Black-and-white photography is having a major moment on Instagram, and this time, you don't need a DSLR or a professional studio to pull it off. A new viral trend is sweeping the platform, with users sharing dramatic monochrome portraits that strip away colour to spotlight emotion, light, and texture. The secret behind many of these striking images? AI image generation tools, and the right prompt.
How does it work?
The process is surprisingly simple. Users open Google Gemini Nano Banana or ChatGPT - either on a browser or through the app - upload a reference photo of themselves, type in a descriptive prompt, and let the AI do the rest. The result is a high-quality, editorial-style portrait that can go directly to an Instagram grid. If the first output doesn't hit the mark, users can refine it with follow-up instructions before downloading the final image.
The prompts driving the trend
Copy paste these prompts directly onto the choice of your AI platform, alongside your photo to see the magic.
1. Shadow Portrait:
A hyper-realistic and minimalist black-and-white portrait of a man (baser partially covering his face the uploaded reference), hand. The expression is intense and mysterious. Dramatic lighting creates strong shadows with Photorealistic cinematic vertical portrait (9:16).
2. Magazine Pose
Black and white artistic portrait of a man, with a fashionable model dressed in a sophisticated suit, black socks and shoes. He is sitting with a slightly hunched posture, looking down as if lost in thought. His facial features are the same as the original photo, like her hairstyle. It features minimalist accessories that highlight the elegant and editorial tone. The studio’s clean lighting enhances textures and depth, creating an elegant, couture feel. Use the uploaded picture as reference for the face. Aspect ration: 4:5 vertical.
3. Photography studio shot:
Ultra-realistic black and white studio portrait, vertical 9:16. (Use the uploaded picture as reference for the face). He is sitting on a simple folding chair, wearing an oversized black blazer, black t-shirt, flared jeans, and chunky sneakers. The pose is relaxed, with legs slightly stretched forward, one hand resting casually on the chair, wearing sunglasses, and a confident expression. The background is a plain white studio with soft studio lighting, subtle shadows falling to the right on the floor. Surrounding the subject are black, white, and orange doodle araffiti illustrations: lightning, zigzag lines, swirls, arrows, and motivational words: “PURPOSE”. “CREATE YOUR PATH”, “FAITH”, “BEAT”, “UNIQUE”. High-contrast design. The subiect is cleanly monochrome with bright doodle highlights.
