How to turn your selfies into Christmas AI portraits this holiday season

Christmas is almost here, and alongside fairy lights, gift lists, and year-end recaps, AI portraits are also becoming part of the holiday ritual. With fresh image-generation upgrades from Google and OpenAI, turning an everyday selfie into a polished Christmas portrait is now easier and far more convincing than it was even a few months ago.

Google recently launched Nano Banana Pro, an upgraded version of its Nano Banana image model that focuses on improved accuracy and more natural-looking image generation. OpenAI, meanwhile, has introduced ChatGPT Images, refining realism and giving users better control over how photos are transformed. The result is a new wave of festive portraits that feel closer to studio photography than random social media filters. Let’s see how you can get yours!

How to turn your selfie into a Christmas AI portrait

Step 1: Start by choosing your tool, whether that is Google’s Nano Banana Pro or OpenAI’s ChatGPT Images.

Step 2: Upload a clear, well-lit selfie where your face is fully visible. Avoid heavy shadows, sunglasses, or extreme angles, as these can confuse the model and soften facial detail.

Step 3: Once the image is uploaded, the most important step is the prompt. Be specific about the mood and setting, and clearly instruct the AI to preserve your real facial features. This helps avoid over-smoothing or stylised results that no longer look like you.

ALSO READ: How to use Google’s new Nano Banana Pro image generator the right way

Here’s a prompt you can use to create your AI Christmas portrait: “Transform the uploaded photo into a warm, polished Christmas portrait. Keep the person’s real face, skin tone, expression, and facial features exactly the same. Add soft holiday lighting with gentle golden highlights. Surround the subject with evergreen branches, subtle twinkle lights, and a light bokeh glow in the background. Use rich reds, forest greens, and cosy winter textures. The final image should look realistic, elegant, and timeless, like a classic holiday photograph, not a cartoon or illustration.”

You can also experiment with colder, outdoor scenes. Prompts that mention snowfall, winter coats, scarves, and soft festive lights can create a cinematic Christmas atmosphere while still keeping the image grounded in realism.

What kind of selfies work best

For the most accurate results, your original photo matters as much as the prompt. A straightforward selfie with neutral lighting and a clear view of your face gives the AI the best reference for your features. Busy backgrounds are less of an issue, as the model will often replace them entirely, but facial clarity is non-negotiable.

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It is also worth repeating key instructions in your prompt, especially about retaining identity. Explicitly telling the AI not to change facial structure, skin texture, or expression can make the difference between a convincing portrait and something that looks overly edited.

As image-generation models continue to improve, festive AI portraits are becoming less of a novelty and more of a seasonal creative tool. For now, they offer a quick, polished way to lean into the Christmas mood without booking a photoshoot or downloading editing software. Will you try it? Let us know!