How to create professional photos using AI with Gemini

A high-quality image can be used on LinkedIn, a CV, a personal website, an email signature, or social media. With artificial intelligence capabilities, it’s possible to generate or edit photos without the need for a traditional photo shoot.

Gemini, a Google tool, enables users to create images from text descriptions and modify photos they upload. According to Google, more detailed instructions provide greater control over elements such as subject, composition, action, location, and style.

Steps to create a professional photo in Gemini

Before writing the command, decide where the image will be used. A LinkedIn photo may have different characteristics than a portrait for a corporate presentation or a professional webpage.

The prompt can include details about lighting, framing, clothing, setting, expression, and desired appearance. Google recommends specifying the visual style and accurately describing what should appear in the image.

1. Professional LinkedIn photo

Create a realistic professional LinkedIn photo, preserving my original facial features. Chest-up portrait, natural posture, confident and friendly expression, discreet business attire, neutral background, and soft studio lighting. Corporate style, natural appearance, high definition.

2. Portrait for a CV

Transform my photo into a professional portrait suitable for a CV. Preserve my face and natural features. Use chest-up framing, a clear and uniform background, balanced lighting, professional attire, and a neutral expression. Avoid an artificial appearance or excessive retouching.

3. Photo for an executive profile

Create a sophisticated corporate portrait from this photo. Preserve my identity and facial features. Use elegant business attire, soft side lighting, a blurred modern office background, and vertical framing. Corporate editorial aesthetics, realistic and discreet.

4. More informal professional photo

Edit this photo to create a professional yet approachable portrait. Preserve my facial features and natural expression. Use a contemporary office environment, natural lighting, stylish casual clothing, and a slightly blurred background. Realistic photographic result, without the appearance of an AI-generated image.

5. Photo for a professional presentation

Create a professional photograph of me to be used in a corporate presentation. Preserve my face faithfully. Show me from the chest up, with a natural posture, business attire, studio lighting, and a neutral background. Leave visual space next to the person to insert text later.

6. Photo in a work environment

Transform this photo into a professional portrait set in a modern office. Preserve my features, hair, face shape, and overall appearance. Use a soft depth of field, natural lighting, and editorial composition. The image should look like a real photograph, without excessive retouching.

7. Professional photo with an editorial look

Create a professional portrait with a business magazine aesthetic. Preserve my identity and facial features. Use subtle cinematic lighting, a blurred corporate background, half-body framing, and professional clothing. Realistic, elegant, and natural photography, without altering my face.

For professionals in technology, business, or communications, the same principle can be applied to create different versions of a professional photograph while maintaining the person’s visual identity.

What to avoid in prompts

Very generic commands can leave important decisions up to the model. Instead of writing just “create a professional photo,” specify:

• Where the image will be used
• Type of framing
• Clothing and appearance
• Setting and background
• Lighting
• Photographic style
• Features that should not be changed

A study published in 2025 in the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics examined how different forms of photo retouching influence the perception of candidates in recruitment processes. The research identified variations in the impressions caused by editing methods and pointed out negative effects when the image undergoes excessive retouching.

Therefore, for a professional photograph, the goal of the prompt does not need to be to completely transform the appearance. Preserving identity and controlling the setting, lighting, and composition may be more appropriate.

Editing existing photos with Gemini

In addition to generating images, Gemini allows users to upload a photograph and request changes. The user can ask for changes to the background, composition, or style of the image. Google also advises that copyright and privacy rights be observed when using images of third parties.

For a professional photo, one alternative is to start with a real image and request specific adjustments instead of creating a completely new portrait. This can help maintain recognizable personal features.

Another important point is to check the result before using it professionally. Details of the face, hands, clothing, accessories, and elements of the setting may require new instructions or corrections.