This prompting guide explores how to craft photography prompts that produce photorealistic AI images. It covers fundamentals, advanced prompting strategies, editing techniques, and style-specific examples.
With modern AI tools, you can build photorealistic images using AI photography prompts—just text. But the results depend almost entirely on how you phrase that prompt.
A short or vague description might give you something passable, but rarely something you’d mistake for a professional shot. Strong photography prompts control mood, lighting, and composition, producing images that look like they came straight out of a camera.
This article breaks down prompt fundamentals, shares photo prompts across styles (including food photography prompts), and shows how a few words can shift an image from ordinary to photorealistic.
- Why precise AI prompts outperform generic requests
- Photography prompts 101: the anatomy of a realistic prompt
- Advanced AI photography prompts: negatives, styles, and seeds
- From prompt to polish: editing AI photos for realism
- Prompt library: ready-to-use prompts for popular genres
- Photography prompts FAQs: your common questions answered
- Final thoughts: mastering prompts for photography
Why precise AI prompts outperform generic requests
Two images can share the same subject and still look worlds apart. The difference often comes down to the clarity and intent of your prompts for photography. Generic wording (“a photo of a person”) leaves the model to guess your choices on lighting, lens, and mood. Detailed AI photography prompts make those choices explicit, so the output lands closer to what you pictured.
What a “generic” prompt looks like
A generic prompt tends to produce flat light, centre framing, and indistinct styling. Faces can feel lifeless, colors drift, and backgrounds default to “safe” filler. You’ll spend credits iterating because the tool is filling in too many blanks. Here’s an example of a generic prompt:
“Portrait of a person.”
What a “professional” prompt does differently
Professional-quality photo prompts specify subject, lighting, composition, lens behaviour, and mood. They also set boundaries for what to avoid. This narrows the model’s choices and reduces trial and error.
“Portrait of a woman, soft natural window light, 85mm shallow depth of field, three-quarter framing, warm tones, calm expression, clean background, minimal retouching.”
Why it works
- Lighting guides shadows and skin tone.
- Lens and depth control background blur and focus fall-off.
- Framing sets how the subject fills the image.
- Palette and mood align the atmosphere with the brief.
- Clean background prevents messy details.
How better prompts save time (and credits)
When the prompt is specific, the tool doesn’t have to guess at what you want. That means the first few images are more likely to be in the right ballpark. You spend less time throwing out failed results and more time shaping the details that matter.
Pitfalls to avoid
AI image fails can happen to any of us. Even with strong photography prompts, there are a few traps that can derail the results:
- Vague language: Words like “nice” or “beautiful” don’t give the AI much to work with. It’s better to specify the type of light, the mood, or the setting.
- Conflicting instructions: Mixing cues like “harsh sunlight” and “soft dreamy look” forces the tool to split the difference, often producing awkward or inconsistent images.
- Ignoring composition: Without guidance on framing or perspective, the subject may appear off-balance or cropped in unhelpful ways.
- Overloading with detail: Adding too many unrelated descriptors can confuse the output. Stick to the elements that actually shape the photo you want.
- Forgetting color and tone: If you leave the palette undefined, you may end up with clashing hues or lighting that doesn’t suit your project.
Photography prompts 101: the anatomy of a realistic prompt
If you want decent results, the prompt has to make sense. Think about it like giving someone quick directions before they take a photo for you. You have to describe exactly what the image is about.
For this article, we’ll use ImageGen to create our images. It’s perfect for creating photorealistic AI results from simple text prompts and is flexible enough to generate a range of different styles like portraits, wildlife photography, and more!
The anatomy of a strong AI photography prompt
Each part of the prompt acts like a layer. The subject gives direction, style defines context, and the rest fills in the visual details. Here’s a basic formula you can use:
Subject + Style + Composition + Lighting + Details
When creating realistic images with AI, keep photography prompts simple and cover the basics. But if you’re looking for a more in-depth guide to creating prompts for AI artwork, check out the complete guide to AI art prompts for some inspiration.
What does it all mean?
| Element | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Subject | Identify the main focus of the image. Is it a person, an object, or a scene? |
| Style | Point to the type of photography (e.g. portrait, street, wildlife, product, fine art). |
| Composition | Guide how the subject is framed. Mention angles, distance, or depth of field. |
| Lighting | Natural sunlight, studio flash, dramatic shadows, or soft overcast light. |
| Details | Add texture, colors, or atmosphere to refine the look. |
Advanced AI photography prompts: negatives, styles, and seeds
Learning the basics is a good start, but AI photography prompts can do more. You can add a few extra tricks to improve your results. These techniques help clean up outputs, add style, and give you more control over the final image.
Negative prompts
Sometimes, an image looks good but has distractions, such as strange text, odd objects, or lighting that doesn’t fit. A negative prompt can help with this by telling the AI model what to leave out.
| Use case | Example negative prompt | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Remove stray text | no text, no watermark | Clean background and subject |
| Control lighting | no harsh shadows | Softer, even light |
| Reduce clutter | no busy background | Stronger focus on subject |
Style modifiers
Adding style words changes the feel of the photo. By naming the specific style you want to use, you are encouraging the AI closer towards the look that you want. The modifier tells the AI to lean towards a specific look. Think of it like how a photographer might change lenses or film stock to create a certain effect. Here are some examples:
| Style Modifier | What it does |
|---|---|
| Golden hour | Adds warm, soft light with long shadows |
| Studio-lit | Creates sharp detail and controlled shadows |
| Candid | Makes the shot feel unposed and natural |
| Fine art black-and-white | High contrast, dramatic, timeless look |
| Cinematic | Wide framing, moody atmosphere, dramatic light |
| Editorial | Polished, magazine-style photography |
| Minimalist | Clean composition with few elements |
| Documentary | Realistic images, journalistic feel |
Using the “Use Style” function
One of ImageGen’s most powerful features is the “Use Style” option. It lets you apply a consistent look across multiple prompts, so your images don’t feel random or mismatched. Here’s how it works:
- Generate or pick a base image: Start with a photo that has the look you want (e.g. lighting, colors or overall mood).
- Select “Use Style”: Click on the image and then select the “Use Style” button. ImageGen saves the style from that photo for your next prompt.
- Apply it to new prompts: When you create another image, the tool adds the same treatment, even if the subject is different.
Technical settings
Most generators let you adjust a few technical details. They don’t go into the prompt itself, but they affect the outcome. With ImageGen, you can choose between creating images that are square, landscape, or portrait.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | Controls the frame shape (e.g. square, widescreen, tall). Different ratios suit portraits, landscapes, or banners. |
| Resolution/quality | Higher settings produce sharper detail but take longer and use more credits. Lower settings are faster for drafts. |
| Seed/variation | Fixing a seed number allows you to reproduce or slightly tweak earlier results for consistency. |
| Batch size | Allows you to generate multiple variations at once, making it easier to compare outcomes side by side. |
From prompt to polish: editing AI photos for realism
Even with strong photography prompts, AI images often need a little polish. That’s where editing tools come in. Envato offers two handy options with ImageEdit and Nano Banana that make refining your results much easier.
Envato ImageEdit
Envato ImageEdit is a quick, browser-based tool that lets you refine AI-generated photos without jumping into heavy software. It’s designed for simple but powerful tweaks. ImageEdit is perfect for quick adjustments. After you generate an image, you can do things like:
- Easily remove the background from your subject and export it as a transparent PNG.
- Clean up the background by erasing any details you don’t want in the final image.
- Upscale your images up to 4k resolution.
- Replace subjects in the scene with someone/something else.
- Extend the edges of your photo for a wider composition.
Nano Banana
Nano Banana is useful when you don’t want to restart an image from scratch, especially for commercial photography. You can pick a part of the picture, type in a new prompt, and change only that area. It works well for things like replacing a sky or fixing small details while keeping the rest the same.
Iteration strategies
Rarely does the first image come out perfect. A good approach would be to treat your first few image generations as rough drafts, and then use a tool like Nano Banana to adjust them. Here’s how it works:
- Create your first set of images: Don’t expect the finished photo here. Take a few that you like the look of and download them.
- Upload to Nano Banana: Figure out the tweaks you want to make to your first set of images and describe them in the prompt box.
- Generate a new round: Compare the results against the first draft and repeat for further refinement.
Animate your photos
Once you’ve created a strong image, you don’t have to stop there. With VideoGen, you can use your photo as the very first frame of an animation or short film. This is a simple way to bring still shots to life.
- Prepare your photo: Finish any cleanup in ImageEdit or Nano Banana (crop, background, color).
- Upload to VideoGen: Head on over to the AI VideoGen page and upload your image by clicking on the “+” button.
- Write a prompt: Create a motion video prompt. You can check out how to start creating AI videos for more details on how to do this.
- Choose aspect ratio: Choose whether you want the video in square, portrait, or landscape format. This can change depending on where you plan to share it.
- Hit the Generate button: The tool will process your image and animate it based on your prompt. This usually takes just a few seconds. Once it’s ready, you can preview the video and download it to your device.
Prompt library: ready-to-use prompts for popular genres
Different types of photography need different kinds of photo prompts. In this section, we’ll look at a range of photorealistic AI styles with sample prompts.
Portrait photography
Prompt example:
Portrait of a stylish woman against a teal wall, strong beam of warm golden light cutting across her face, moody cinematic composition, minimalist wardrobe, dramatic shadow play, contrast between cool and warm colors, photographed with a 50mm lens, editorial and artistic lighting.
Bonus tip for portrait photo prompts
If results look too artificial, try adding realism cues like “realistic skin texture,” “natural imperfections,” or “photographed with a Canon EOS R5.” These small adjustments often take an AI portrait from “polished render” to “camera-grade photo.”
Wildlife photography
Prompt example 1
A vibrant Red-Eyed Tree Frog clinging vertically to a thin green plant stem. The frog has striking red eyes, bright orange feet and toes, a lush green body, and a hint of blue and purple on its legs. The camera is very close, creating a macro shot with a sharp focus on the frog. The background is a soft, out-of-focus bokeh of deep green foliage, creating a beautiful depth of field. The lighting is soft and diffused, perfectly highlighting the frog’s vivid colors. Artistic style: professional macro wildlife photography, ultra-realistic, vibrant colors, shallow depth of field, natural light.
Prompt example 2
A high-quality, ultra-realistic, close-up portrait of a raccoon. The raccoon is clinging to a tree branch with its paws, looking directly at the camera with a curious and endearing expression. Its fur is a mix of rich brown and grey tones with its signature black mask around its bright, dark eyes. The background is a soft, out-of-focus bokeh of lush green leaves and foliage, creating a beautiful depth of field. The lighting is soft and natural, perfectly illuminating the raccoon’s detailed fur. Artistic style: wildlife photography, close-up portrait, ultra-realistic, shallow depth of field, natural light, serene.
Bonus tip for wildlife photo prompts
To get the most realistic results, add motion or behavior cues to the prompt like: “Soaring over water,” “hunting in tall grass,” “resting on a branch.” Additionally, be specific with the lens choice, wildlife feels more real with “telephoto lens, 300mm,” or “macro lens, 100mm.”
Sports photography
Prompt example 1
A professional male soccer player in a dynamic action pose, with his left foot resting on a multi-colored, patterned soccer ball. He is wearing bright orange or peach-colored soccer cleats and a red jersey. The shot is a low-angle perspective, capturing the player against the backdrop of a large soccer stadium with red seats. The sky is bright blue with scattered clouds. The lighting is vibrant and natural, creating a high-energy and athletic mood. The focus is sharp on the player’s feet and the ball, highlighting the details of the sports gear. Artistic style: dynamic sports photography, professional sports advertising, low-angle shot, realistic, vibrant colors, stadium setting.
Prompt example 2
A photorealistic male basketball player is captured in mid-air, performing a dynamic dunk. The shot is taken from an extremely low angle, looking up towards the player and the basketball hoop against a clear, expansive blue sky. The player is wearing a dark t-shirt, dark shorts, and light-colored athletic shoes, which are prominently visible. His body is extended, with the basketball held above his head, about to go through the hoop. The overall mood is energetic and triumphant, emphasizing motion and the athleticism of the player. Artistic style: dynamic sports photography, low-angle shot, wide-angle perspective, action shot, minimalist background, realistic, vibrant.
Bonus tip for sport photo prompts
To get the best AI sport photographies, a good tip is to freeze decisive moments in the prompt: shots mid-air, mid-strike, or just before impact feel most authentic. And don’t forget to direct the emotion: “triumphant,” “intense,” “focused” give AI guidance on expression and body language.
Food photography
Prompt example 1
Photorealistic of a elegant Japanese sushi platter beautifully arranged on a dark ceramic plate, fresh nigiri and sashimi with vibrant colors, wooden table setting, soft cinematic restaurant lighting, high-end food photography, detailed textures, studio-quality image, in the style of hyper-realistic, fujifilm x-t4, Majestic lighting, soft lighting, hyper realistic look, octane, Impressive textures, 8k f/2.8, Kodak Portra 800, 70mm cinematic style, full-length shot, film grain
Prompt example 2
A close-up, high-quality photograph of a person’s hands holding a glass of a vibrant green smoothie. The smoothie is topped with toasted coconut flakes. One hand grips the glass, while the other holds a thick white straw. A strong, warm sunlight creates a dramatic highlight on the hands and the side of the glass. The background is a soft, out-of-focus blur of lush, dark green foliage, creating a beautiful contrast. Artistic style: lifestyle photography, food and beverage photography, high contrast lighting, natural light, soft focus, healthy and organic aesthetic.
Bonus tip for food photography prompts
Include camera and lens cues in the prompt: 50mm–85mm lenses, shallow depth of field, and film stock terms (Kodak Portra, Fuji Pro) create authentic looks in food photography. Adding human elements sparingly like hands, chopsticks and pouring sauces give life without distracting from the dish. Want to take it to the next level? Create AI food videos too.
Street photography
Prompt example 1
A person carrying an umbrella and a bag walks on a sunlit crosswalk beneath a large industrial overpass. A dramatic, diagonal beam of natural light cuts through the dark space, brightly illuminating the subject and the crosswalk. The background is dominated by a large, intricate, and vibrant mural featuring a variety of colorful cartoon or anime characters in a classic style. The scene is a striking contrast between the gritty, shadowy urban environment and the whimsical, colorful art. The shot is a medium-angle view, emphasizing the interplay of strong light and deep shadow. Artistic style: urban street photography, high-contrast, cinematic lighting, whimsical, atmospheric, detailed mural art.
Prompt example 2
A young man with reddish-orange hair and modern streetwear, consisting of a light cream-colored jacket, a gray t-shirt, and dark gray shorts, stands in the center of a crosswalk on an urban street. He holds a black skateboard under his arm. Around him, blurred people are in motion, creating a motion blur effect that emphasizes his stillness amidst the city’s hustle and bustle. The lighting is soft and diffused, with a slightly melancholic atmosphere. The crosswalk surface shows signs of wear. The shot is a high-angle general shot, capturing the subject and the surrounding motion. Artistic style: street photography, long exposure/motion blur effect, selective focus, soft and urban colors, realism.
Bonus tip for street style photo prompts
Highlight cultural details in the environment: murals, graffiti, billboards, or storefronts to add story and realism. Texture details like cracked pavement, worn signs, wet streets, reflections in puddles are great authenticity markers.
Drone & aerial photography
Prompt example 1
An aerial drone shot looking straight down on a large crowd of people walking on a zebra crosswalk. The composition is dominated by the bold, geometric pattern of the white and gray stripes. The people are scattered across the crosswalk, walking in various directions, with their shadows visible on the asphalt. The image has a sense of a busy, bustling urban scene. Artistic style: aerial photography, top-down shot, realistic, high-angle, urban photography, detailed, graphic composition.
Prompt example 2
An aerial drone shot looking straight down on a group of farmers working in a vast field. The flowers are planted in long, neat rows of green foliage, creating a strong vertical pattern across the frame. Several farmers, some wearing traditional conical straw hats and carrying woven baskets, are scattered throughout the rows. The scene is illuminated by bright, natural daylight, emphasizing the rich, saturated colors of the flowers and the green leaves. Artistic style: aerial photography, top-down
view, realistic, rural landscape, documentary style, vibrant colors, agricultural scene.
Bonus tip for aerial photo prompts
For aerials, a good tip is to highlight geometry (grids of fields, curving highways, building patterns) — AI interprets shapes well. Also, keep in mind that human activity adds scale, use cues like “tiny figures,” “visible shadows,” “movement across the scene”.
Travel & environment photography
Prompt example 1
Photorealistic drone view of modern city skyline at sunset, skyscrapers and rivers, cinematic photography.
Prompt example 2
A photorealistic wide-angle landscape photograph of a small, bright red lighthouse standing on a rocky jetty. The lighthouse is positioned on the left side of the frame, with a few small figures of people visible near its base. The vast expanse of the calm, deep blue sea fills the rest of the image on the right. Above, the sky is a soft blue with scattered, fluffy white clouds. The lighting is bright and natural, creating a serene, peaceful, and clean coastal aesthetic. Artistic style: coastal landscape photography, minimalist composition, soft colors, travel photography, tranquil, realistic.
Bonus tip for travel photo prompts
Here’s a good tip for AI travel photography. Balance subject and environment for a realistic result: temples with mountains, markets with alleys, skylines with rivers. Adding scale with people or objects like boats, hikers, market-goers, or cars also help define size.
Fine art photography
Prompt example
A photorealistic conceptual close-up of a person in a white shirt, standing on a rolling grassy hill. He is holding a big square, translucent piece of vibrant red material in front of his face, partially obscuring it. The light passes through the red material, casting a subtle red hue on his profile and hair. The background is a dry, earthy hillside and a dramatic sky with vibrant blue and white clouds. The image has a cinematic and surreal quality, with a strong contrast between the bold artificial color and the natural landscape. Artistic style: fine art photography, conceptual portraiture, surrealism, backlit, natural light, high-fashion.
Bonus tip for fine art photo prompts
To get the best results, think in concepts first, subjects second: describe what the idea means visually (a veil hiding identity, a colored square distorting reality). You can also pair natural with artificial elements raw landscapes vs bold color blocks, or surreal props vs everyday clothing.
Product & Commercial Photography
Prompt example 1
A flat lay photograph of three pieces of sushi nigiri. They are arranged vertically on a simple, round light blue plate. Next to the plate is a small white bowl filled with dark soy sauce and in the other side a small white bowl filled with wasabi. The background is a clean, minimalist design, a light red. The lighting is bright and even, creating a clean, high-key aesthetic with minimal shadows. Artistic style: flat lay food photography, minimalist, modern, clean composition, high-key lighting, product shot, geometric.
Prompt example 2
A flat lay photograph of a light pink beverage can covered in condensation, resting on a solid pink background. The can is surrounded by scattered triangular slices and small cubes of fresh, vibrant watermelon. The scene is shot from directly above. The lighting is bright and directional, creating crisp, long, diagonal shadows that add a graphic, minimalist feel to the composition. Artistic style: flat lay photography, product shot, clean aesthetic, minimalist, vibrant colors, high-key lighting, modern food styling.
Bonus tip for commercial photo prompts
For top results, a good tip is to always lock perspective: flat lay (top-down), 3/4 product angle, or straight-on studio shot. Also, adding tactile realism like condensation, gloss, matte finish or fabric texture to the prompt yields realistic results.
Photography prompts FAQs: your common questions answered
What are AI photography prompts?
They’re short written instructions that tell AI what to create, specifying subject, lighting, mood, and style so the result looks like a real photo.
How do I describe a photography style in a prompt?
Be specific about look and light first, e.g., “close-up portrait, soft window light, shallow depth of field, warm tones” instead of “portrait of a person”.
What tools work best for photorealistic AI results?
ImageGen is built for lifelike outputs, with style controls, aspect ratios, and editing add-ons like ImageEdit and Nano Banana to refine your photos.
Can I edit the AI-generated photos afterwards?
Yes—polish is part of the workflow. Use ImageEdit for background removal, upscaling, or extensions, and Nano Banana for region-based changes.
Which styles are best for different projects?
Choose the style based on the job. Portraits fit personal branding, products work for e-commerce, food for menus, and travel shots for ads or articles.
What if my images don’t look realistic?
Tighten your prompt and add negatives. Specify lens, lighting, background, and use negative prompts (e.g., “no text, no watermark, no busy background”).
Final thoughts: mastering prompts for photography
Working with AI photography prompts is all about clarity. Be precise about subject, composition, and light, and your results will improve fast.
Remember to iterate and refine with editing tools—one of AI’s biggest advantages. With ImageEdit and Nano Banana you can polish or reshape outputs, and VideoGen brings stills to life. Whether for branding, product shots, or creative work, this workflow delivers quickly—so keep experimenting, save the photo prompts that work, and refine the rest.
