Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November this year, with Dhanteras on the 6th and Bhai Dooj on the 10th. That leaves time to get a festive portrait ready for your profile, family group or greeting card. Both Gemini and ChatGPT can transform an uploaded photo, provided the prompt is specific about the outfit, lighting and setting, and clearly asks the tool to preserve your face.
The prompts below work in both tools and are ready to copy and paste. They are grouped by the kind of photo you want, and every prompt includes a line asking the model to keep your face as it is. That instruction matters more than any other part of the prompt, although neither tool can guarantee perfect facial consistency on every attempt.
If you want prompts for everyday edits rather than a festival-specific look, CompareCrest also has separate collections of Gemini photo-editing prompts and ChatGPT photo-editing prompts.
How to Use These Prompts
In Gemini, open the Gemini app or Gemini website, upload a clear photo, then paste a prompt. Google’s official image-editing guide confirms that you can upload one or more images and ask Gemini to edit them or create a new image from them.
In ChatGPT, open the app or ChatGPT website, select the plus button to upload your photo, and paste the same prompt. OpenAI’s official image guide confirms that ChatGPT can edit an uploaded image through a written instruction. You can also select a particular area when you want to change only the outfit, background or text.
A clear, front-facing photo taken in good light works better than a distant group shot. For couple prompts, upload one clear photo of each person or one photo showing both people. For family prompts, editing one existing group photo usually gives the model a better chance of preserving everyone.
Change one thing at a time when refining. If the saree is right but the background is too busy, reply with “Keep everything the same but make the background a plain warm-toned wall with a few diyas.” Rewriting the whole prompt can produce a different face or composition.
Free image access and generation limits can vary by account, plan, region and demand in both Gemini and ChatGPT. Avoid budgeting around a fixed number from a third-party guide. Check the limit shown in your account when you use the tool.
The Line That Keeps Your Face Yours
Every prompt below ends with a version of this. If you write your own, add it:
Keep my face, facial features, skin tone, hairstyle and expression exactly as in the uploaded photo. Do not change my face shape or make me look younger or slimmer.Without it, an image model may smooth skin, alter facial proportions or brighten complexions. Even with the instruction, inspect the result carefully before sharing it.
Solo Portraits in Traditional Wear
1. Silk saree with diya glow
Transform this photo into a Diwali portrait of me wearing a deep maroon Banarasi silk saree with a gold zari border and a matching blouse. I’m standing on a terracotta-tiled balcony at dusk, holding a lit brass diya at chest height. Warm diya light on my face, soft string lights blurred in the background. Photorealistic, 4:5 vertical. Keep my face, features, skin tone and expression exactly as in the uploaded photo.
2. Lehenga in a courtyard of lights
Show me in a pastel pink lehenga with mirror work and a sheer dupatta over one shoulder, standing in a traditional courtyard lined with rows of lit diyas and marigold garlands. Evening light, gentle bokeh from fairy lights, natural pose with a slight smile. Photorealistic, 4:5 vertical. Keep my face and features exactly as in the uploaded photo.
3. Kurta for men, classic and clean
Edit this photo so I’m wearing an ivory silk kurta with subtle gold embroidery on the collar and a maroon Nehru jacket. Background: a doorway decorated with a marigold toran and a rangoli at the threshold, diyas on either side. Warm evening light, sharp focus on me. Photorealistic, 4:5. Keep my face, beard, hairstyle and skin tone exactly as they are.
4. Sherwani, festive formal
Show me in a royal blue velvet sherwani with a cream churidar and a patterned stole, standing in front of a haveli-style arched doorway lit with hanging brass lanterns. Dusk sky, candlelit glow, confident posture. Photorealistic, 4:5 vertical. Do not change my face or body proportions.
5. Cotton saree, everyday elegance
Turn this into a soft, natural Diwali portrait: me in a handloom cotton saree in mustard yellow with a red border, sitting on a jute mat beside a small rangoli, lighting a clay diya. Late-evening window light mixed with diya glow, homely setting with brass lamps on a wooden shelf. Photorealistic. Keep my face and expression exactly as in the photo.
6. Anarkali on a rooftop
Show me in an emerald green Anarkali suit with gold gota work, standing on a rooftop at twilight with a city skyline full of Diwali lights and a few distant fireworks. My dupatta is lifting slightly in the breeze. Cinematic but realistic, 9:16 vertical for Instagram Stories. Keep my face, features and skin tone unchanged.
Diya, Rangoli and Lights
7. Hands and diya close-up
Using my photo, create a close-up of me cupping a lit clay diya in both hands, my face softly lit from below by the flame. Background completely dark except for out-of-focus warm lights. Mehendi on my hands, gold bangles. Photorealistic, shallow depth of field. Keep my face exactly as in the uploaded photo.
8. Making rangoli
Show me sitting on the floor making a colourful flower-and-colour-powder rangoli at the entrance of a home, with bowls of pink, orange and yellow powder around me and diyas placed at the rangoli’s edges. Evening light, festive but not cluttered. Photorealistic, 4:5. Keep my face and features unchanged.
9. Window of fairy lights
Place me by a large window draped with warm white fairy lights, holding a cup of chai, wearing a simple festive kurta. Rain-free night outside with neighbouring houses lit for Diwali. Cosy, candid mood. Photorealistic, 4:5 vertical. Keep my face and expression exactly the same.
10. Floating diyas at a ghat
Show me standing on the steps of a river ghat at dusk, releasing a leaf boat with a lit diya onto the water, many small diyas floating around it. Traditional attire, warm orange sky reflecting on the water. Photorealistic, 3:2 horizontal. Keep my face, features and skin tone as in the uploaded photo.
11. Sparkler light trail
Create a night photo of me holding a sparkler, with a long-exposure light trail forming a heart shape in front of me. Festive clothing, dark background with warm lights. Keep my face sharp and well lit, and keep my face exactly as in the original photo.
Couple Portraits
For couples, upload one clear photo of each person, or one photo of you together, and say who is who.
For more poses and settings beyond Diwali, see these Gemini couple photo prompts.
12. Matching festive outfits
Using the two uploaded photos, create a Diwali portrait of this couple: the woman in a red silk saree with gold border, the man in a cream kurta with a red Nehru jacket. They are lighting a diya together on a marigold-decorated doorstep at dusk. Natural, candid smiles. Photorealistic, 4:5. Keep both faces exactly as in their photos.
13. Balcony at night
Show this couple on a balcony at night, leaning on the railing with string lights overhead and fireworks in the distant sky. She wears a navy blue lehenga, he wears a black bandhgala. Warm, cinematic but realistic. Keep both faces, heights and body types exactly as in the uploaded photos.
14. Rangoli from above
Top-down photo of this couple sitting on either side of a large circular rangoli, placing the final diyas on it, both looking up at the camera and smiling. Traditional festive clothes. Photorealistic, square 1:1. Keep both faces unchanged.
15. Vintage couple portrait
Recreate this couple as a 1970s Indian studio photograph for Diwali: soft film grain, slightly faded warm colours, painted backdrop with a diya and flowers, formal pose with her seated and him standing behind. Her in a chiffon saree, him in a safari-style kurta. Keep both faces exactly as in the photos.
Family and Group Photos
Group edits work best from one existing group photo. Merging separate photos of several people into one scene often changes faces. Ask Gemini or ChatGPT to restyle the photo you already have.
16. Family puja setting
Restyle this family photo so everyone is dressed in coordinated festive outfits in shades of maroon, gold and cream, gathered around a Lakshmi puja thali with diyas, flowers and sweets. Warm indoor evening light. Keep every person’s face, age, height and position exactly as in the original photo.
17. Doorway group shot
Change the background of this family photo to the entrance of a house decorated for Diwali: marigold toran, rangoli on the floor, rows of diyas on the steps, fairy lights on the walls. Keep everyone’s faces, clothes and positions unchanged, and match the lighting to warm evening light.
18. Sweets and laughter
Restyle this group photo as a candid Diwali moment: everyone around a dining table with plates of laddoos, kaju katli and jalebi, diyas on the table, warm light. Traditional clothes in festive colours. Keep every face and expression exactly as in the original.
19. Rooftop fireworks
Place this family on a rooftop at night, watching fireworks, with a few of them holding sparklers. Keep everyone’s faces, ages and positions as in the original photo. Photorealistic, 3:2 horizontal.
Kids
Think twice before uploading photos of children to any online tool. If you do, use the official Gemini or ChatGPT app and keep the results within family groups.
20. Little one with a diya
Show this child in a small yellow kurta-pyjama, sitting on a floor cushion and looking at a lit diya with wide-eyed wonder. Warm, soft light, marigold flowers around. Photorealistic. Keep the child’s face exactly as in the photo and do not make them look older.
21. Siblings making rangoli
Restyle this photo of siblings as a Diwali scene where they are making a rangoli together with colour powders, laughing. Festive clothes, evening light. Keep both faces and ages unchanged.
22. Storybook style
Turn this photo into a warm, hand-painted storybook illustration of the child holding a diya, with a glowing village scene behind. Illustration style, not photorealistic, but keep the child’s face recognisable.
Retro and Film-Style Portraits
23. Nineties film poster look
Transform this photo into a 1990s Hindi film-style Diwali portrait: me in a chiffon saree with windblown hair, golden-hour light, soft grain and a slightly warm, faded palette, diyas and a haveli in the background. Keep my face and features exactly as in the uploaded photo.
24. Black-and-white classic
Create a black-and-white studio portrait of me in traditional festive wear, holding a diya near my face so the flame is the brightest point. High contrast, 1960s style. Keep my face exactly as in the original.
25. Polaroid set
Make a flat-lay of three Polaroid photos on a wooden table next to diyas and marigold petals. Each Polaroid shows me in a different Diwali moment: lighting a diya, holding sweets, smiling with sparklers. Keep my face identical in all three.
Greeting Cards and Text
Gemini and ChatGPT can place text inside an image, but both can still misspell names or Hindi lettering. Check every word before sharing the final image.
26. Personal greeting card
Using my photo, create a Diwali greeting card: me in festive wear on the left, diyas and rangoli on the right, and the text “Happy Diwali from the Sharma Family” in elegant gold lettering at the top. Warm maroon and gold palette, 5:7 vertical. Keep my face unchanged.
27. Hindi greeting
Create a Diwali wishes image with me holding a diya, and the Hindi text “शुभ दीपावली” in large, decorative gold letters above me. Dark maroon background with glowing diyas. Keep my face exactly as in the photo. Make sure the Hindi text is spelled correctly.
28. WhatsApp status card
Make a 9:16 vertical Diwali status image: my photo in festive clothing in the lower half, fireworks above, and the text “Wishing you light, love and prosperity” in clean white font. Keep my face unchanged.
Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj
29. Dhanteras
Show me in festive wear holding a small brass pot and a new silver coin in a softly lit room decorated with diyas for Dhanteras. Warm golden tones, photorealistic, 4:5. Keep my face exactly as in the uploaded photo.
30. Bhai Dooj tilak
Using the two uploaded photos, create a Bhai Dooj scene: the sister applying a tilak on her brother’s forehead, with a puja thali of diya, rice and sweets. Festive clothes, warm indoor light, candid smiles. Keep both faces exactly as in their photos.
Fixing Common Problems
When your face changes, reply “Restore my face from the uploaded photo and keep it unchanged. Keep the outfit, lighting and background from the latest version.” If that still fails, return to the original photo and try the edit again.
When skin looks airbrushed, add “natural skin texture, no smoothing or beauty filter.”
When the glow is overdone, ask for “realistic warm lighting, less glow, no halo around the face.”
When hands look wrong, ask the tool to “hide the hands behind the diya” or crop tighter.
When text is misspelled, ask the tool to regenerate only the text, or leave the text out and add it later in Canva.
If you need more control over typography, layout or final export, one of these free Canva alternatives may be easier for finishing the greeting card after generating the portrait.
When everything looks too perfect, ask for “candid, slightly imperfect, like a real phone photo taken at night.”
Before You Upload: Privacy Basics
An AI label or watermark does not control where your original photo or edited result ends up once it is shared. Treat a clear face photo as personal data and review the privacy settings of the service you choose.
Google explains in the Gemini Apps Privacy Hub that uploaded images are handled as part of your prompt and may also be processed with Google Lens technology. OpenAI says content from individual ChatGPT accounts may be used to improve its models unless the user opts out. You can disable this under Settings > Data Controls > Improve the model for everyone, as explained in OpenAI’s Data Controls FAQ.
A few rules worth following this Diwali:
- Use only the official Gemini or ChatGPT app and the genuine gemini.google.com or chatgpt.com website.
- Don’t upload photos of other people, especially children, without their permission.
- Avoid photos that show addresses, ID cards, number plates or anything you wouldn’t post publicly.
- Label edited portraits as AI-made if you share them beyond friends and family.
