How to turn your photos into studio-quality portraits using ChatGPT: 3 easy steps

Indian Express

4 days ago

You no longer need a professional camera, lighting rig, or editing suite to get dramatic, high-quality portraits. Thanks to AI-powered tools built into ChatGPT, you can now generate studio-style images with just one detailed text prompt.
A recent viral Instagram reel by creator @ruiz.acosta demonstrates exactly how powerful this can be, showing a hyper-realistic black-and-white portrait created entirely with ChatGPT's image generation feature.
ChatGPT's image generation capabilities have seen a major leap in recent months, not just in terms of resolution and detail, but in stylistic flexibility. Whether it's photo-realistic images or illustrated fantasy scenes, the tool now offers a more creative range than ever before.
A few months ago, the internet was obsessed with the 'Ghibli-fication' trend, where users generated portraits or scenes in the signature hand-drawn style of Studio Ghibli. From whimsical cityscapes to fairytale forests, the results were so striking that entire Instagram pages and Reddit threads were dedicated to showcasing them.
What's changed since then is not just better rendering, but smarter interpretation of prompts. ChatGPT can now understand lighting setups, lens types, emotions, background isolation, and artistic styles, producing outputs that rival concept art or high-end digital renders.
The key lies in how you describe the image you want. The creator uses the following prompt to stunning effect: 'Please generate a top-angle and close-up black and white portrait of my face, focused on the head facing forward. Use a 35mm lens look, 10.7K 4HD quality. Proud expression, water droplets on my face. Deep black shadow background – only the face is visible and appears ultra-sharp. 4:3 ratio, with a 1/5 processing depth effect.'
The prompt is so effective because it gives the model incredibly precise parameters. Camera perspective and lens type ('top angle', '35-mm lens') simulate how a portrait photographer would frame a dramatic shot. Lighting and background queues ('deep black shadow background', 'only the face is visible') help isolate the subject and heighten the drama.
Texture and emotion ('water droplets on my face', 'proud expression') add storytelling layers and realism. Resolution and aspect ratio ('10.7K 4HD', '4:3 ratio') ensure the final image looks premium and print-ready.
Here are some sample prompts as recommended by ChatGPT:
Prompt 1:
'Create a dramatic low-angle black and white portrait of my face with a confident expression. Use a cinematic 50mm lens effect, ultra-high-definition (10K), soft mist around the shoulders, and strong contrast lighting. The background should be completely black, and only the face should be in sharp focus. 4:3 ratio.'
Prompt 2:
'Generate a moody black and white side-profile portrait with a sharp focus on facial texture. Simulate a 24mm lens look, 4K resolution. Light rain on skin, subtle glistening effect, and soft shadows cast on a deep matte black background. Expression: calm and introspective. Use a 3:2 aspect ratio.'
Prompt 3:
'Render a high-contrast, close-up monochrome portrait using a virtual 85mm lens effect in 8K. Face should be directly lit with soft tones on the forehead and cheeks. Add light smoke in the background fading into black. Emphasize fine facial details with crisp clarity. 1:1 aspect ratio.'
These prompts are intended as examples of how to frame your prompt to get the desirable output. We recommend you tweak and modify according to your preference.
Here are some sample images as shared on X by users:
This ChatGPT prompt is going viral on TikTok right now. I gave it the first photo, it gave me the second photo:
'Create A high contrast close portrait of my face focusing on front head, in black and white closeup, 35mm lens, 4k HD quality, Giving proud expression, water… pic.twitter.com/6B7xziBPuC
— Edan Harr (@therealedanharr) June 23, 2025
Cinematic overhead shot of me standing hands crossed, a brick city sidewalk,wearing a black formal blazer. Motion blurred crowd rushes past around me. Moody lighting 35mm film look. Shallow depth of field,sharp focus on me. Ration portrait 4:3 no changing face.#chatgpt #picture pic.twitter.com/z1pYoFW2wY
— kahuna☁️ (@dam_ogundele) June 20, 2025
I asked ChatGPT to create a high contrast close up portrait of my face focusing on the forehead in black and white using a 35mm lens in 4K HD quality with a proud expression a hot look and water droplets on my face and here's what came out 😂 pic.twitter.com/S4xwQ4srUH
— ‏𓂆 Mohammed ‏ (@gazamo7) June 24, 2025
¡Que pasada!
Haz tú retrato con ChatGpt y comparte aquí el resultado
Os dejo el prompt para hacerlo aquí abajo ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/icYmRYPP1I
— ANDONI 🏳️‍🌈 (@andonii_) June 21, 2025
(This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)