Prompt Image

Gemini Image: Photorealistic Portrait

A Gemini image prompt for a photorealistic portrait that specifies subject, setting, golden-hour light, an 85mm lens, mood and vertical orientation.

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Prompt by Google Developers Blog — Prompting Gemini 2.5 Flash Image · Original source (opens in a new tab)

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Gemini Image: Photorealistic Portrait — prompt preview

The prompt

prompt 
A photorealistic close-up portrait of an elderly Japanese ceramicist with deep, sun-etched wrinkles and a warm, knowing smile. He is carefully inspecting a freshly glazed tea bowl. The setting is his rustic, sun-drenched workshop. The scene is illuminated by soft, golden hour light streaming through a window, highlighting the fine texture of the clay. Captured with an 85mm portrait lens, resulting in a soft, blurred background (bokeh). The overall mood is serene and masterful. Vertical portrait orientation.

What it is

This is a descriptive text prompt for Gemini image generation that produces a photorealistic close-up portrait of an elderly Japanese ceramicist. It combines the subject's features and action, the setting, the lighting, the lens, the mood and the orientation in one paragraph. It is an official example of describing camera, lens, lighting and mood to get realistic photos.

Who it's for

  • Developers and designers learning to write prompts for Gemini image generation
  • Content creators who want realistic portrait-style images
  • Anyone who wants a reusable template for describing a photo scene in natural language

Requirements

Requirements

  • Access to a Gemini image generation interface that accepts text prompts
  • A subject, setting, lighting condition, lens and mood to swap into the template

Examples

Elderly Japanese ceramicist (original)

Prompt
prompt
A photorealistic close-up portrait of an elderly Japanese ceramicist with deep, sun-etched wrinkles and a warm, knowing smile. He is carefully inspecting a freshly glazed tea bowl. The setting is his rustic, sun-drenched workshop. The scene is illuminated by soft, golden hour light streaming through a window, highlighting the fine texture of the clay. Captured with an 85mm portrait lens, resulting in a soft, blurred background (bokeh). The overall mood is serene and masterful. Vertical portrait orientation.

Expected output: A vertical close-up of a smiling elderly craftsman holding a glazed bowl, lit by warm window light, with a softly blurred workshop background.

Fishing boat captain at dawn

Prompt
prompt
A photorealistic close-up portrait of a weathered Portuguese fishing boat captain with salt-and-pepper stubble, deep laugh lines and a determined gaze. He is coiling a thick rope on the deck of his boat. The setting is a small harbor at sunrise with other boats in the distance. The scene is illuminated by soft, golden hour light from low on the horizon, catching the texture of his wool sweater. Captured with an 85mm portrait lens, resulting in a soft, blurred background (bokeh). The overall mood is resilient and calm. Vertical portrait orientation.

Expected output: A vertical portrait of a captain with textured skin and clothing, warm sunrise light and a blurred harbor behind him.

Young baker in a bakery

Prompt
prompt
A photorealistic close-up portrait of a young baker with flour-dusted cheeks, short curly hair and a gentle, proud smile. She is lifting a freshly baked loaf of sourdough from a wooden peel. The setting is a cozy neighborhood bakery with warm brick walls. The scene is illuminated by soft, golden hour light streaming through a front window, highlighting the crust of the bread and flour in the air. Captured with an 85mm portrait lens, resulting in a soft, blurred background (bokeh). The overall mood is warm and welcoming. Vertical portrait orientation.

Expected output: A vertical close-up of a smiling baker with a golden loaf, window light on the flour and a softly blurred bakery interior.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Pro:Covers subject, action, setting, lighting, lens, mood and orientation in one short prompt
  • Pro:Easy to adapt by swapping the subject and setting while keeping the structure
  • Pro:Naming a lens (85mm portrait) and a lighting condition (golden hour) shows how to steer the photographic look
  • Pro:Specifies the orientation (vertical portrait) explicitly

Cons

  • Con:It is a single example with no documented guarantee of identical results
  • Con:The source gives no explanation of how each phrase affects the output
  • Con:It covers only one portrait style, so other genres need adaptation
  • Con:Facial and texture details depend on the model and are not described as controllable beyond the prompt wording

Tips

  • Describe physical details such as wrinkles, expression and texture so the subject is specific
  • Give the subject an action, like inspecting a tea bowl, to make the scene feel natural
  • Name the light source and quality, as in soft golden hour light through a window
  • Mention the lens and the resulting background blur to get a portrait look
  • State the mood and the orientation at the end

Variations

  • Change the subject's profession, age or culture and match the setting to it
  • Swap golden hour for another lighting condition and adjust the mood to fit
  • Change the lens or framing, for example from a close-up to a wider scene
  • Switch the orientation from vertical to another format, such as a horizontal one