Change background of photo with AI and keep the light looking real
The photo is good but the background is not: a messy room behind a portrait, a car park behind your product, a grey sky on a holiday shot. This prompt has your todo.is agent keep the subject, put it in the scene you describe and match the light so it does not look pasted on.
The prompt
- Change the background of the attached photo. Keep [WHO OR WHAT TO KEEP] exactly as they are: face, clothes, shape and colours. Replace the background with [NEW BACKGROUND]. Match the light direction, colour temperature and shadows to the new scene so it looks like one photo, and keep the subject sharp. Output: [SIZE AND FORMAT]. Make 2 variations of the scene, and point out any place where the subject changed.
What to change
- [WHO OR WHAT TO KEEP]: E.g. "me and my sister in the front", "the bicycle", "the cake and the table".
- [NEW BACKGROUND]: Be specific, e.g. "a bright Scandinavian living room, plants, soft window light", "a beach at golden hour", "a plain studio grey backdrop".
- [SIZE AND FORMAT]: E.g. "same size as the original, JPG", "square 1080 x 1080 PNG", "4:5 for Instagram".
Example result
- Background change: portrait for a speaker page
- Source: portrait_home_office.jpg · keep the woman, her blazer and glasses · new scene: modern conference stage, softly blurred
- Files delivered
- • portrait_new_background_1.jpg: dark stage with warm spotlights, blurred, light from the upper left as in the original
- • portrait_new_background_2.jpg: brighter version with a blurred audience and blue stage lights
- How the light was matched
- • The original window light came from the left, so the new spotlights are placed on the left too
- • A soft warm rim light was added on the right shoulder so the edge blends with the stage
- • The background is blurred to a shallow depth of field, like a portrait lens, so the subject stays the focus
- • Skin tones were left as in the original; only the background colour was graded
- Checked against the original
- • Face, glasses and hairline: unchanged
- • Blazer: one button looked slightly different in version 2 and was fixed
- • Bookshelf reflection in the glasses: removed so the old room does not show
- Writing a good background description
- • Name the place, the time of day and the light: "a quiet café, late afternoon sun through the window"
- • Say how blurred it should be: sharp, slightly soft, or very blurred
- • Keep perspective in mind: a photo taken from below needs a scene seen from below
- When to be careful
- • Do not use a changed background to mislead, for example a fake location in a listing or an ID photo
- • Official photos (passport, visa, ID) usually need the real photo on a plain background, so use a passport photo to-do instead
How to do it with todo.is
- Attach your photo in todo.is and copy the prompt.
- Fill in what to keep, describe the new background in one or two sentences, and choose the size.
- Send it and download the two variations your agent makes.
- Ask for changes in plain words, such as "less blur" or "make it evening", until it looks right.
Tips for a better result
- Pick a scene shot from the same height as your photo. A low camera angle on a high-angle background always looks off.
- Mention the season and weather, so a coat in your photo does not end up on a summer beach.
- If the result looks pasted on, ask for "a little more background blur and a soft contact shadow".
- Attach a reference photo of the background you want, and the agent will aim for that look.
change background of photo: FAQ
- Can AI change the background without changing my face? The prompt tells it to keep the subject exactly, and it usually does, but AI edits can alter small details. Compare the face, hands and any text with the original before you share it.
- How do I make a changed background look realistic? Match the light direction, add a soft shadow where the subject touches the ground, and blur the background a bit. The prompt asks for all three.
- Can I change the background of a group photo? Yes. Name everyone to keep, for example "all four people in front", so nobody at the edge gets cut out.
- Can I just get a transparent background instead? Yes, ask for a transparent PNG cutout and add your own background later in any design tool.
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