u/flanmorrison

After trying several AI headshot apps, I decided that they all suck.

I've always liked Marco Grob's TIME cover portraits so I've been refining some prompts to generate these types of headshots.

Both before/afters attached were made with Nanobanana 2 (4:5 aspect ratio, 4k output)... haven't tried it on OpenAI's image models yet so no promises. Attach solid, high-res, well-lit reference images and expect to regenerate 2-3 times. I created a separate prompt for women because any attempt at unisex prompts made women look very masculine. Enjoy, let me know your thoughts!

Men's version:

Goal: Transform the attached photo into a professional black-and-white studio headshot in the style of a Marco Grob editorial monochrome portrait, the TIME magazine cover aesthetic: simple, psychologically intense, character-first.

Subject & identity: The man in the reference image. Keep his exact facial features, facial structure, skin tone, eye color, hair, and hairline completely unchanged — same age, same build, instantly recognizable to people who know him. Change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe, and tonal grade.

Composition & camera: Classic head-and-shoulders crop, chest-up, his eyes in the upper third of the frame, centered composition with a small margin above his head. Body squared to camera or turned 10-20 degrees, shoulders relaxed and level, head straight into the lens, chin neutral. Hasselblad medium-format look: short-telephoto perspective (about 100mm equivalent), no wide-angle distortion, extremely shallow but controlled depth of field — both eyes critically sharp, background fully defocused, smooth medium-format tonal transitions.

Lighting: Single large 5-foot softbox slightly above his eye level and 30-45 degrees to one side — soft but clearly directional, sculpting a gentle Rembrandt-style shadow on the far cheek with a gradual edge. One soft rectangular catchlight in the upper half of each eye. Subtle silver-reflector fill from the opposite side: shadows keep detail with a faint specular crispness, never flat. Ambient reads slightly underexposed so he pops from the frame (lit but not over-lit). Only a slight whisper of edge separation from the backdrop.

Background: Seamless studio gray, graduating from mid-gray behind his head to near-black at the frame edges with a natural falloff vignette. Smooth and empty, no props, texture, or scene.

Expression & mood: Direct, unwavering eye contact: alert, present eyes carry the portrait. Composed and quietly intense, mouth relaxed and closed, subtly smiling at the corners. Gravitas and self-possession; keep his natural optimistic micro-expression rather than a generic pleasant mask.

Wardrobe: A dark, well-fitted crew-neck sweater, wool texture in charcoal, black, or deep navy that reads as distinct dark tones in monochrome. No patterns, logos, tie, or crisp corporate suit.

Style & grade: Photorealistic editorial photograph in high-contrast neutral black and white: deep clean blacks, rich midtone separation across his face, controlled bright highlights, texture held in both shadows and highlights. Skin mapped to luminous, finely graded grays with visible pores, expression lines, and stubble... character over polish, minimal retouching only (stray hairs, temporary blemishes). Pure monochrome: no sepia, split-toning, or faded matte look.

Constraints: Do not alter his identity, age, or facial proportions. No beauty-filter smoothing or plastic skin, no reshaped features, no whitened teeth, no symmetry correction. No text, logos, or watermarks. Avoid AI-portrait tells: waxy skin, dead eyes, fused hair strands, over-sharpened halos.

Output: High-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait, 4:5 crop.

Women's version:

Goal: Transform the attached photo into a professional black-and-white studio headshot of a woman, in the style of Marco Grob's editorial monochrome portraits of women for TIME magazine covers: simple, elegant, psychologically present, character-first.

Subject & identity: The woman in the reference image — she must read unmistakably as a woman in the final image. Keep her exact facial features, feminine facial structure, skin tone, eye color, hairstyle, hair length, and hairline completely unchanged — same age, same build, instantly recognizable to people who know her. Keep her makeup exactly as it appears in the reference photo; do not add or remove any. Change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe, and tonal grade.

Composition & camera: Classic head-and-shoulders crop, chest-up, her eyes in the upper third of the frame, centered composition with a small margin above her head. Body squared to camera or turned 10-20 degrees, shoulders relaxed and level, head straight into the lens, chin neutral. Hasselblad medium-format look: short-telephoto perspective (about 100mm equivalent), no wide-angle distortion, shallow but controlled depth of field — both eyes critically sharp, background fully defocused, smooth medium-format tonal transitions.

Lighting: Single large 5-foot softbox slightly above her eye level and 30-45 degrees to one side — soft, flattering, clearly directional, with a gentle, open shadow on the far cheek that keeps her face luminous; never heavy, hard-edged, or angular. One soft rectangular catchlight in the upper half of each eye. Subtle silver-reflector fill from the opposite side: shadows keep detail with a faint specular crispness, never flat. Ambient reads slightly underexposed so she pops from the frame (lit but not over-lit). Only a slight whisper of edge separation from the backdrop.

Background: Seamless studio gray, graduating from mid-gray behind her head to near-black at the frame edges with a natural falloff vignette. Smooth and empty, no props, texture, or scene.

Expression & mood: Direct, unwavering eye contact: alert, present eyes carry the portrait. Composed and self-assured, mouth relaxed and closed but smiling. Poise, warmth, and quiet confidence; keep her natural micro-expression rather than a generic pleasant mask.

Wardrobe: An elegant, dark, well-fitted top with a feminine cut. Soft wool texture in charcoal, black, or deep navy that reads as distinct dark tones in monochrome. No patterns or logos.

Style & grade: Photorealistic editorial photograph in high-contrast neutral black and white: deep clean blacks, rich midtone separation across her face, controlled bright highlights, texture held in both shadows and highlights. Her skin mapped to luminous, finely graded grays with natural texture preserved — character over polish, minimal retouching only (stray hairs, temporary blemishes). Pure monochrome: no sepia, split-toning, or faded matte look.

Constraints: Do not alter her identity, age, or facial proportions, and do not masculinize her in any way: no squared or broadened jaw, no heavier brow, no thickened neck, no shortened hair, no stubble or shadow that reads as facial hair. No beauty-filter smoothing or plastic skin, no reshaped features, no whitened teeth, no symmetry correction. No text, logos, or watermarks. Avoid AI-portrait tells: waxy skin, dead eyes, fused hair strands, over-sharpened halos.

Output: High-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait of the woman in the reference image, 4:5 crop.

After trying several AI headshot apps, I decided that they all suck.

I've always liked Marco Grob's TIME cover portraits so I've been refining some prompts to generate these types of headshots.

Both before/afters attached were made with Nanobanana 2 (4:5 aspect ratio, 4k output)... haven't tried it on OpenAI's image models yet so no promises. Attach solid, high-res, well-lit reference images and expect to regenerate 2-3 times. I created a separate prompt for women because any attempt at unisex prompts made women look very masculine. Enjoy, let me know your thoughts!

Men's version:

Goal: Transform the attached photo into a professional black-and-white studio headshot in the style of a Marco Grob editorial monochrome portrait, the TIME magazine cover aesthetic: simple, psychologically intense, character-first.

Subject & identity: The man in the reference image. Keep his exact facial features, facial structure, skin tone, eye color, hair, and hairline completely unchanged — same age, same build, instantly recognizable to people who know him. Change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe, and tonal grade.

Composition & camera: Classic head-and-shoulders crop, chest-up, his eyes in the upper third of the frame, centered composition with a small margin above his head. Body squared to camera or turned 10-20 degrees, shoulders relaxed and level, head straight into the lens, chin neutral. Hasselblad medium-format look: short-telephoto perspective (about 100mm equivalent), no wide-angle distortion, extremely shallow but controlled depth of field — both eyes critically sharp, background fully defocused, smooth medium-format tonal transitions.

Lighting: Single large 5-foot softbox slightly above his eye level and 30-45 degrees to one side — soft but clearly directional, sculpting a gentle Rembrandt-style shadow on the far cheek with a gradual edge. One soft rectangular catchlight in the upper half of each eye. Subtle silver-reflector fill from the opposite side: shadows keep detail with a faint specular crispness, never flat. Ambient reads slightly underexposed so he pops from the frame (lit but not over-lit). Only a slight whisper of edge separation from the backdrop.

Background: Seamless studio gray, graduating from mid-gray behind his head to near-black at the frame edges with a natural falloff vignette. Smooth and empty, no props, texture, or scene.

Expression & mood: Direct, unwavering eye contact: alert, present eyes carry the portrait. Composed and quietly intense, mouth relaxed and closed, subtly smiling at the corners. Gravitas and self-possession; keep his natural optimistic micro-expression rather than a generic pleasant mask.

Wardrobe: A dark, well-fitted crew-neck sweater, wool texture in charcoal, black, or deep navy that reads as distinct dark tones in monochrome. No patterns, logos, tie, or crisp corporate suit.

Style & grade: Photorealistic editorial photograph in high-contrast neutral black and white: deep clean blacks, rich midtone separation across his face, controlled bright highlights, texture held in both shadows and highlights. Skin mapped to luminous, finely graded grays with visible pores, expression lines, and stubble... character over polish, minimal retouching only (stray hairs, temporary blemishes). Pure monochrome: no sepia, split-toning, or faded matte look.

Constraints: Do not alter his identity, age, or facial proportions. No beauty-filter smoothing or plastic skin, no reshaped features, no whitened teeth, no symmetry correction. No text, logos, or watermarks. Avoid AI-portrait tells: waxy skin, dead eyes, fused hair strands, over-sharpened halos.

Output: High-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait, 4:5 crop.

Women's version:

Goal: Transform the attached photo into a professional black-and-white studio headshot of a woman, in the style of Marco Grob's editorial monochrome portraits of women for TIME magazine covers: simple, elegant, psychologically present, character-first.

Subject & identity: The woman in the reference image — she must read unmistakably as a woman in the final image. Keep her exact facial features, feminine facial structure, skin tone, eye color, hairstyle, hair length, and hairline completely unchanged — same age, same build, instantly recognizable to people who know her. Keep her makeup exactly as it appears in the reference photo; do not add or remove any. Change only the framing, lighting, background, wardrobe, and tonal grade.

Composition & camera: Classic head-and-shoulders crop, chest-up, her eyes in the upper third of the frame, centered composition with a small margin above her head. Body squared to camera or turned 10-20 degrees, shoulders relaxed and level, head straight into the lens, chin neutral. Hasselblad medium-format look: short-telephoto perspective (about 100mm equivalent), no wide-angle distortion, shallow but controlled depth of field — both eyes critically sharp, background fully defocused, smooth medium-format tonal transitions.

Lighting: Single large 5-foot softbox slightly above her eye level and 30-45 degrees to one side — soft, flattering, clearly directional, with a gentle, open shadow on the far cheek that keeps her face luminous; never heavy, hard-edged, or angular. One soft rectangular catchlight in the upper half of each eye. Subtle silver-reflector fill from the opposite side: shadows keep detail with a faint specular crispness, never flat. Ambient reads slightly underexposed so she pops from the frame (lit but not over-lit). Only a slight whisper of edge separation from the backdrop.

Background: Seamless studio gray, graduating from mid-gray behind her head to near-black at the frame edges with a natural falloff vignette. Smooth and empty, no props, texture, or scene.

Expression & mood: Direct, unwavering eye contact: alert, present eyes carry the portrait. Composed and self-assured, mouth relaxed and closed but smiling. Poise, warmth, and quiet confidence; keep her natural micro-expression rather than a generic pleasant mask.

Wardrobe: An elegant, dark, well-fitted top with a feminine cut. Soft wool texture in charcoal, black, or deep navy that reads as distinct dark tones in monochrome. No patterns or logos.

Style & grade: Photorealistic editorial photograph in high-contrast neutral black and white: deep clean blacks, rich midtone separation across her face, controlled bright highlights, texture held in both shadows and highlights. Her skin mapped to luminous, finely graded grays with natural texture preserved — character over polish, minimal retouching only (stray hairs, temporary blemishes). Pure monochrome: no sepia, split-toning, or faded matte look.

Constraints: Do not alter her identity, age, or facial proportions, and do not masculinize her in any way: no squared or broadened jaw, no heavier brow, no thickened neck, no shortened hair, no stubble or shadow that reads as facial hair. No beauty-filter smoothing or plastic skin, no reshaped features, no whitened teeth, no symmetry correction. No text, logos, or watermarks. Avoid AI-portrait tells: waxy skin, dead eyes, fused hair strands, over-sharpened halos.

Output: High-resolution vertical black-and-white portrait of the woman in the reference image, 4:5 crop.

I tried the existing humanizer prompts and skills out there and none of them quite clicked for my workflow. So I sifted through a bunch of GitHub repos, pulled together research on AI writing patterns, and compiled what worked into my own version. Been running it on internal drafts for a few months and getting good enough results that I figured I'd share it.

Sharing in case it's useful. Repo at the bottom.

The whole thing is one markdown file that runs as a six-step pipeline:

1. Auto-detects the channel from cues like greeting blocks, hashtags, code fences, word count, voice signals. Email, Slack, LinkedIn, blog post, case study, landing page, meeting agenda. Different channels get different rules.
2. Optional voice calibration. You can declare "this is my voice" or "this is my brand's voice" via a profile file, or paste a writing sample and let it derive a six-line voice profile. Skipped by default.
3. Pattern scan in fixed order. Structural tells first (16 named patterns: dramatic reframe, manufactured punchline, runway sentence, performative directness, dramatic fragment Q&A, anaphora, copula avoidance, and more). Then vocabulary in three tiers (always-replace, cluster-flag, density-flag). Then positive checks for whether the draft has a point of view and concrete detail. Then context layer for punctuation budgets and banned openers.
4. Severity gate. If hits cross a threshold (5+ vocab hits, 3+ pattern categories, uniform sentence length all true), the skill throws out the draft and rewrites from the outline rather than patching. Otherwise it patches surgically and leaves the rest alone.
5. Rewrite at the chosen depth, preserving voice.
6. Self-audit pass. The skill asks itself "what makes the rewrite still obviously AI generated?" and revises again if anything surfaces.

Output is a structured report with stable section headers: Issues Found, Rewritten Draft, What Changed, Self-Audit, Final Version, Humanizer Report. Parseable if you want to chain it after a writer agent.

A few small things that helped me:

• Channel-aware strictness. A short Slack message doesn't need the same scrutiny as a landing page headline. Sentence fragments are fine in Slack, flagged in long-form. One-line paragraphs are normal in LinkedIn, not in SEO blog.
• A [HOLLOW] flag for drafts that pass the AI scan but say nothing specific. Different problem from "reads like AI," so it gets its own flag.
• A voice profile schema so you can declare patterns that look AI-ish in isolation but are actually intentional. Mine says fragments and "And/But" sentence starts are voice features, not bugs. Leave them alone.
• A setup mode that walks you through a 7-question interview to populate a voice profile if you don't already have one.

Repo: https://github.com/milock/humanizer