From Real to Reimagined: My Nano Banana AI Editorial Portrait Experiment

I tested how far AI can push creativity without losing authenticity: left is my original photo; right is a high-fashion editorial style—still unmistakably me. Here’s the story, the exact prompt, and the workflow so you can try it too.
Contents

Why this experiment
Before → After: what changed
Full Nano Banana / Gemini 2.5 prompt
How to recreate the look (step-by-step)
Use cases & ideas
Ethics & disclosure
Quick FAQ
Related reads & tags

Why this experiment

Most “AI portraits” feel cartoonish. I wanted a look that could stand next to a real fashion editorial—rich lighting, controlled grain, precise color science—without altering my identity. The goal: creativity + authenticity.

Thank you, Nano Banana, for the creative spark and tools. The result made me say: Wow.

Before → After: what changed

Original

Natural lighting and everyday styling—my true baseline.

Editorial Reimagining

Cinematic sepia with golden-hour warmth
Burnt-umber → honey-amber gradient backdrop
Main Fresnel at 60° + silk diffusion; rim with CTO
Feathered shadows, haze for atmosphere
Selective dodge & burn, gentle grain

Full Nano Banana / Gemini 2.5 Prompt

Url: https://aistudio.google.com/

Copy-paste ready. Includes female and male variants. Identity preservation is explicit.

Gemini 2.5 / Nano Banana Prompt
Yellowish Fashion Editorial Photographs
🔸 Freely edit based on the prompts below for changes like hair, clothing style, color, posing

🔸 FEMALE
A hyper-realistic fashion editorial photography of the uploaded person (preserve exact real face and body identity, no alterations), front shot, upper body, professional female model, shot with hasselblad x2d 100c, xcd 90mm f/2.5 lens, cinematic sepia color grading with golden hour warmth, dramatic black silhouette against burnt umber to honey amber gradient backdrop, avant-garde composition with tilted head pose, staring to camera, profound gaze, elongated body stance, flowing black turtleneck, professional main fresnel light at 60 degree angle with silk diffusion, rim light with cto gel at 75 degree angle, haze machine for ethereal atmosphere, feathered shadows, contrast curve manipulation, selective dodge and burn, grain texture overlay, color temperature adjustment at 5500k to 3200k gradient, ultra sharp details, raw format, inspired by paolo roversi lighting technique, hyper realistic, 16K, rich detail --ar 9:16 --quality 2 --style raw --personalize nq7rq2j --stylize 500 --v 6.1

🔸 MALE
A hyper-realistic fashion editorial photography of the uploaded person (preserve exact real face, no alterations), upper body, professional male model, shot with hasselblad x2d 100c, xcd 90mm f/2.5 lens, cinematic sepia color grading with golden hour warmth, dramatic black silhouette against burnt umber to honey amber gradient backdrop, confident, dominant, staring to camera, profound gaze, elongated body stance, flowing black turtleneck, black oversized blazer, professional main fresnel light at 60 degree angle with silk diffusion, rim light with cto gel at 75 degree angle, haze machine for ethereal atmosphere, feathered shadows, contrast curve manipulation, selective dodge and burn, grain texture overlay, color temperature adjustment at 5500k to 3200k gradient, ultra sharp details, raw format, inspired by paolo roversi lighting technique, hyper realistic, 16K, rich detail, 4:3 ratio --ar 9:16 --quality 2 --style raw --personalize nq7rq2j --stylize 500 --v 6.1

How to recreate the look (step-by-step)

Choose a clean source photo. Front-facing, sharp eyes, minimal background distractions.
Paste the prompt. Keep the identity-preserving instruction intact.
Tweak safely. Adjust wardrobe (“flowing black turtleneck”), pose (“tilted head”), or backdrop palette. Avoid face/shape changes.
Iterate lighting. If highlights blow out, reduce rim intensity or diffusion. If flat, increase contrast curve slightly.
Export responsibly. Use versions suited for LinkedIn, press kits, or personal branding. Keep a note of AI assistance.

Use cases & ideas

LinkedIn cover + profile refresh with an editorial but authentic vibe
Speaker one-pager / media kit portraits with consistent color science
Campaign storytelling—“From Real to Reimagined” series for brand narratives
Team page cohesion by standardizing backdrop, light, and wardrobe theme

Ethics & disclosure

AI is a creative tool—not a replacement for identity. Always obtain consent for any person depicted, avoid misleading contexts, and disclose AI-assisted edits where material to trust (e.g., advertising, journalism).

Quick FAQ

Does this still look like the real me?

Yes. The prompt preserves your exact face; styling edits are applied to light, color, wardrobe, and mood.

What if my photo is low resolution?

Start with the best source possible. You can upscale first, but artifacts may remain.

Can I ask for a different palette?

Absolutely—change “burnt umber to honey amber” to your brand colors, and adjust the temperature range.

From Real to Reimagined: My Nano Banana AI Editorial Portrait Experiment

From Real to Reimagined: My Nano Banana AI Editorial Portrait Experiment

Why this experiment