Get convincing photorealism by prompting like a photographer — camera, lens, light, and the tells to avoid.
midjourneychatgptintermediate
The prompt
Help me prompt a photorealistic scene.
The scene: {{describe it}}
Mood & time of day: {{context}}
Use: {{background / stock-style / concept}}
Build: 1) THE CAMERA LANGUAGE — camera/lens type, aperture/depth of field, angle, that photographers use to get realism. 2) THE LIGHT — quality, direction, source, time of day (this is what sells 'real'). 3) THE PROMPT combining subject, setting, camera, light, and film/rendering style. 4) THE AI TELLS to avoid — the words/combos that make it look fake or over-rendered, and what to write instead. 5) One variation with different light. Prioritize believable over dramatic.
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Why this works
Photorealism comes from photographic specifics — lens, aperture, light direction — not the word 'realistic'; naming the AI 'tells' to avoid steers away from the over-rendered look that screams fake.
Shared by Elena Kovac — Brand marketer. Allergic to corporate speak.
Act as a commercial photography director planning a hero shot.
My product: {{what it is}}
Brand mood: {{3 adjectives — e.g. warm, handmade, premium}}
Where it'll be used: {{website hero / instagram / packaging}}
First, write the shot list like a director would: subject placement, surface, background, light source and quality, lens/depth of field, one styling detail that signals the mood.
Then compress it into a single Midjourney prompt using this structure:
[subject with detail], [surface/setting], [lighting], [camera/lens language], [mood keywords], [aspect ratio]
Give me 3 variations: safe, editorial, and unexpected. Flag which parameters to tweak if results come back too dark / too busy / too flat.
Help me write an image prompt for a product mockup.
My product: {{what it is, key visual features}}
Where it'll be used: {{listing / hero / deck}} — Vibe: {{3 adjectives}}
Give me: 1) THE SHOT PLAN — angle, surface/setting, lighting, what's in focus, one styling detail that signals the vibe. 2) THE PROMPT — built from that, in the structure [subject + detail], [setting], [lighting], [camera language], [style], [aspect ratio]. 3) THREE VARIATIONS — clean/minimal, lifestyle/in-use, and bold/editorial. 4) THE FIX-ITS — what to change if the result looks too flat, too busy, or fake. Optimize for 'I'd click buy', not 'pretty'.
My image prompt isn't working. Diagnose and fix it.
My prompt:
{{paste it}}
What I got vs. what I wanted: {{describe the gap}}
Tool: {{Midjourney / DALL-E / etc.}}
Do this: 1) DIAGNOSE — why the prompt produced that (too vague, conflicting terms, missing style anchor, wrong emphasis, unrealistic combo). 2) THE REWRITE — a cleaner version with the fix, keeping what worked. 3) WHAT EACH CHANGE DOES — so I learn, not just copy. 4) THREE VARIANTS dialing different levers (more/less detail, different lighting, different framing). 5) THE ONE PARAMETER most likely to close the gap. Teach me to fish.