⁸Over the past several months, Google’s Gemini AI has sparked a viral sensation—and at the heart of it are the trending photos users are generating with its powerful image-editing and generation tools. These AI creations range from nostalgic retro portraits to 3D miniatures, and they’re taking social media by storm.
The Rise of Nano Banana
The real game-changer has been Nano Banana, officially known as Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. This feature within Gemini lets users turn ordinary selfies into highly stylized, hyper-realistic creations—especially figurine-like 3D models. After its release in August 2025, Nano Banana quickly became a cultural moment, generating millions of image edits in just weeks.
What’s especially exciting is how people are using prompts to guide the AI. For example, you can ask Gemini to render you as a “3D figurine avatar” standing on a platform, or even as a retro-style celebrity in a glamorous black-and-white portrait.
Festival Trends & Cultural Moments
Google Gemini isn’t just about toy-like avatars. It’s also powering cultural and festive trends, especially in India. For Navratri this year, people are typing in prompts like “a young woman in traditional red and gold chaniya choli dancing Garba under decorative lights” to generate stunning AI portraits.
Similarly, during Diwali, users have leaned into Gemini’s style to create AI-generated scenes with glowing diyas, string lights, and golden bokeh backgrounds. These festive images feel both deeply traditional and distinctly futuristic—showing how AI can bridge personal identity and cultural expression.
The Retro Revival
Another big part of Gemini’s photo trend is the retro aesthetic. Social media is full of 4K HD realistic retro portraits created with Gemini: moody lighting, film-like grain, and vintage flair reminiscent of ’90s romance movies. People are loving how the results look nostalgic yet crisp, like old photographs reimagined with modern finesse.
But There’s a Flip Side: Privacy & Safety Concerns
As with any viral AI trend, there are downsides. The Nano Banana saree trend—in which users transform selfies into glamorous, Bollywood-style saree portraits—has drawn safety concerns. Some users report unexpected edits, like new moles appearing on their faces. Even though Gemini adds invisible SynthID watermarks to generated images, privacy experts warn that uploading personal photos always carries risk.
Additionally, the spike in Gemini’s popularity has drawn scammers. Authorities have warned people to use only official Gemini platforms and avoid suspicious sites masquerading as trendy AI photo apps.
What’s Next: From Photos to Motion
Google is already pushing its AI capabilities further. Gemini now offers a feature that transforms still photos into 8-second video clips, complete with sound. By using its Veo 3 video model, the tool animates images based on your prompts, making them come alive in motion—and Google embeds visible and invisible watermarks to mark AI generation.
Why It Matters
The trending Google Gemini photos represent more than just a meme or a filter—it’s a moment in how people are using AI to imagine new versions of themselves. Whether through miniatures, festival portraits, or animated visuals, Gemini gives users the tools to creatively reframe identity, culture, and memory. But the rush of creativity also demands reflection on privacy, authenticity, and digital safety.
As Gemini continues evolving, its impact on visual culture is only just beginning—and these AI-powered photos offer a glimpse into how we might redefine what “pictures of ourselves” even mean in the age of generative AI.
● Prompts ●
1 ●Ultra-realistic recreation of the exact same scene as the reference image.
A woman sitting on a soft white chair in a fully pink makeup room. She is wearing the exact outfit: a bright pink loose cardigan with wide sleeves, a white hijab, white shirt, white high-waisted pants, and white sneakers. Keep all accessories identical (black choker necklace, gold bracelet, small earrings, and the pink bow accessory on the hijab).
She is posing with one hand touching her hijab near her neck and the other arm relaxed on the pink desk.
Recreate the entire background exactly: pink vanity table, makeup brushes arranged in cups, eyeshadow palettes, soft round vanity lights, shelves with books and decor, pink wall panels, warm soft sunlight.
Maintain the same camera angle, lighting, shadows, and color palette.
Face-swap only — change only the face to the one from the uploaded image while everything else stays exactly the same.
8K ultra-realistic details, sharp textures, natural skin lighting.”**
2 ●Ultra-realistic portrait of a hijabi woman sitting indoors in a bright pink aesthetic room. Keep the exact same outfit: light pink oversized jacket, white hijab, loose white pants, and white sneakers. Keep the same pose: seated on a round pink stool with one knee raised, holding a smartphone in her right hand for a mirror-style selfie, and her left hand touching her hijab. Keep identical lighting, shadows, and soft warm sunlight coming from the large windows behind her. Preserve the background exactly as shown: pink framed windows, pink chairs, and soft pastel room decor. Change only the face — replace with the uploaded face while matching skin tone, lighting, realism, and angle. Ultra-detailed textures, clean colors, sharp focus.”
3● Ultra-realistic recreation of the exact same scene as the reference image.
A woman sitting cross-legged on a light pink chair in a soft pastel pink bedroom. She is wearing the exact same outfit: a long light-pink blazer, a white shirt, white high-waisted pants, and white sneakers. Keep the white hijab exactly the same style and wrapping.
Her pose matches the reference: one hand resting on the white table beside her, the other hand gently touching her chin.
Recreate the entire background exactly: the soft pink canopy bed, white pillows, pink curtains, pink carpet, bedside tables, lamps, and the bright window light filling the room.
Keep all colors, lighting, shadows, and camera angle identical to the reference photo.
Face-swap only — change only the face to the one from the uploaded image and keep everything else absolutely the same.
8K ultra-realistic details, soft natural skin lighting, smooth fabric texture, perfect color accuracy.”**
● Generate Image ●
