Have you got five minutes and a cuppa? Perfect — that’s all you need for our first Coffee Break AI Challenge.
Today we’re tackling something that every school needs but rarely has time (or budget) to sort: professional staff headshots.
Whether you’re updating the school website, prepping ID badges, or freshening up your teaching profiles, AI can now help you to create polished, consistent staff portraits in minutes.
The Challenge
Use Gemini to generate professional-style staff portraits you can use on your school website, ID badges, or newsletters.
How to Do It
- Open Gemini
- Head to gemini.google.com on your desktop or mobile app. In the desktop version go to Tools>Create images in the mobile version choose Create Image
- Upload Your Base Photo
- Choose a clear, front-facing selfie or existing staff photo — ideally well lit and showing you at your best.
- Ask Gemini to Style It
- In the prompt box, type something like: “Turn this image into a professional staff headshot suitable for a teacher profile. Make it look natural, friendly, and well-lit with a neutral background.”
- Adjust the Look
- Want a uniform style for all staff? Ask Gemini:“Make this image match a consistent style for school staff portraits — neutral background, warm lighting, smart-casual clothing.”
- Download and Share
- Once you’re happy, download your new headshot and repeat for other team members.
Bonus Tip
Gemini can generate matching styles for different departments. Try:
“A professional science teacher portrait with a subtle lab background.”
or
“A friendly English teacher headshot with soft bookcase tones.”
Time Taken
About 5 minutes per person — quicker than waiting for the staffroom kettle most mornings!
Bonus Tip
Try creating matching styles for different departments — for example, science staff with light lab backgrounds or English staff with bookshelves. Gemini can help generate tailored prompts to suit each theme.
How to get really professional results
Like all AI tools it is the human component that is the most important bit and the more detail you give in the prompt the better the result will be. and in In our AI training sessions for schools we focus on getting that right.
To generate our images we used the prompt was a lot more detailed and we did feed in a professional corporate headshot as the source image. Because I’m a professional photographer I was able using my knowledge of photography to refine the prompt.
Here is the prompt that I actually used. Notice that I’ve also specified what clothes I should be wearing.
Create a professional, high-resolution, profile photo, maintaining the exact facial structure, identity, and key features of the person in the input image. The subject is framed from the chest up, with ample headroom and negative space above their head, ensuring the top of their head is not cropped. The person looks directly at the camera, and the subject’s body is also directly facing the camera. They are styled for a professional photo studio shoot, wearing a blazer and dark blue oxford shirt. The background is a solid ‘#141414’ neutral studio. Shot from a high angle with bright and airy soft, diffused studio lighting, gently illuminating the face and creating a subtle catchlight in the eyes, conveying a sense of clarity. Captured on an 85mm f/1.8 lens with a shallow depth of field, exquisite focus on the eyes, and beautiful, soft bokeh. Observe crisp detail on the fabric texture of the blazer, individual strands of hair, and natural, realistic skin texture. The atmosphere exudes confidence, professionalism, and approachability. Clean and bright cinematic colour grading with subtle warmth and balanced tones, ensuring a polished and contemporary feel.
