12 Ways to Use GPT-Image 2.5 for Your Holiday Social Media Posts

Mid-Autumn Festival just passed, and we have two more days before the National Day holiday.

I bet many of you are already relaxing in various places across the country (dog emoji for safety)...

Every year during the National Day holiday, we have a tradition: using the latest AI image generation models to create a collection of AI photo editing tricks, helping everyone make their social media posts more fun and interesting during the break.

So this time, we've prepared an AI photo guide that can both rescue bad shots and add some flair to ordinary photos.

The model used is GPT-Image 2.5, which was recently updated. It's incredibly powerful for precise photo editing scenarios. Thanks to its ability to target specific areas without altering the rest of the image, it's naturally suited for photo processing.

We've prepared 12 tricks, with all prompts included below. Just copy and use them after taking your holiday photos.

Let's get started.

I. Basic Tricks

1. Remove Background Tourists

Many people have a huge pain point: when reviewing photos after traveling, the most common issue is too many tourists or clutter in the background.

The photo might be great everywhere else, but ruined by the background...

So we need to remove those random people or objects in the background.

In the past, countless image generation models could do this, but as everyone knows, they couldn't achieve perfect restoration. But this time, GPT-Image 2.5 can.

Open ChatGPT, start a new conversation, click the plus sign on the left of the input box, and select "Create Image." The default model will be Image 2.5.

Then upload the photo you want to optimize. For example, this one. Enter the prompt:

Keep the entire image completely unchanged, only remove other people and clutter from the background.

The left is the original, the right is the optimized version. The background is much cleaner now. You can see that almost all details are perfectly restored, and nothing else has been altered.

2. Auto Exposure Adjustment

After removing background tourists, you might find the photo's exposure is slightly overdone. So we can also auto-adjust the lighting.

Follow the same process, but this time the prompt is:

This photo's background is severely overexposed. As a professional photographer, adjust the lighting, color, and clarity of this image.

Now tourist removal + exposure adjustment is done.

Of course, there are always some photos that need more adjustments, or where describing the changes is tedious. Using long prompts would be too troublesome...

At this point, you can use the "Add Comment" feature in GPT:

Upload the photo needing adjustment in the GPT dialog box.

Click the pen-like icon in the top-right corner of the enlarged image interface to enter the image editing mode.

Select "Add Comment," then use your mouse to click on specific areas to send editing requests.

For example, for the above image, I want to change the sky to a dusk blue tone atmosphere, remove the white string wrapped around the stick, and smooth out the person's hair, which looks a bit frizzy.

The final result looks like this. I made a comparison with the original:

GIF

You can see that except for the specified modifications, everything else in the image—people, buildings—remains unchanged and unshifted.

Such precise editing capability is unique to Image 2.5.

3. Professional Beauty Retouching

Next trick: speaking of photo editing, another essential need is slight beauty retouching, right?

Recently, I saw a viral post on X with over 14 million views.

https://x.com/raealisa/status/2100002993001373810

It shows how to use AI for professional aesthetic facial optimization without losing the person's recognizability.

A colleague at our company tried it and found the results excellent:

Mainly, after posting to Moments, it received good feedback.

I created a shorter prompt specifically for this, combined with Image 2.5's editing capabilities, which may yield better results:

Based on the person's actual face shape, features, and temperament in the photo, perform targeted aesthetic optimization and directly present the naturally enhanced effect: adjust hairstyle, parting, and volume suitable for the individual; tidy eyebrows; moderately brighten under-eye area; even skin tone; fade acne marks; improve lip condition; optionally add light, natural makeup; make the overall look more harmonious and energetic. Everything else remains unchanged.

The before-and-after comparison looks like this:

Face slightly slimmer, jawline more defined, bangs less messy, skin improved, style changed... Overall, more handsome and refined, but still recognizable.

II. Creative Photo Generation

These tricks are more fun and artistic compared to the previous section.

But the workflow is consistent:

Image + Prompt = Final Output

First, here are original images, such as these photos of people at scenic spots:

For friends wanting different AI effects, these might seem a bit ordinary.

So I've prepared several visual concepts for direct use. Let's go through them one by one.

4. Polaroid 3D Figure Check-in

First, convert the person into a 3D figure placed inside a polaroid photo, held by hand alongside the original scene. Detailed prompt:

Based on Image 1, transform the person in the photo into a 3D Q-version clay-style character figure at approximately 1:4 height ratio. Show the full body of the figure, placed within a polaroid photo, held by a hand gripping the polaroid paper. Create an effect where the person breaks out of the polaroid frame and extends into the real world. Keep the background consistent with the original image, continuing the polaroid background rendered in Q-version style, without any additional figures, serving only as an extension of the character's background matching the original scene.

Thus, the three scenic check-in photos above become:

I love this style—it's very cute.

5. Scenic Spot Postcard

Second, if you only have simple scenic photos, you can turn them into postcards. For example, this Chongqing Jialing River city night view.

My prompt was:

Design the photo as a retro travel journal-style postcard: preserve the main subject and perspective of the original image, redraw as a clear watercolor illustration with natural bleeding, paper grain, and irregular brush edges, softly blending into warm off-white paper. Use horizontal layout, with about 60% of the right area for the illustration, slightly reduced size, wider margins around, breathing space at top and bottom edges, brush strokes not extending to canvas edge. Sparse layout on the left: small number, short English theme title, LOCATION and DATE labels with blank lines, three hand-drawn color blocks extracted from the photo at the bottom. Title in retro serif font, overall fresh, spacious, with travel collection feel. Only output the flat postcard design, remove original watermarks and UI elements.

Then we get a beautiful retro journal-style scenic postcard:

Besides Chongqing's city night view, we made others below, all looking exquisite:

6. Main Subject Turned Sticker

Third, if the photo has a core visual subject, you can turn it into a sticker using this prompt:

Redraw the 'most recognizable core building' in the center of the photo as a hand-drawn travel sticker. Process only this element, preserving its outline, proportions, and iconic details. Use thick black hand-drawn lines, bright flat colors, and subtle retro print texture. Add continuous wide white die-cut borders along the outer contour. Overlay the sticker on the building in place, slightly enlarged, avoiding exposed original edges. Keep everything else as the original photo effect, no text added, don't illustrate the entire image.

For example, these images:

Combined with the above prompt, the core elements in the image become more prominent:

7. Travel Fragment Suitcase

Here, I thought of the recently popular "AI tin container" trick:

This can combine well with the sticker trick above.

So I collected a set of photos taken by a colleague during their trip to Spain, plus an open suitcase image:

Then wrote a similar prompt:

Use the empty suitcase in Image 1 as the base, extract representative buildings, landscapes, food subjects from Images 2 to 12 (11 photos), preserving recognizability, redraw as watercolor travel stickers with white borders, finally arrange these 11 stickers staggered in size on the inner lining of both sides of the suitcase, enlarging key subjects, interspersing other elements naturally, compact arrangement with appropriate gaps. Stickers should not exceed the lining or cross hinges. Present realistic flat paper sticker collage effect, don't paste rectangular photos directly, don't make 3D models.

Then throw it all to Image 2.5.

Finally, successfully pack travel fragments into the suitcase and bring them home!

8. Person Travel Poster

But if you're really lazy, or like me, went somewhere but don't like taking photos yet want to post, what to do?

There's a hack: prepare two things:

One is a selfie, anywhere works; second is remembering where you traveled...

Then use this prompt:

Using the person in the reference photo as the protagonist, create a 'Guangzhou' themed retro travel collage poster, preserving facial recognizability and natural expression. Use bold 'GUANGZHOU' retro heavy font title, paired with city landmarks, street scenes, food, maps, tickets, and stamps, combined with torn paper edges, print grain, and few handwritten phrases, rich composition, clear layers. Neutral beige paper background with natural blue-green and brick red tones, slightly reduce yellow cast, preserve retro texture, avoid overall yellowing, natural skin tone.

A nice travel poster with location characteristics is created.

If traveling with pets, we can combine with the movie 'Green Book' cover for something interesting.

Here I prepared a dog and my own AI photo:

Relying on Image 2.5's precise editing, simply input this prompt:

Only replace the person on the left in Image 1 with the 'puppy' from Image 2, let the 'puppy' sit in the driver's seat driving, replace the person on the right including clothing with the 'character' from Image 3.

This time, let our pet take us on a journey.

III. Viral Aesthetic Shots

The last part of tricks may be more trendy and fun, suitable not just for Moments but other social media.

9. Concert Atmosphere Photos

First up, concert and music festival scenes. Many friends go to these, including colleagues at our company.

In such crowded scenes, people often hesitate to occupy space for various poses, so they usually return home with just a plain snapshot, like Image 1 below:

But seeing atmospheric live shots online, like Image 2 above, brings regret.

At least some colleagues feel this way...

AI has solutions for this scenario.

For example, using my prompt below:

In the scene of Image 1, the person faces away from the wide-angle lens, positioned toward the left side of the frame, holding a heart-shaped cheering stick close to the camera and enlarged, low-angle shot, no profile visible. Long flowing hair with wind-blown effect, glowing strands, slight upward shooting angle, ensure overall posture is aesthetically pleasing and coordinated, background includes confetti falling from the performance in Image 2, creating atmospheric scene, harmonize overall lighting structure.

Convert the two images above into your exclusive atmospheric masterpiece:

Of course, you can show your face too, I really like this atmosphere and composition.

10. Food Bomb

Next, perfect for dining scenes, holding cold drinks or plates:

Best to make handheld food/drinks closer to camera more impactful, similar to Bilibili creator Mianyang Cuisine's covers. Prompt ready:

Keep the image completely unchanged, only create ultra-realistic airborne splash moment centered on the food or drink held by the person close to the camera. Naturally express based on original content: solids tumble apart, liquids form extended splash arcs and fine droplets, ingredients float accordingly. Momentum expands from inside container upward, outward, and toward camera, emphasizing near-large-far-small perspective and overwhelming impact. Keep container intact, don't add irrelevant ingredients, don't obscure person's face. Materials, lighting, shadows blend into original photo, presenting high-speed photography freeze-frame clarity and advertising quality, avoid cartoonish feel.

Very exciting...

11. Specific Object Text Graffiti

Next is a very Instagram-style trick:

For example, these two inherently healing images:

I want to turn the first chair and cat plushie in the first image, and the car in the second image, into hand-drawn text graffiti.

So I wrote this prompt:

Only modify the 'first chair and the plushie on it' in the image, turn this 'chair' into colorful (one color: white) hand-drawn text graffiti composed of the word 'Chair', turn the 'plushie on the chair' into colorful (one color: brown) hand-drawn text graffiti composed of the word 'Cat', and give these text graffiti some texture. Arrange text vertically, strokes boldly stretched, curved, interlocked. Use rounded thick strokes, slightly jittery white outlines to supplement overall and empty areas, maintain transparent hollow between text and outlines, no colored stroke blocks other than text. Let text itself with white hand-drawn outlines constitute 'chair and plushie', not pasting words onto chair/plushie, overall Instagram style.

These are probably my favorite two images in this article.

12. Instagram Style Image Annotations

Of course, this Instagram-style text graffiti isn't limited to specific elements, it's also great for annotating the whole image.

Perfect for photos that might not be super sharp or look a bit messy:

Prompt differs from above:

Add Instagram-style hand-drawn graffiti layout to the photo, preserving original content, composition, and realistic texture. Based on image content, add prominent white handwritten titles and short playful captions in blank spaces, rounded strokes with slight irregularity. Pair with few hand-drawn arrows, stars, sparkles, curves, and small patterns echoing the theme, primarily white with other colors as accents. Text and graffiti naturally interweave, lively casual, spacious with whitespace, like personally recorded life photos. Avoid person's face and important subjects, don't overcrowd decorations, don't turn photo into illustration, don't add watermark.

Results didn't disappoint.

And holidays can't miss gatherings with friends?

So, adding some flair to group photos:

GIF

Final Thoughts:

Save these tricks, try them slowly after traveling, dining, and taking photos.

Most importantly, enjoy the holiday fully.

Capture photos we love.

May this holiday,

Have mountains and seas in the lens, and the world outside the lens.

Hope everyone has fun!

Since you've read this far, if you liked it, please like, comment, and share—it helps us greatly~

Thanks for reading, see you next time.