40 Nano Banana Prompts for Photo Editing (Copy and Paste)

The best Nano Banana prompts for photo editing say two things: what should change, and what must stay the same. Below are 40 copy-paste prompts built on that pattern, grouped by job, from headshots and background swaps to product shots, rooms and pets. Upload your photo, paste a prompt, swap in your own details, and run it.

Every prompt here is for editing a photo you already have, not for generating a picture from nothing. If you want the background on how image to image editing works and why it differs from text to image, read what is image to image AI first.

What "Nano Banana" actually is

"Nano Banana" is Google's nickname for its Gemini image models, and there is more than one of them:

• Nano Banana is the original Gemini image model (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image). Google's developer docs now list it as the legacy model of the series.
• Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) is the premium model, built for complex instructions.
• Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) was announced on February 26, 2026 as a faster model that brings much of the Pro model's quality to Flash speed. You can read Google's announcement of Nano Banana 2.

As of November 2026, Google's developer docs also list Nano Banana 2.1, an update to Nano Banana 2, and a lighter Nano Banana 2 Lite. The prompts below are plain-language instructions, so they work across these versions.

On ImageToImage AI, the Standard tier runs Nano Banana 2 at 2K (5 credits) and the HD tier runs Nano Banana 2 at 4K (8 credits). The same prompts also work in Google's own Gemini app: attach your photo and paste the prompt as your message.

The prompt formula: change + keep

Every prompt in this library has two parts:

1. The change. One edit, described concretely: the medium, the place, the color, the light.
2. The keep. The things you would be upset to lose, named one by one: face, expression, hair, pose, logo, camera angle.

Here is the shape of it:

[What to change, with specific details]. Keep [the subject's face / the product / the layout] exactly the same.

Nano Banana models redraw the whole frame, even for small edits. They tend to protect what you name and feel free to change what you don't. A prompt that only says "make it a winter scene" might also change the person's jacket and the car in the driveway. A prompt that adds "keep the house, the car and the person unchanged" usually won't.

5 habits that make Nano Banana edits better

1. One change per prompt. "New background, new outfit, shorter hair and make it a painting" asks for four edits at once, and the model will half-do some of them. Run one edit, download or keep the result, then upload it again for the next change.

2. Name the medium and the light. "Artistic" and "nice lighting" give vague results. "Watercolor on textured paper" and "soft overcast daylight from the left" give specific ones. Light is the detail people most often forget, and it is what makes a background swap look real or pasted.

3. Protect faces explicitly. If a person is in the photo, say "keep the face, expression and identity exactly the same". Small faces in group shots are the most likely to drift, so crop closer when one face matters.

4. Quote short text. If the image needs words, put them in quotes and keep them short: a sign that reads "OPEN", a mug that says "MONDAY". Long text and small print are still where these models invent letters.

5. Iterate on wording, not on the photo. If a result is close but not right, change one phrase and run it again. "Warm light" to "golden hour light from behind" is often the whole fix. Swap the photo only when the source itself is the problem, such as a blurry face or a heavy crop.

Nano Banana prompts for photo editing: the library

Words in square brackets are placeholders. Replace them, or delete them if they don't apply. Every prompt stays well under the tool's 1,500-character limit, so you have room to add your own details.

Portraits and headshots

Use your own photos or photos you have permission to edit. For a full walkthrough on turning a selfie into a work photo, see free AI headshot generator from a selfie.

1. Clean professional headshot

Turn this photo into a professional headshot: plain light gray studio background, soft even key light from the front left, subtle shadow on the right side. Keep the face, expression, hairstyle, glasses and skin texture exactly the same. Do not smooth or reshape the face.

2. LinkedIn-ready office background

Replace the background with a softly blurred modern office with large windows and natural daylight. Change the top to a navy blazer over a white shirt. Keep the face, hair, expression and head angle exactly the same.

3. Fix harsh lighting on a portrait

Relight this portrait with soft, diffused window light from the left, as if taken on an overcast day. Reduce the harsh shadows under the eyes and nose. Keep the face, expression, clothes and background unchanged.

4. Black and white portrait

Convert this portrait into a high-contrast black and white photograph with deep blacks and soft film grain. Keep the face, expression, pose and framing exactly the same.

5. Subtle skin retouch

Lightly retouch this portrait: reduce temporary blemishes and redness, even out the skin tone slightly. Keep pores, freckles, moles, wrinkles and the face shape exactly as they are. The result should look natural, not airbrushed.

Restyles and art styles

These keep your subject and composition and change the medium. Name the material, the surface and the technique.

6. Watercolor

Turn this photo into a loose watercolor painting on cold-press textured paper, with soft color bleeds and visible white paper at the edges. Keep the subject's face, pose and the overall composition the same.

7. Oil painting

Repaint this photo as a classical oil painting with thick visible brushstrokes, warm varnish tones and a dark background. Keep the person's face, expression, clothing and pose recognizable and unchanged.

8. Pencil sketch

Turn this photo into a detailed graphite pencil sketch on off-white paper, with cross-hatching for shadows and light construction lines. Keep the proportions, the face and the composition exactly the same.

9. Flat vector illustration

Redraw this photo as a flat vector illustration with clean outlines, simple shapes and a limited palette of 5 colors. Keep the pose, the layout of the scene and the main colors of the clothing.

10. Clay or 3D render look

Transform this photo into a soft 3D clay render with rounded shapes, matte materials and gentle studio lighting. Keep the composition, the subject's pose and the color of each object the same.

11. Vintage film photo

Make this photo look like it was shot on 1970s color film: warm faded colors, slight green tint in the shadows, soft grain and a gentle vignette. Keep everything in the scene exactly where it is.

Backgrounds and scenes

The trick with backgrounds is matching the light on your subject to the new scene. Always ask for it. There is a full guide on changing a photo background with AI if you want more options.

12. Beach at sunset

Replace the background with a quiet beach at sunset, warm golden light coming from behind the subject. Add a soft warm rim light on the hair and shoulders to match. Keep the person, their clothes and pose unchanged.

13. City street at night

Place the subject on a rainy city street at night with blurred neon shop signs and reflections on the wet pavement. Match the lighting on the person to the scene. Keep the face, outfit and pose exactly the same.

14. Plain studio backdrop

Replace the background with a seamless warm beige studio backdrop with a soft shadow on the floor behind the subject. Keep the subject, the edges of the hair and the clothes exactly as they are.

15. Mountain viewpoint

Change the background to a mountain viewpoint with layered peaks and morning haze, natural daylight from the right. Keep the people, their positions, faces and clothing the same.

16. Blur the background (portrait mode)

Keep the background as it is but make it strongly out of focus, like a portrait shot at f/1.8, with soft round bokeh in the lights. Keep the subject perfectly sharp and unchanged.

Clothing and hair

Name the garment, the fabric and the color. For hair, name the length and the texture, not just the style name.

17. Change one item of clothing

Change the gray hoodie to a cream cable-knit wool sweater. Keep the face, hair, glasses, pose and background the same.

18. Formal outfit

Dress the person in a tailored charcoal suit with a white shirt and no tie. Keep the face, hairstyle, body pose, hands and the background exactly the same.

19. New hairstyle

Change the hairstyle to a shoulder-length layered bob with soft waves. Keep the hair color, the face, expression, makeup and clothing exactly the same.

20. Hair color

Change the hair color to a natural copper red with subtle lighter strands. Keep the haircut, length, texture, the face and the background unchanged.

Season, time and weather

These work best on landscapes, streets and houses. Ask the model to keep the structures in place.

21. Summer to snowy winter

Make this scene a snowy winter day: fresh snow on the ground, roofs and branches, soft gray sky. Keep the buildings, trees, the street layout and any people in the same positions.

22. Day to night

Turn this daytime photo into a clear night scene with a deep blue sky, warm light glowing from the windows and street lamps on. Keep the buildings, the composition and the camera angle exactly the same.

23. Golden hour

Change the light to golden hour, low warm sun from the left casting long soft shadows. Keep every object, person and color in the scene the same apart from the lighting.

24. Autumn leaves

Change the season to autumn: trees in orange, red and yellow, a few fallen leaves on the ground. Keep the path, the bench and the overall composition unchanged.

Product photos

Labels and logos are the details most at risk. Name them in the keep part every time, and zoom in on the result before you use it.

25. Kitchen counter lifestyle shot

Place this bottle on a white marble kitchen counter with soft morning light from a window on the left and a blurred plant in the background. Keep the bottle, the label text, the logo and the cap exactly as they are.

26. Clean white background for a store listing

Put this product on a pure white background with a soft natural shadow directly underneath. Keep the product's shape, colors, label and every printed detail exactly the same.

27. Outdoor adventure scene

Place this backpack on a rock at the edge of a forest trail in the early morning, with mist between the trees. Keep the backpack's color, logo, zippers and straps unchanged.

28. Flat lay

Turn this product into a top-down flat lay on a light linen tablecloth, surrounded by a few dried flowers and a folded napkin. Keep the product, its label and its proportions exactly the same.

Rooms and interiors

Always protect the windows, walls and camera angle, or the model may redesign the room itself.

29. Japandi makeover

Restyle this living room in Japandi style: light oak furniture, linen textiles, low seating, warm neutral colors and one large plant. Keep the windows, doors, walls, ceiling and the camera angle the same.

30. Wall color only

Paint the walls a soft sage green with a matte finish. Keep the furniture, floor, decor, windows and the lighting exactly the same.

31. Empty room to furnished

Furnish this empty bedroom with a queen bed with white bedding, two wooden bedside tables, a wool rug and warm bedside lamps. Keep the walls, windows, floor and camera angle unchanged.

32. Declutter

Clear the clutter from this kitchen: remove the dishes, papers and small objects from the counters. Keep the cabinets, appliances, countertops and lighting exactly the same.

Pets

Fur markings, eye color and ear shape are the details that drift. Name them.

33. Pet portrait painting

Turn this photo of my dog into a classical oil portrait with a dark green background and soft window light. Keep the dog's face, fur color, markings and ear shape exactly the same.

34. Pet in a costume

Dress this cat in a small knitted red scarf and a tiny wool beanie. Keep the cat's face, eyes, fur pattern and pose unchanged, and keep the background the same.

35. New setting for a pet

Place this dog on a sunny grassy meadow with wildflowers, natural afternoon light. Keep the dog's breed features, fur color, markings and pose exactly the same.

Fun edits

Playful edits are where Nano Banana is most fun. Keep these to photos of yourself, friends who agreed, or pets.

36. Collectible figure on a desk

Turn the person in this photo into a 1/7 scale collectible figure standing on a round clear acrylic base, placed on a wooden desk next to a computer monitor. Keep the face, hairstyle, outfit and pose from the photo. Realistic product photography, soft indoor light.

37. Figure with its box

Turn this photo into a boxed toy figure inside a colorful retail package with a clear plastic window, sitting on a store shelf. The box reads "MY HERO". Keep the person's face, outfit and pose recognizable.

38. Sticker sheet

Turn the person in this photo into a cute die-cut sticker with a thick white border and a soft drop shadow, on a plain light background. Keep the face, hairstyle and outfit colors recognizable.

Cleanup and fixes

For edits where the rest of the image must stay pixel-identical, a masked tool is safer than a prompt. Use remove object from image to erase something you brush over: everything you don't brush is copied back from the original.

39. Remove people in the background

Remove the people walking in the background and fill the space with the street and buildings behind them. Keep the main subject, the foreground and the lighting exactly the same.

40. Clean up a product photo

Remove the dust, fingerprints and small scratches from the product surface and clean up the background to a smooth gray. Keep the product's shape, color, logo and text exactly as they are.

When a prompt doesn't work

Most failed edits fall into a few patterns. Change one thing at a time.

On ImageToImage AI, if Standard keeps ignoring part of a long instruction, try the same prompt on the Pro tier, which runs a different model (OpenAI's GPT Image). If the edit is right but too small for print, run it again on HD for a 4K result.

FAQ

What are Nano Banana prompts?

They are text instructions you give Google's Nano Banana image models, usually together with a photo, to edit or generate an image. For photo editing, the most reliable prompts describe one change and name the parts of the photo to keep.

Is Nano Banana the same as Nano Banana 2?

No. Nano Banana is the original Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model. Nano Banana 2 is Gemini 3.1 Flash Image, announced in February 2026. Google has also released Nano Banana Pro and, more recently, Nano Banana 2.1. The prompts in this guide are plain-language instructions, so they work on all of them, though results differ from model to model.

Where can I use these prompts?

On ImageToImage AI, on the Standard tier (Nano Banana 2 at 2K) or the HD tier (Nano Banana 2 at 4K). You can also paste them into the Gemini app with your photo attached. Without an account you get one free Standard image a day, and signing in gives you 10 free credits a day.

Do these prompts work for text to image?

Not as written. They assume the model can see your photo and refer to "the person", "this bottle" or "this room". For text to image you would need to describe the whole scene yourself.

Why does the face change even when I ask to keep it?

The model redraws the whole image, so small drifts in faces, fingers and logos are always possible. Larger faces drift less. Naming the face, expression and identity in the prompt, and making only one change per run, keeps drift small.

Can I edit photos of other people?

Only photos you have the right to use. Don't use these prompts to create misleading images of real people, such as putting someone in a place they never were and presenting it as real.