Update Jan 12: Due to popular demand, I’ve posted 3 new advanced prompt styles (Dark Walnut, Folk Art, and Rough Hewn). [Read Part II here].
Check out the image below, which features a wood carving of my friend Doug and me. I made it from a photo we took during a workshop in Paris ten years ago.
The image is the result of a fun prompt for Google Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana. You upload a photo with a person or a couple of people then enter this prompt:
Create an image of a hand-carved wooden miniature figure of the people in the attached image, shaped with visible knife marks, natural grain texture, and smooth unfinished edges. Placed on a workshop table with carving tools, wood shavings, and soft warm directional lighting. 1080×1080.
Doug Kaye and Scott Loftesness
I wish I could remember where I got this particular prompt – I’ve been collecting a lot of them when they show up in my feed on X but fail to note the source. This was definitely one of the better creative image prompts that I’ve come across.
“THE SEINE IS the most romantic river in the world. She encourages us to dream, to linger, to flirt, to fall in love, or to at least fantasize that falling in love is possible. The light bouncing off her banks and bridges at night can carry even the least imaginative of us into flights of fancy. No other river comes close.”
Elaine Sciolino, The Seine
Ah, the Seine. The mere mention of its name conjures up visions of starlit strolls along cobbled quays, hushed whispers beneath ornate bridges, and lovers’ locks clinging to iron railings like promises etched in metal. Elaine Sciolino’s declaration that the Seine is the “most romantic river in the world” is more than just a poetic flourish; it’s a truth woven into the very fabric of the city it embraces.Â
But what is it about this particular waterway that ignites such passionate pronouncements? Perhaps it’s the way the Seine reflects the City of Lights in its inky depths, transforming every lamppost and grand dame of architecture into a twinkling mirage. Or maybe it’s the gentle caress of its current, urging us to slow down, to savor the moment, to lose ourselves in the rhythm of the waves.
Sciolino hits the nail on the head when she mentions the Seine’s ability to “encourage us to dream.” There’s something undeniably magical about being beside a river that has witnessed centuries of love stories unfold. It whispers tales of stolen kisses under moonlit skies, of grand pronouncements carved into ancient bridges, of hearts beating in unison with the lapping water.
The Seine isn’t just a backdrop for romance; it’s an active participant. Its bridges are meeting points, its bateaux mouches floating gondolas for impromptu serenades, its banks secret havens for whispered secrets. The very air seems to crackle with possibility, with the promise of something new, something extraordinary, just around the bend.
And even for those who haven’t yet found their happily ever after, the Seine offers solace. Its gentle murmur is a balm to the soul, its vastness a reminder that there’s a whole world of stories waiting to be written, a whole universe of possibilities yet to be explored.
So, is the Seine truly the most romantic river in the world? That, my dear reader, is a question for you to answer. But one thing is certain: no other river comes close to capturing the essence of love, of hope, of that intoxicating blend of dreams and reality that makes Paris, and the Seine, so utterly irresistible.
So, the next time you find yourself beside a flowing river, take a moment to listen. Close your eyes and let the water’s whispers carry you away. You might just find yourself swept up in a current of romance, Parisian style.
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