Synthetic Portraits: A Photo Shoot with Prompts for Google Gemini 2.5 Flash

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we create, capture, and imagine images. In this experimental session, I used Google Gemini 2.5 Flash to explore its photographic generation capabilities—combining scene direction, lighting, composition, and technical realism based on detailed prompts . The result is a visual essay that tests the boundaries between photography and synthetic imagination, revealing the creative potential of new generative AI tools. The prompts used are as follows.

Prompt 1

A cinematic urban portrait of the user [attach reference photos], keeping the real face completely unaltered and identical. The user is sitting casually on the ground, leaning against the side of a vintage black car. The right arm rests on the bent right knee, with the hand relaxed and slightly curved, while the left arm extends downward, with the left hand resting naturally near the foot. The left leg is bent with the knee raised, while the right leg is stretched out, showing the sole of the sneaker to the camera. The posture is relaxed, confident, and effortlessly stylish.

The user is wearing a fitted long-sleeve black button-up shirt with a matte and elegant fabric, giving a minimalist yet refined look. The black pants match the shirt, creating a monochromatic visual. On the feet, light-colored Nike sneakers with a visible logo add a sporty touch that contrasts with the dark outfit. On the wrist, a metallic watch reflects the warm light. The user also wears small dark sunglasses that enhance a cool and confident attitude.

The background features the vintage car in detail, with its glossy black surface reflecting the golden tones of the sunset. The surrounding urban setting — including the asphalt and distant horizon — is softly lit by the warm evening light. The atmosphere is moody and cinematic, with the setting sun casting long shadows and a golden glow.

The camera is positioned slightly below eye level, angled upward to emphasize presence and attitude, framing the full body but focusing on the relaxed pose. The lens resembles a classic 50–85mm portrait lens, maintaining natural proportions and gently blurring the distant background. Style: cinematic urban portrait, golden sunset, urban fashion photography, moody and stylish atmosphere, editorial streetwear vibe, same face.

Prompt 2

Artistic male studio portrait with a sophisticated and moody atmosphere. The user [attach reference photos] is standing against a dark, textured wall, illuminated by warm, dramatic side lighting that creates contrast and shadow in the background. The user wears a white long-sleeve shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a black vest, a dark bow tie, black dress pants, and brown leather country-style boots. The pose is relaxed, with the head slightly tilted downward and an introspective gaze. Professional photographic style with cinematic lighting and warm tones. High realism, detailed fabric and wall texture, minimalist dark background.

Additional technical details:

• Style: Realistic photography, fine art, editorial;

• Lighting: Warm side lighting, shadow cast on the wall;

• Clothing: White dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black vest, bow tie, black dress pants, brown leather boots;

• Pose: Leaning against the wall, firm yet relaxed posture, looking downward, reflective atmosphere.

Prompt 3

A cinematic urban portrait of the user, keeping the user’s real face unaltered [attach reference photos]. The user is sitting casually on stone steps outdoors, in front of a building entrance, leaning slightly forward with a confident and contemplative posture. The left elbow rests on the knee, with the hand raised to the temple in a thoughtful gesture, while the right arm hangs more loosely, the hand extended downward in a relaxed position. The legs are naturally bent and slightly apart, giving a grounded and strong presence. The gaze is directed at the camera—steady and intense—with a calm yet powerful expression.

The user is wearing an all-black outfit: a fitted black turtleneck sweater layered under a black coat with a wide collar and subtle texture. The coat has a tailored yet modern look, with slightly matte fabric that absorbs light, adding depth. The pants are also black and slim-fitted, completing the clean, monochromatic style. No visible accessories, emphasizing minimalism and sophistication.

The background shows part of an urban building with glass doors and warm interior lights softly glowing, adding contrast to the darker tones of the outfit. The lighting is warm and diffused, highlighting the face and upper body while creating soft shadows that add cinematic depth. The camera captures the scene slightly from below (low angle), emphasizing strength and presence, framed from the knees up. The focal length resembles a portrait lens between 50–85mm, maintaining natural proportions and a shallow depth of field that keeps the subject sharp against a softly blurred background.

Cinematic style, moody urban portrait, editorial fashion photography, minimalist monochromatic outfit, professional model vibe.

Prompt 4

[Attach reference photos]. Keep the original face, hair, and form unchanged in the image. Ultra-realistic studio portrait, 4K resolution, sharp details, cinematic lighting. The person is sitting on the floor, leaning against a smooth wall, illuminated by a warm dramatic spotlight (around 3200K) that creates a circular halo of light around the head and casts a shadow on the wall. The camera angle is slightly low and frontal, 50 mm lens, aperture f/1.8, ISO 200, softly focused background. The model is wearing a plain black sweatshirt and black pants. Relaxed position with one arm resting on the knee, hand partially extended forward, the other arm loose. Facial expression confident and subtly masculine-sensual, with a slight corner smile and intense gaze. Subtle shadow defining the jawline and beard. High contrast, moody atmosphere with rich detail in the textures of the skin, fabric, and hair.

Now it's your turn:

Experiment, observe, question. Let technology reveal what lies between reality and imagination—and share here how your lens saw this encounter.