Prompts for Gemini Image:
8 techniques for product photography without a studio

Studio photography for one product starts at ₽200 a shot — and that's without prep, background, or styling. For a 200-SKU catalog, that's ₽40,000 and a week's wait. Gemini Image (Nano Banana 2 Pro) does the same for 5 credits a shot in 8 seconds, often better than a studio — especially on white backgrounds, lifestyle scenes, and reflective glass. In real tests, 4 out of 10 shots were perfect on the first try. The other 6 needed 1-2 prompt tweaks. Still way faster than any studio.

Below are 8 product photography techniques I refined using a real e-commerce catalog in Quantium's image generator. Each is a single prompt parameter that turns "AI junk" into a lifestyle catalog-quality shot. I worked with three product types: cosmetics in glass, electronics in metal, and clothing made of fabric. Gemini performs great on all three if you know how to ask.

Quick note before we dive into the techniques. Gemini Image runs in Quantium by adapting the Google API for Telegram. This means you type your prompt, the bot sends it to Google, and you get an image back in 8-12 seconds. There's no prompt length limit, but 80-120 words is ideal. Shorter prompts let the model "fill in the blanks." Longer ones make it ignore secondary parameters. All the prompts below stayed within that range.

1. Lighting setup

Lighting is key in product photography. Gemini Image knows classic setups; just name your light source. Top-light (overhead light) — for food and cosmetics, makes textures pop. Back-lit (backlight) — great for bottles, perfume, anything transparent. Ring-light — for shiny surfaces, metal, jewelry. Soft side light from 45 degrees — perfect for clothing and shoes.

A frosted glass perfume bottle on a marble surface, back-lit
softbox creating subtle glow through the glass, slight rim light
from upper-right, soft shadow falling forward, professional
e-commerce photography

2. Background

Three options cover 95% of your needs. Seamless white background — the classic e-commerce standard for online catalogs. Lifestyle scene — for social media and landing page hero blocks (product "in action"). Abstract gradient or textured surface — for premium brands and art catalogs. Gemini Image keeps backgrounds clean, no artifacts.

Pair of white minimalist sneakers placed on seamless white
background, soft drop shadow underneath, even studio lighting,
no other objects in frame, e-commerce product shot

3. Composition

Without a composition specified, Gemini Image centers the product by default — which is usually the most boring look. Specify: rule of thirds with product on the left third, negative space on the right for text overlay, top-down flat lay composition, diagonal arrangement. Negative space is especially crucial for ads where you'll overlay text.

Top-down flat lay of skincare products arranged diagonally on
soft pink fabric, rule of thirds with empty space in the upper-right
for headline text overlay, natural daylight from window, soft shadows

4. Material detail

Gemini Image renders textures better than most models, but only if you ask. Detail the material: brushed aluminum with vertical hairlines, frosted glass with slight texture, matte black plastic with subtle grain, polished chrome with sharp reflections, recycled cardboard with visible fibers. The more precise the material, the less "cartoony" it looks.

Premium aluminum water bottle with brushed metal finish,
vertical hairline texture visible, polished chrome cap with
sharp reflections, soft side lighting reveals subtle gradient
across the brushed surface, white seamless background

5. Shadows

Shadows ground your product, making it look like it belongs on the surface, not floating. Clearly specify the shadow type: soft drop shadow directly underneath for catalogs, elongated diagonal shadow for dramatic light, no shadow, floating product on gradient for abstract hero shots. If you don't specify, Gemini often leaves the product shadowless, making the shot look disconnected.

Black leather wallet on cream-colored background, soft drop
shadow directly underneath at 70% opacity, gentle ambient light
from above, the wallet appears firmly grounded on the surface,
catalog-style photography

6. Brand color matching

Got a brand color palette? Include it in your prompt. This keeps your catalog visually consistent: backgrounds, accessories, and the overall mood will match your guidelines. Use HEX codes or descriptive terms: "on a background in brand color #f5c97b (warm gold)", "muted earth tones matching brand palette", "signature deep navy background #0a1a2a".

Coffee thermos in matte black, placed on a background in brand
color HEX #2d4a3e (deep forest green), warm side lighting,
subtle gold accent reflections on the chrome cap matching brand
accent color HEX #f5c97b, premium lifestyle product shot

7. Hand mockup

One of the most useful tricks: your product in a customer's hand. Gemini Image handles hands well in product shots (this is rare; hands are usually a weak spot for image models). Use it for smartphones, cosmetics, packaging, eco-cups. This dramatically boosts trust in e-commerce.

Female hand with neutral manicure holding a small glass jar of
face serum, brand label "Lumira" visible on the front, soft natural
window light, blurred background of bathroom counter, intimate
lifestyle product photo, shallow depth of field

8. Hero shot for landing page

A hero shot for your homepage is its own genre. You need: dramatic lighting, dynamic composition, cinematic depth, atmospheric elements (smoke, particles, splash). Unlike a catalog, no white background or centering here — it's all about cinematic aesthetics. Gemini Image handles this perfectly, if you prompt it right.

Cinematic hero shot of a black wireless headphones floating in
mid-air against a dark moody background, dramatic side lighting
from blue and orange accent lights, subtle smoke particles floating
around, slight motion blur on cable, premium product launch
aesthetic, ultra-detailed

Gemini Image Prompt Formula

Ready-made prompts for industries

Macro shot of glass cream jar with white label and gold accents,
soft pink seamless background, top-light from above creating
subtle shine on the cap, light pearl droplets scattered around,
soft drop shadow, no negative space, e-commerce ready

Sleek silver smartphone floating at 30-degree angle against dark
gradient background (HEX #0a0a14 to #1a1a2a), dramatic side
lighting with blue accent rim, screen displaying minimal interface,
sharp reflections, premium hero-shot composition

Folded white linen t-shirt centered on warm cream background,
soft daylight from upper-left at 45 degrees, gentle fabric texture
visible, soft natural drop shadow, minimalist catalog composition
with negative space on right for product info overlay

Top-down flat lay of artisan chocolate bar broken in half on
rustic wooden surface, cocoa powder scattered around, soft natural
light from window, intimate lifestyle composition, slight steam
hint, warm food photography style

Luxury leather watch with brown strap on black velvet surface,
dramatic single-source lighting from upper-right creating gradient
falloff, sharp reflections on the watch face, deep rich shadows,
cinematic hero shot, premium aesthetic, no other objects in frame

Image-to-image: Reshoot Existing Photos

Gemini Image supports image-to-image, which is huge for e-commerce. Say you've got product photos from the warehouse, all on a white background. But you need those same products in lifestyle scenes, or on a dark background for your premium line, or held by a model. A studio again means 200 ₽ per shot, plus a day of waiting. Gemini? 5 credits and 8 seconds.

Here's the workflow: upload your original product photo to the bot via image-attach. Then write a prompt like «Same product, but on a black marble surface with golden ambient light, dramatic hero shot composition». The model keeps the packaging and label text, only changing the environment. This works for 80% of products. Exceptions include very small details (watches) or complex typography (wine labels).

One tip: when using image-to-image, specify exactly what to keep. Use something like «Keep the product packaging, label text and colours exactly the same». Without this instruction, the model might "redraw" the label, and the packaging won't match the actual product.

Common Gemini Image Prompt Mistakes

I've run stats on the most frequent screw-ups across a catalog of 200 SKUs. Here are five to watch out for.

Mistake 1. Describing style instead of parameters. "Beautiful professional product photo" — the model doesn't know what "beautiful" means to you. Specify parameters: background, lighting, angle, shadows.

Mistake 2. Too abstract a background. "Nice background" — Gemini will just add junk. Be specific: "seamless white background, no other objects in frame."

Mistake 3. Conflicting styles. "Catalog photo with cinematic lighting" — those are two different genres. Pick one.

Mistake 4. Words the model ignores. "High quality," "4k," "detailed" — these are just placebo. They don't actually improve quality. Cut them.

Mistake 5. No shadow. If you don't specify a shadow, the product will look like it's floating. Always add "soft drop shadow underneath" or "no shadow on gradient background."

What It Costs

Gemini Image in Quantium costs 5 credits per image in Standard and 10 credits in Pro mode. With the Basic plan's 3000 credits, that's 600 product shots a month. For an online store catalog with 200 SKUs and 3-4 angles per product, that's enough to completely reshoot the entire catalog in a single month. A studio would charge 40-100 thousand ₽ and take two weeks for the same work.

Related materials: FLUX 2 Pro Prompt Guide, Chat Model Comparison, Midjourney Alternatives, Bypassing Negative Prompts in Gemini.

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