What is Image-to-image?
Giving the AI an existing photo plus instructions, so it transforms that image instead of starting from nothing.
Image-to-image is what powers “turn my selfie into a Ghibli illustration” or “put me in a wedding lehenga”. The model keeps the structure of your photo (pose, face, composition) and changes what you ask for.
To keep your face recognisable, use a clear, front-facing, well-lit photo and say so in the prompt (“keep my facial features unchanged”). Strong style words can otherwise drift the likeness.
Typical prompt
“Using my uploaded photo, recreate it as a festive Diwali portrait: deep maroon silk saree, gold jhumkas, diyas in the background, keep my face exactly the same.”
Related terms
Creating a picture from a written description. The core feature of ChatGPT images, Gemini, Midjourney and Flux.
Editing part of an image with AI (inpainting) or extending it beyond its edges (outpainting).
AI that understands and produces more than one kind of input — text, images, audio and video — in the same conversation.