ChatGPT and Gemini Headshot Prompts That Keep Your Face
Copy-and-paste ChatGPT and Gemini prompts for a professional headshot from your photo, by role, plus the follow-up prompts that fix a face that drifts.
ChatGPT and Gemini can both turn a photo of you into a professional headshot: upload the photo, then describe the clothes, background and light you want. The prompts below work in either. The part that decides whether it works is the first line of each prompt, which tells the model what must not change. Without it, both models redraw your face and the result looks like someone similar to you.
Before you prompt
- Upload one clear, recent photo: your face sharp and evenly lit, looking at or near the camera, no sunglasses, nothing covering your face. A selfie works if it was not taken at arm's length from below.
- Use the image tools, not a plain text chat: in ChatGPT, upload the photo and ask for an image; in Gemini, upload it and ask it to edit the image.
- Ask for one change at a time once you have a first version. Small follow-ups keep your face; starting over gives you a new one.
Gemini adds a visible watermark to images it makes or edits, so plan to crop or accept it.
The base prompt
Use this first, then swap the clothes and background for your role from the sections below.
> Using the uploaded photo, keep my face, features, skin tone, hairstyle, glasses and expression exactly the same. Do not change the shape of my eyes, nose, mouth or jaw. Change only my clothes to [CLOTHES] and the background to [BACKGROUND]. Use soft, even studio lighting from the front. Frame from the middle of the chest up, with my face filling about two thirds of the height. Photorealistic, natural skin texture, no retouching, no beauty filter.
Prompts by role
Corporate and finance
> ...Change only my clothes to a charcoal suit jacket over a white shirt and the background to a plain mid-gray studio wall...
LinkedIn, any role
> ...Change only my clothes to a navy blazer over a plain light top and the background to a softly blurred bright office...
Startup and tech
> ...Change only my clothes to a fitted dark gray crew-neck sweater and the background to a plain off-white wall...
Healthcare
> ...Change only my clothes to a white coat over a light blue shirt and the background to a softly blurred, bright clinic corridor...
Real estate and sales
> ...Change only my clothes to a tailored navy blazer and the background to a softly blurred, bright modern living room. Warm, natural light...
Creative roles
> ...Change only my clothes to a black crew-neck top and the background to a warm, softly lit studio wall in deep green...
Acting
> ...Keep my clothes simple: a fitted plain top in a solid mid-tone color. Background a plain light gray wall. Natural light, no makeup changes, no retouching. Show me exactly as I look today...
Speaker and author bio
> ...Change only my clothes to a dark blazer over a plain top, and the background to a softly blurred stage with warm lights...
Follow-up prompts that fix common problems
| Problem | Follow-up prompt |
|---|---|
| The face looks like someone else | "My face has changed. Keep my eyes, nose, mouth and jaw exactly as in the original photo and change nothing else." |
| Skin looks plastic | "Restore natural skin texture with visible pores. No smoothing." |
| Looks too young or too old | "Keep my age as in the original photo." |
| Teeth or eyes look odd | "Keep my smile and eyes exactly as in the original photo." |
| Too posed | "Make my expression a relaxed, natural smile, as in the original photo." |
| Background too busy | "Make the background plainer and more blurred." |
| Cropped too tight | "Zoom out so my shoulders and some space above my head show." |
| Lighting too dramatic | "Use soft, even light with no strong shadows." |
When a chatbot is not enough
A general image model works from the one photo you give it, so each new version is a new guess at your face, and a run of follow-ups tends to drift further. That is fine for a quick try, and frustrating for a photo that has to pass as you in an interview.
An AI headshot generator learns your face from several photos before it makes anything, which is why the results hold your likeness. Headshots by Magic Studio takes about ten of your photos and gives you 50 AI headshots across 5 looks in about 15 minutes, and you see them before paying. The free AI headshot generator makes a headshot from one photo, with no sign-up, if you want to compare with what ChatGPT or Gemini gave you.
For the photos to start from, and the other ways to turn one into a headshot, see our guide to making a professional headshot from a selfie.
Common questions
What is the best ChatGPT prompt for a professional headshot?
Start by telling it what must not change: "Using the uploaded photo, keep my face, features, skin tone, hairstyle and expression exactly the same." Then name the clothes, background, light and framing. The base prompt above does all four.
Can ChatGPT make a headshot from my photo?
Yes. Upload the photo and ask for a professional headshot. ChatGPT can change the clothes, background and light; it often changes your face slightly too, so ask it to keep your features exactly as in the original.
Can Gemini make a professional headshot?
Yes. Upload your photo in the Gemini app and describe the edit. Gemini is built to keep a person's likeness across edits, and it adds a visible watermark to images it makes or edits.
Why does my ChatGPT headshot not look like me?
The model redraws the photo from one picture of you, and small changes to the eyes, nose and jaw add up. Ask it to keep those features exactly as in the original, make one change at a time, and start from a sharp, evenly lit photo.
Is it OK to use an AI-made headshot on LinkedIn?
Yes, if it looks like you. LinkedIn asks that your profile photo reflect your likeness, and recruiters react badly to photos that look artificial or unlike the person they meet.