These are 24 complete, paste-ready editing prompts for Nano Banana Pro — Google's Gemini 3 Pro Image model. They assume you've already uploaded a photo (and, where useful, up to 14 reference images). The model reasons about your existing image, so you don't regenerate from scratch — you describe the one thing to change.
Every prompt follows the core rule of conversational editing: state exactly what to change and what must stay identical. Naming what stays — the face, pose, and lighting — is what keeps an edit believable. For the full method, read the best Nano Banana prompts roundup and the guide to prompting Nano Banana for photorealism.
Background replace & remove
Four prompts for swapping, moving, removing, or blurring what's behind your subject. In every one, lock the subject so only the background changes.
1. Swap to a Grey Studio Backdrop
Using the uploaded photo, keep the subject's face, pose, hair, clothing, and lighting exactly the same. Replace only the background with a smooth, seamless mid-grey studio backdrop, softly lit with even three-point studio lighting and a gentle falloff toward the edges. Match the shadow the subject casts to the new backdrop so it looks physically real. Do not alter the subject in any way. Aspect ratio 4:5, 2K.Why it works: Listing the face, pose, hair, clothing, and lighting as "keep exactly the same" gives the model an explicit lock, so it re-renders only the pixels behind the subject.
2. Move a Subject to a New Outdoor Scene
Keep the person in the uploaded photo exactly as they are — same face, expression, pose, outfit, and body proportions. Replace only the background with a sunlit city park path at golden hour, soft warm backlighting with long shadows. Relight the edges of the subject just enough to match the new golden-hour light, but do not change their features or pose. Blend the ground contact and shadow so they sit naturally in the scene. Aspect ratio 3:2, 2K.Best for: Rescuing a good portrait shot in a dull location — the subject moves scenes without becoming a different person.
3. Remove a Busy Background
From the uploaded photo, keep the subject exactly the same in every detail. Replace the cluttered background behind them with a clean, solid off-white backdrop, evenly lit with no visible seam or gradient. Preserve the subject's edges, hair strands, and original lighting on their body. Keep a soft, realistic contact shadow beneath them. Aspect ratio 1:1, 2K.Why it works: A solid off-white backdrop is the reliable way to isolate a subject for an image model; ask for a clean cut-out here, then finish a true transparent PNG in an editor.
4. Blur the Background for Depth
Keep the subject in the uploaded photo perfectly sharp and unchanged — same face, pose, and lighting. Add a shallow depth-of-field blur to the background only, as if shot on an 85mm f/1.4 lens, with soft creamy bokeh on any highlights. Keep the transition at the subject's edges natural, including fine hair detail. Do not blur or alter the subject. Aspect ratio 3:2, 2K.Best for: Giving a flat phone snapshot a portrait-lens look without touching the person in front.
Retouch & restore
Four prompts for cleaning up skin, damage, and bad light — the kind of fixes where "keep it natural" is the whole job. Nano Banana Pro is one of the strongest tools for restoring old scans.
5. Retouch Skin Naturally
Retouch the face in the uploaded portrait. Keep the person's identity, bone structure, expression, skin tone, and pose exactly the same. Gently reduce temporary blemishes and calm redness, but keep natural skin texture, pores, freckles, and fine lines — do not smooth or airbrush the skin. Leave the eyes, hair, and lighting untouched. The result should look like the same real person on a good day. Aspect ratio 4:5, 2K.Why it works: Naming pores, freckles, and fine lines as things to keep stops the model from plastic-smoothing the face, which is the usual failure mode of AI retouching.
6. Restore a Damaged Old Photo
Restore this scanned old photograph. Repair scratches, dust, creases, tears, and fading, and rebuild damaged areas plausibly. Keep the people's faces, expressions, clothing, hairstyles, and the original composition exactly the same — do not modernize, reshape faces, or add detail that changes who they are. Keep it black and white if the original is black and white. Preserve the period look. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: Family archives — the identity lock keeps a restored ancestor recognizably themselves instead of a lookalike.
7. Fix Harsh Flash and Shadows
The uploaded photo has a harsh on-camera flash. Keep the subject's face, pose, expression, and background exactly the same. Re-light it to look like soft, diffused window light instead: reduce the blown-out highlights on the forehead and nose, lift the harsh shadows under the chin, and restore natural skin tone. Do not change the subject's features or the composition. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: Describing the target lighting in real terms — "soft, diffused window light" — plus naming the specific hotspots to fix gives the model a concrete relighting job instead of a vague "improve" request.
8. Whiten Teeth and Brighten Eyes Subtly
In the uploaded portrait, keep the face, expression, skin, and lighting exactly the same. Make only two subtle changes: slightly whiten the teeth so they look natural, not artificially white, and gently brighten the eyes and catchlights. Do not change eye color, tooth shape, or any facial feature. Keep everything else identical. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: A quick, honest polish on a headshot — two small edits, nothing else moved.
Restyle & relight
Four prompts for changing the mood — film look, dramatic light, season, and monochrome — while the scene and subject stay put.
9. Restyle a Photo as Golden-Hour Film
Restyle the uploaded photo with a warm 35mm film look: soft golden-hour color grade, gentle grain, slightly lifted blacks, and warm highlights. Keep the exact same subject, pose, composition, and scene — change only the color, tone, and grain, not the content. Preserve every face and object as it is. Do not crop or reframe. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: Separating "change only the color, tone, and grain" from "not the content" tells the model this is a grade, not a re-shoot, so the scene stays intact.
10. Relight From Flat to Dramatic
Relight the uploaded portrait. Keep the subject's face, pose, expression, and outfit exactly the same, and keep the background scene the same. Change only the lighting to dramatic chiaroscuro: a single soft key light from the upper left, deep controlled shadows on the opposite side, and a subtle rim light separating the subject from the background. Keep skin tones natural. Aspect ratio 4:5, 2K.Best for: Turning a flatly-lit snapshot into a moody portrait without moving the subject or the set.
11. Change the Season or Weather
In the uploaded outdoor photo, keep the people, their clothing, poses, and the main structures exactly the same. Change only the season: turn the green summer trees into autumn oranges and reds, add fallen leaves on the ground, and shift the light to a cooler, low autumn sun. Keep the composition and all subjects identical. Do not add or remove people. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: Constraining the change to season while explicitly protecting people, clothing, and structures stops the model from re-inventing the whole scene around the new mood.
12. Convert to Rich Black and White
Convert the uploaded photo to a rich, high-contrast black and white with deep blacks, clean bright highlights, and full tonal range, like a classic silver-gelatin print. Keep the exact same subject, pose, composition, and detail — change only the color to monochrome and adjust contrast. Do not crop, retouch faces, or alter the scene. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: A proper black-and-white conversion with real contrast control, not a flat desaturation.
Add & remove objects
Four prompts for taking things out of a photo — or adding a person in from a reference — without disturbing everything else.
13. Remove a Photobomber
In the uploaded photo, remove the person in the background on the right side. Reconstruct the background behind them to match the surrounding scene naturally — same wall, floor, lighting, and perspective. Keep the main subjects in the foreground, their poses, faces, and lighting exactly the same. Do not alter anyone you are keeping. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: Pointing to the exact person ("background on the right side") and telling the model what to rebuild the gap with keeps the fill consistent with the real scene.
14. Erase Wires, Signs, and Clutter
From the uploaded photo, remove the overhead power lines, the trash bin, and the small street sign on the left. Fill each area with a natural continuation of the sky, wall, and pavement behind it, matching lighting and perspective. Keep the building, the main subject, the composition, and all colors exactly the same. Do not move or resize anything you keep. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: Cleaning distractions out of travel and architecture shots while the scene stays true.
15. Add a Missing Person From a Reference
Use image 1 as the base group photo and image 2 as a reference for the person to add. Place the person from image 2 into the group at the empty spot on the right, matching the scale, angle, and lighting of the existing group. Keep their face and appearance faithful to image 2. Keep everyone already in image 1 exactly the same — same faces, poses, and lighting. Blend shadows and edges so the addition looks like it was there originally. Aspect ratio matches image 1, 2K.Why it works: Using a second reference image and telling the model to keep the added face "faithful to image 2" is how you insert a real person, not a generic one, into an existing shot.
16. Swap an Outfit Color
In the uploaded photo, keep the person's face, pose, hair, body, and background exactly the same. Change only the color of their jacket from blue to deep burgundy, keeping the same fabric texture, folds, seams, and the way light falls across it. Do not change the shape or style of the jacket, and do not alter anything else in the image. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: Testing a color variant on a garment while the fabric's real texture and drape survive the swap.
Colorize & upscale-look
Four prompts for adding color, sharpness, and corrected tone. Ask for 4K when the detail has to hold up in print.
17. Colorize a Black-and-White Photo
Colorize the uploaded black-and-white photograph with natural, period-accurate color. Keep every face, expression, pose, clothing shape, and the composition exactly the same — add only color, do not redraw or reshape anything. Use realistic skin tones, believable fabric colors for the era, and natural ambient light. Keep it subtle and photographic, not oversaturated. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: "Add only color, do not redraw or reshape anything" keeps colorizing an overlay rather than a regeneration, so identities and shapes hold.
18. Sharpen and Upscale a Soft Photo
Enhance the uploaded slightly soft, low-resolution photo. Increase apparent sharpness and recover fine detail in the eyes, hair, and fabric, and render the result at high resolution. Keep the subject's identity, features, pose, colors, and composition exactly the same — do not invent new details on the face or change expression. Avoid over-sharpening halos and plastic texture. Aspect ratio matches the original, 4K.Best for: Getting a print-ready, crisper version of a photo that came out soft — with a guard against invented facial detail.
19. Fix White Balance and Faded Color
Correct the color in the uploaded photo. Remove the strong yellow-orange color cast, set a neutral white balance so whites look white, and restore the faded, washed-out colors to natural saturation and contrast. Keep the subject, pose, composition, and all content exactly the same — this is a color correction only. Do not retouch faces or change the scene. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Why it works: Framing the request as "a color correction only" and naming the exact cast to remove keeps the model from creatively re-editing the scene.
20. Fix Faded Colorization Into a Vibrant Print
The uploaded photo looks flat and lifeless. Keep the exact same subject, pose, composition, and detail. Change only the grade: add gentle contrast, richer but still natural color, and a subtle vibrance lift so it reads like a clean, well-exposed digital photo. Do not clip highlights or shadows, retouch skin, or alter the scene. Aspect ratio matches the original, 2K.Best for: A one-step "make this pop, but honestly" pass on a dull image, with the content locked.
Portraits & product cleanup
Four prompts for professional headshots and clean product shots — the two edits people pay for most. Reference images keep a face or a product consistent.
21. Professional LinkedIn Headshot
Turn the uploaded casual photo into a professional headshot. Keep the person's face, identity, expression, hair, and skin texture exactly the same — this must clearly be the same person. Replace the background with a soft, out-of-focus neutral office-grey backdrop, and light the subject with a clean three-point softbox setup for even, flattering light. Keep their real clothing if it looks business-appropriate; otherwise leave it unchanged. Frame head-and-shoulders. Aspect ratio 4:5, 2K.Why it works: The line "this must clearly be the same person" plus keeping skin texture forces the model to elevate the photo without swapping in an idealized stranger's face.
22. Consistent Headshot Across Outfits
Use image 1 as the reference for this person's exact face and identity. Create a professional headshot that keeps that face, expression, and skin texture faithful to image 1 — same person, no idealizing. Dress them in a plain dark blazer over a white shirt, on a soft mid-grey studio backdrop with even three-point lighting, head-and-shoulders framing. Keep the face identical to the reference across any version you make. Aspect ratio 4:5, 2K.Best for: Building a matching set of headshots — the reference image anchors one face so every outfit variant is recognizably the same person.
23. Clean Up a Product on White
Clean up the uploaded product photo for an e-commerce listing. Keep the product's exact shape, color, label text, logo, and proportions unchanged. Place it on a pure, evenly-lit white background with a soft, realistic contact shadow beneath it. Remove dust, smudges, fingerprints, and any background clutter. Do not restyle or redesign the product. Aspect ratio 1:1, 2K.Why it works: Naming the label text and logo as things to keep unchanged protects the exact branding — the detail image models are most likely to garble. See the product photography prompts for a full set.
24. Place a Product Into a Lifestyle Scene
Use image 1 as the exact product reference. Keep the product's shape, color, label, and logo faithful to image 1 — do not alter the packaging or text. Place it naturally on a warm wooden café table beside a coffee cup and a folded newspaper, in soft morning window light with a shallow depth of field. Match the product's scale, perspective, and reflections to the scene, with a realistic contact shadow. Aspect ratio 3:2, 2K.Best for: Turning a plain packshot into a lifestyle image while the real product stays exactly as it ships.
Once these feel natural, keep the roundup of the best Nano Banana prompts open for the underlying method, and grab the cheat sheet for the lock-what-stays wording you'll reuse on every edit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does conversational editing work in Nano Banana?
You upload a photo, then describe the single change you want in plain language instead of regenerating from scratch. Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) reasons about your existing image, applies the edit, and keeps everything you didn't mention. Because it works in a conversation, you can stack edits one at a time — swap the background, then fix the lighting, then remove an object — reviewing each result before the next request. If an image is about 80% right, editing it beats starting over.
Why do I have to say what should stay the same?
An edit model can only protect what you name. If you say "replace the background" but never mention the person, Nano Banana may subtly re-render their face, pose, or lighting to fit the new scene. Adding "keep the subject's face, pose, hair, and lighting exactly the same; change only the background" locks identity so the one thing you asked for is the only thing that moves. Naming what stays is the single most important habit for clean, believable edits.
Can I use reference images to keep a face or product consistent?
Yes. Nano Banana Pro accepts up to 14 reference images in one prompt. Upload the photo you're editing plus reference shots of the same person, product, or style, and tell the model which reference to match — "use the face from image 2" or "match the packaging in the product reference." This is how you keep a consistent headshot across outfits or place a real product into a new scene without distorting its label.
Does quality degrade if I make many edits in a row?
Chaining many round-trips can soften fine detail over time, since each pass re-renders the image. To limit drift, combine related changes into one instruction where you can, request 2K or 4K output for detail-critical work, and re-upload the original as a fresh reference if an edit strays. For the cleanest result on a busy edit, describe several changes in a single prompt rather than a long chain of tiny ones.
Can Nano Banana remove a background or make it transparent?
It can isolate a subject and replace the background with a solid color or studio backdrop, which is what most product and headshot work needs. For a true transparent PNG with a clean alpha channel, ask for the subject on a plain white or flat neutral backdrop and cut it out in an editor, or use a dedicated background-removal tool — image models render pixels, so a pure alpha channel is more reliable when you finish in Photoshop or a remover.
Can it restore or colorize old photos?
Yes, and it's one of the strongest uses. Upload a scanned photo and ask it to remove scratches, dust, creases, and fading while keeping the faces, clothing, and composition exactly the same. For colorizing, tell it to add natural, period-accurate color without altering identity or expression. Because it reasons about the image, it fills damaged areas plausibly instead of smearing — but review results, since it infers detail it can't actually see.
Do edited images carry a SynthID watermark?
Yes. Every image Nano Banana produces — including edits of a photo you uploaded — carries an invisible SynthID watermark, and free tiers add a small visible mark. The watermark identifies the output as AI-generated or AI-edited and doesn't change how the image looks at normal viewing. Keep this in mind for journalism, evidence, or any context where provenance matters.
Which model should I pick — Nano Banana Pro or Nano Banana 2?
Use Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) for most editing: it reasons about your photo and handles complex retouching, relighting, and identity-preserving swaps at about $0.134 per image. Switch to Nano Banana 2 when the edit adds or changes on-image text — a sign, label, or poster line — because it renders words most reliably. The prompt wording is the same; you just select the model in the Gemini app or API.