Realistic AI image prompts: the phrases that make pictures read as photos

Why "photorealistic" alone does not work

Light: name one source

• "lit only by a window on the left, soft shadow on the right side of the face"
• "overcast daylight, no direct sun, flat even light"
• "a single desk lamp, warm, the background falls into darkness"
• "midday sun, hard shadows under the chin and the nose"

Camera and lens phrases

• "shot on a phone, slight noise, a little motion blur in the background"
• "35mm lens at f/2.8, the background softly out of focus"
• "85mm portrait lens, shallow depth of field"
• "photographed from eye level, natural perspective, no wide-angle distortion"

Skin, hair and materials

• "real skin with visible pores, fine lines and slight redness on the cheeks"
• "flyaway hairs, a few strands across the forehead"
• "worn denim with faded seams", "brushed steel with fingerprints", "wood grain with small scratches"
• "no makeup gloss, matte skin"

Imperfections that make a photo believable

Five copy-ready realistic prompts

• "A woman in her 30s reading in a cafe, lit by the window on the left, real skin with pores, 35mm lens at f/2.8, a few crumbs on the table, shot on a camera, fine grain."
• "A ceramic mug on a wooden table, overcast daylight, wood grain and small scratches, 50mm lens, soft shadow to the right."
• "A man in his 50s on a fishing boat, overcast coastal light, weathered skin, wet yellow raincoat, 85mm lens, slight motion in the waves."
• "A living room in the evening, one floor lamp on, the rest in soft shadow, slightly messy cushions, phone photo, a little noise."
• "A street in an old European town after rain, real stone and puddles, cloudy sky, 28mm lens at eye level, two people walking far away."

BeforeAfter

Already generated? Fix it instead of starting over