounded by pink peonies. The water is sparkling and reflecting sunlight with pastel colours . Shot on Leica M6 in the style of nature photography

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6. E-commerce shot on marble

High-end studio photograph of premium after sun, shampoo and conditioner bottles, placed on a marble surface with soft shadows, minimal background, luxury packaging design, glossy reflections, perfect for e-commerce product showcase, 1:1 ratio, commercial photography style

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7. Strawberries in a sealed bag

a photograph of a vacuum-sealed bag filled with fresh strawbery studio photography of products, hyper-realistic textures, hard plastic glare, soft studio lighting, central composition, high detail, shot with a 50mm lens, shot at eye level, black background, modern and stylish composition, high resolution High-contrast, deep black color. The picture was taken in Canon EOS R5 style at F2 ISO 30

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8. A short brief for a catalogue angle

Three-quarter angle view, light grey seamless background, natural floor shadow, product photography lighting

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Edits

9. Turn one product into a composition

Use the provided image as the base composition.
Add more instances of the same product and reduce spacing between them.
Keep a balanced and elegant layout.
Apply soft directional studio lighting with defined but natural shadows.
Foreground product in sharp focus, background products slightly blurred with Gaussian blur.
Enhance image sharpness, texture detail, and clarity.
Premium minimal editorial product photography style.
Do not change background color or product shape.
Output in ultra-high resolution (4K / 8K).

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10. Change only the background

change background in luxury background dubai aircraft cabin ,do not change anything else on picture

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11. Change the style and the background

change to 3D Clay mode, with softer color, change the background to party background

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12. Restore an old photo

Ultra realistic photo restoration and enhancement using the original image as exact reference. Keep the face 100% unchanged with absolute identity preservation — do not modify facial features, skin tone, eyes, nose, lips, hairstyle, age, beard, or expression. Restore old/damaged photo, remove blur, noise, scratches, stains, and low quality. Improve sharpness, lighting, skin texture, and overall clarity. Make the image clean, natural, professional, high resolution, ultra detailed. Keep the person perfectly recognizable. Background improved naturally with cinematic depth of field.

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Food, scenes and design

13. Overhead food grid

Assorted food plates, overhead view, various cuisines, high-angle shot, studio lighting, white background,  different types of pasta, fried fish, chicken,  grilled vegetables,  pierogi, eggs, bacon,  caesar salad,  french fries, fish fingers,  dishes arranged in a grid pattern,  food photography style,  detailed textures of food,  isolated food,  realistic food render,  food platters, white plates,  close up, detailed food, vivid colors, appetizing,  realistic lighting, simple composition.

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14. A landscape leaving the screen

On a desk, a laptop displays a wallpaper of a countryside landscape with a small river. The landscape extends beyond the computer screen, invading the desk, the walls, and the room. The river overflows the screen, and plants and trees grow beyond its boundaries, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The style is a stunning 3D rendering, with deep, cinematic lighting.

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15. Vintage city poster with text

Create a vintage poster illustration of Berlin, rendered in a retro engraved drawing style with fine ink lines, cross-hatching, and delicate shading on a subtly textured paper background. Include the city name as stylized text, designed in classic serif or hand-lettered typography that harmonizes with the illustration. Use a muted palette of teal, ochre, coral, olive green, and warm beige. The overall mood should evoke nostalgia and elegance like an antique illustrated postcard rediscovered in an old travel journal.

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16. App onboarding illustration

Cute minimal vector illustration, onboarding illustration for habit tracker mobile app, soft pastel color palette, flat design, rounded shapes, clean UI illustration style, kawaii style, light blue background, smooth shadows, modern SaaS app illustration
Cute black cat with big violet eyes, peeking playfully from the left side, holding a green stopwatch, minimal flat vector illustration, expressive eyes, soft pastel colors, rounded shapes, friendly onboarding illustration, habit tracker app, light blue background, no text, no UI, centered composition

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17. Ink wash landscape

Ink wash painting Drawing Japanese art Watercolor painting, Japan ink landscape paintings, ink, text, landscape, red sun in background setting behind mountains

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18. Printable car poster, described by layout

Printable poster of a car. left side of the poster shows name of the car. right side shows specs and a few images of details of the car

See this result and its settings on PromptHero

Frequently asked questions

What is Nano Banana?

Nano Banana is the popular name for Google’s Gemini image model. It creates new images from text and edits images you give it.

How do I edit only one part of an image?

Name the change and say that everything else stays the same, as in example 10. If something still moves, repeat the part that must not change.

Do Nano Banana prompts need camera settings?

No. They can help set a look, as in example 7, but a clear description of the subject and the light matters more. Example 14 uses no camera details at all.

Can Nano Banana put text in an image?

Yes. Ask for the exact words and describe the lettering, as in example 15, then proofread the result, because letters can still come out wrong.

How do I keep a person looking the same?

Say so directly and list the features to keep, as in example 12, then compare the result with the original.

Where can I find more Nano Banana prompts?

PromptHero’s Nano Banana page lists community prompts next to their results, so you can see what a prompt produces before you copy it.