Midjourney vs Nano Banana for portraits

Midjourney and Nano Banana can both produce a convincing portrait from the same paragraph of text, but they get there differently. One leans on its own sense of style, the other follows instructions closely and is at its best with a reference photo. Here is how to decide which one to open for a given portrait.

How we compared them

We ran the same portrait prompts on both models without platform-specific tricks: no Midjourney parameters beyond aspect ratio, and no reference image on Nano Banana unless the test was about likeness. Then we looked at the things that matter when you publish a portrait: skin, light, wardrobe, likeness and how much the result changed when we edited one line.

• Text-only portrait — A described person in a described setting, no reference.
• Reference portrait — A real photo of a person, restyled into a new scene.
• Small edit — The same prompt with one change, such as the coat color, to see what else moved.

Where Midjourney wins

Midjourney brings a strong aesthetic by default. Even a plain prompt tends to come back with considered color, deliberate composition and a finished, editorial feel. That makes it a good choice when the mood matters more than matching a specific person.

• Mood and color — Fashion and editorial looks land quickly, with cohesive palettes.
• Exploration — Each run gives several distinct takes, which helps when you do not know yet what you want.
• Stylization control — Parameters such as --stylize let you dial its own taste up or down.

Where Nano Banana wins

Nano Banana reads instructions more literally and is strongest when you hand it a photo. Keeping a face recognizable while changing the outfit, the background or the light is where it is most useful, and it handles follow-up edits without redrawing the whole image.

• Likeness — Restyling a real person from a reference while keeping their features.
• Precise edits — Changing one element, such as a jacket or a background, with less drift elsewhere.
• Literal instructions — If you ask for a charcoal backdrop and a three-quarter crop, you usually get exactly that.

The test prompt

This is the neutral portrait prompt we used. It avoids model-specific syntax so you can paste it into either tool and compare for yourself. Change the wardrobe and the backdrop to fit your own shoot.

Single-light editorial portraitpeekprompt · Nano Banana · 0 copiesDétails

PromptEN · 2 variables

Editorial studio portrait of a woman in her thirties wearing [wardrobe], standing in a calm three-quarter pose with her hands relaxed. Plain [backdrop] backdrop with no texture. One large soft light from…

+64 mots · Le texte complet est copié dans votre presse-papiers

Side by side

Mistakes when switching models

• Pasting Midjourney parameters into Nano Banana Flags like --ar or --stylize mean nothing there. Write the aspect ratio and the style in plain words.
• Expecting likeness from text alone Neither model knows what a private person looks like. Use a reference photo.
• Over-describing for Midjourney Long lists of adjectives can flatten its own style. Keep the core idea short and let parameters shape the rest.