Why this matters

Headshots are not about vanity. They influence whether people click “Connect” on LinkedIn, whether recruiters take you seriously, and whether your personal site looks trustworthy. In surveys, recruiters consistently rank profile photos as part of their first impression. If you don’t have a clean, professional-looking image, you’re making the wrong kind of impression before you ever say a word.

Until recently, fixing this was a hassle. You either paid a professional photographer or relied on whatever decent photo your phone camera happened to take. Now, Gemini gives you a third option: AI-powered generation that looks like a real studio shot. That’s why this guide exists.

What you need to get started

You don’t need much. Two things:

1. A regular photo of yourself where your face is clear.

2. Access to Google Gemini (through the browser at gemini.google.com or the mobile app).

The input photo doesn’t need to be perfect. It could be a selfie, a snapshot from a dinner, a casual group photo where you crop yourself out. The key is that your face is visible, not obscured by shadows or filters. Side profiles don’t work as well. Neither do images where your face is blurry. The better the input, the stronger the output.

Step-by-step process

Step 1: Open Gemini

Go to gemini.google.com or use the app. Both work the same way.

Step 2: Start fresh

Begin a new conversation so your headshot attempts don’t get mixed with unrelated prompts. This keeps things organized.

Step 3: Upload your photo

Click the attachment button. Select your picture. Any photo with a clear face is usable.

Step 4: Paste the prompt

This is the most important part. Gemini responds best to structured, detailed prompts. The team even shared an official one that’s been tested for headshots:

A professional, high-resolution, profile photo, maintaining the exact facial structure, identity, and key features of the person in the input image. The subject is framed from the chest up, with ample headroom and negative space above their head, ensuring the top of their head is not cropped. The person looks directly at the camera, and the subject’s body is also directly facing the camera. They are styled for a professional photo studio shoot, wearing a smart casual blazer. The background is a solid ‘#141414’ neutral studio. Shot from a high angle with bright and airy soft, diffused studio lighting, gently illuminating the face and creating a subtle catchlight in the eyes, conveying a sense of clarity. Captured on an 85mm f/1.8 lens with a shallow depth of field, exquisite focus on the eyes, and beautiful, soft bokeh. Observe crisp detail on the fabric texture of the blazer, individual strands of hair, and natural, realistic skin texture. The atmosphere exudes confidence, professionalism, and approachability. Clean and bright cinematic color grading with subtle warmth and balanced tones, ensuring a polished and contemporary feel.

Paste that into Gemini.

Step 5: Wait

Gemini will process. Usually seconds. The result is a professional headshot. You can generate multiple versions by rerunning the same prompt with the same photo.

Why this prompt works

Every part of that text is doing work. “Maintaining the exact facial structure” forces Gemini to keep your identity intact. “Framed from the chest up, with ample headroom” enforces proper composition. “Smart casual blazer” ensures neutral professionalism. The neutral studio background color (#141414) avoids distractions. Lens settings like “85mm f/1.8” replicate what photographers use for headshots to get sharp facial focus and blurred background. “Soft, diffused studio lighting” eliminates harsh shadows. The details on fabric texture and hair strands stop Gemini from producing plastic-looking skin. It reads like overkill, but this precision is what separates an amateur-looking AI render from a polished headshot.

How to customize for your needs

The prompt isn’t locked. You can adjust it.

• Outfit: Swap “smart casual blazer” for something that fits your profession. A suit and tie if you’re in corporate. Scrubs if you’re in healthcare. A button-down shirt for creative industries.

• Background: Keep #141414 for timeless neutrality, or replace it with #FFFFFF for pure white, #F5F5F5 for soft gray, or #2C3E50 for dark blue.

• Expression: Add “with a warm, genuine smile” if you want friendliness, or “with a confident, serious expression” for executive roles.

• Angle: Default is a high angle. Change to “eye level” for equality or “slightly lower angle” if you want more authority.

• Lighting: Adjust for mood. “Bright, even lighting” is safest. “Natural window lighting” is more casual. “Dramatic Rembrandt lighting” is creative but not for everyone.

Mistakes people make

• Using side-profile photos: The model isn’t great at reconstructing faces from sideways shots. Stick to forward-facing input.

• Bad lighting in source image: Garbage in, garbage out. Dark, grainy, or heavily filtered selfies give weak results.

• Over-editing with too many tweaks: Adding too many costume or background changes in one prompt sometimes produces inconsistent outputs. Tweak one thing at a time.

• Ignoring composition: Cropping your head too close to the top or side can result in awkward framing even after AI processing. Use an input image where your head has space around it.

• Not saving variations: Gemini outputs differ slightly each run. If you don’t save, you lose versions that might have worked better.

What happens if you don’t do it right

If you use the wrong kind of input photo—blurry, side-angled, poor light—you’ll get distorted faces or images that look like someone else entirely. That’s the biggest risk: identity drift. Another common failure is unnatural skin texture—too smooth, too glossy—if your input image lacks enough detail. Cropped head edges lead to cut-off hair in the AI version. If you’re careless with prompts, you’ll end up with results that feel generic instead of credible.

Practical tips from real testing

• Start with a photo where you’re facing the camera. Even a casual one works better than a side profile.

• Daylight in your source photo improves results. Artificially lit selfies tend to flatten features.

• Try at least three different source photos. Some will just work better than others.

• Save 3–4 outputs per photo. Pick the one that looks most natural.

• Don’t over-style. Headshots need to feel simple and clear, not like a fashion shoot.

When to use this

• LinkedIn updates: The most obvious case. A professional photo increases credibility.

• Job applications: Employers search names. If they find your site or profile with a low-quality photo, it hurts your chances.

• Personal websites or portfolios: Especially for freelancers and consultants, your headshot is your brand face.

• Speaking engagements or media bios: Events and publications often ask for a professional headshot. AI-generated ones can save you time when you need it quickly.

Final thoughts

Professional headshots used to require time, money, and scheduling. Now they can be created in minutes with Gemini. The Nano Banana model is strong at preserving facial identity while adding studio-grade polish. The official prompt is a solid baseline. Small adjustments let you customize for role, background, and tone. The biggest mistakes come from poor input photos and careless prompts. If you start with a clear, well-lit photo and follow the structured instructions, you’ll get headshots that match or beat traditional ones for a fraction of the effort.

The point is simple: you don’t need to wait weeks or spend hundreds to get a photo that looks professional. Gemini makes it possible to handle this yourself in a single session. That’s practical, cost-effective, and for most professionals, good enough.