How to Use a Reference Photo Correctly with AI

Reference photographs are particularly useful when you want AI-generated images to maintain the appearance of a particular person, product, object, building or design. However, simply uploading an image and saying “use this person” may not provide enough guidance.

Start with a clear photograph

For portrait work, the best reference generally contains:

• a clearly visible face
• good lighting
• minimal blur
• no heavy filters
• unobstructed eyes
• natural facial proportions

A straightforward portrait usually provides better identity information than a distant group photograph.

Tell the AI what the photograph is being used for

Use a direct instruction such as:

Use the uploaded photograph as the primary facial identity reference.

This tells the AI that the photograph is important identity information rather than merely general inspiration.

Describe what must remain consistent

A useful identity instruction might be:

Preserve the person’s recognisable facial identity, including face shape, forehead, hairline, hairstyle, eyebrows, eye shape and spacing, nose, lips, jawline, chin, natural skin tone and overall facial proportions.

Separate identity from styling

You can change clothing, pose, background, lighting, environment and photographic style while asking the AI to retain the person’s appearance.

Keep the person’s facial identity consistent with the reference photograph. Change only the clothing, pose and environment.

Avoid conflicting instructions

A prompt may ask the AI to preserve someone’s identity but then also request a much younger face, sharper jawline, larger eyes and different hairstyle. Those instructions conflict with identity preservation. If recognition matters, avoid unnecessary changes to defining facial characteristics.

Use a dedicated identity section

For more complicated image requests, divide the prompt into clear sections.

IDENTITY REFERENCE

Use the uploaded photograph as the primary identity reference. Preserve recognisable facial structure, hairstyle, hairline, eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, jawline, skin tone and natural proportions.

SCENE

Place the same person inside a futuristic office overlooking a neon city.

WARDROBE

Tailored charcoal suit, white shirt and black dress shoes.

CAMERA

Full-body cinematic portrait, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field.

LIGHTING

Blue and violet city light with subtle warm rim lighting.

When an image is almost correct

Do not necessarily regenerate everything. Instead try:

Keep the composition, clothing, lighting and background unchanged. Improve only the facial resemblance to the uploaded reference photograph.

Using multiple reference photographs

If the image system supports multiple references, several photographs can help demonstrate different angles. Useful references might include a front-facing portrait, three-quarter view and side profile. Quality is generally more useful than simply supplying lots of photographs.

Reusable reference-photo prompt

Use the uploaded photograph as the primary identity reference. Preserve the person’s recognisable facial identity and natural appearance, including face shape, forehead, hairline, hairstyle, eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, jawline, chin, skin tone and overall facial proportions. Do not unnecessarily beautify, reshape or substitute the face. The clothing, pose, environment and lighting may change, but the person should remain clearly recognisable as the same individual.