How to Achieve Cinematic Photorealism with Midjourney Prompts

Hi, my name is Ana Santos. I’m a photographer. The traditional kind. The one that spends the money on equipment, hauls it out to foreign places, braves the elements for shots under Icelandic waterfalls, and then sloughs through the results for the best captures to add to my portfolio. I wouldn’t give that up. Not for anything. But despite my dreams of being a full-time travel photographer, my bank account can only get me on a plane a couple of times a year, leaving all of those pent-up creative juices stewing in my head for months at a time. Midjourney has blown that wide open. It has enabled me to stretch my creative vision with photography-specific Midjourney prompts, using a style of model I typically don’t have access to, in places that may or may not exist. As a tool, it’s incredibly powerful. Not as a replacement for traditional photography, but as a way to explore beyond the boundaries of subjects, settings and even equipment.

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For instance, I’m a World War II history nerd, but I can’t go back in time to photograph the 1940s. I’m also quite guilty of being a gamer, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of my current faves (looking hella forward to Phantom Liberty‘s release), but current-me doesn’t possess the bank account to fund a trip across the world to the neon-lit streets of Asia so I can exercise my genre muse in the real world (well, at least where that neon city vibe is concerned. Flying cars are still on the back burner and Keanu Reeves has a packed schedule.)

What I’m saying is, while I love my art, I embrace the idea of branching out into new innovations, blurring the lines between reality and imagination, unlocking an entirely new body of work using AI to craft vivid “photos” of enchanting places that exist in the realm of my artistic imagination. I started out as a bit of a skeptic down this road, but this fusion of traditional techniques and cutting-edge technology has resulted in an awe-inspiring collection of imagery that pushes the boundaries of what is possible.

I wanted to kick off my contributions here with a comprehensive guide to achieve cinematic photorealism with Midjourney prompts from a traditional photographer’s point of view. Walking you through a variety of lighting effects, camera angles, portrait styles, and weather conditions that you can incorporate into your Midjourney prompts to attain captivating and professional-looking results. Whether you’re a photographer or a filmmaker, these techniques will help you bring your creative visions to life.

Cinematic Photorealism Promptography: A Byline

Cinematic photography is a style of photography that aims to capture images reminiscent of still frames from movies. It utilizes various techniques to create a visually compelling and narrative-driven experience for the viewer. By incorporating elements such as composition, lighting, color grading, and storytelling, you can evoke emotions and immerse viewers in the scene. For the purpose of most of the following example Midjourney prompts, I’ve included “cinematic” throughout. Go big or go home.

Photorealism is a genre of art that aims to create highly detailed and lifelike representations of subjects, often indistinguishable from a photograph at first glance. Artists achieve photorealistic effects through meticulous attention to detail, precise rendering techniques, and a focus on capturing every subtle nuance and texture of the subject matter. Midjourney prompts require some keywords to achieve photorealistic effects. Prompting for portraits, high detail, mentioning camera models and settings (as I’m doing in this blog.) You can also call out the phrases: photorealism and photorealistic specifically.

Promptography in AI art refers to the process of generating artwork or images based on specific prompts or inputs given to an artificial intelligence system. It involves using text descriptions, keywords, or other forms of instructions to guide the AI in creating visual representations. Promptography allows for interactive and collaborative artistic expression, where artists can provide creative cues to the AI model and explore the unique interpretations it generates. As you can see, (and as with AI in general–at this stage anyway) you get out what you put in. Midjourney prompts are no exception.

Equipment simulated in these prompts are:

Midjourney Prompts: Camera Angles

Choosing the right camera angle can significantly impact the composition and storytelling of your photographs. Here are some camera angles you can explore in Midjourney prompts:

1. Eye Level Shot: The eye-level shot is a neutral perspective that mimics how we see people in real life. It establishes a direct connection between the subject and the viewer. This angle is commonly used for portrait photography and can convey a sense of authenticity and engagement.

2. Low Camera Angle: The low camera angle provides a unique perspective by shooting from below the subject’s eye line. It can create a sense of grandeur, dominance, or emphasize the subject’s power or vulnerability.

3. High Camera Angle: The high camera angle places the camera above the subject, looking down. This angle can create a sense of intimacy, highlight expressions and emotions, or showcase the details of an object. It works well for portraits and can add a dramatic effect to your photographs.

4. Drone Shot: The bird’s eye angle or drone shot captures the scene from a high altitude, offering a unique and captivating viewpoint. It is perfect for showcasing landscapes, architecture, or creating an abstract and detached perspective.

5. Back Angle: Shooting from the back angle allows you to capture the subject’s interaction with the surroundings, providing contextual information and enhancing the storytelling of your photographs. This angle is commonly used in street photography and can add depth and interest to your shots.

6. Wide Angle: Wide angle photography involves using lenses with a shorter focal length to capture a broader field of view, allowing for expansive landscapes or close-ups with exaggerated perspective. It is a popular technique for capturing immersive scenes and emphasizing the sense of depth and scale in a photograph.

7. Ultra Wide Angle: Ultra wide angle photography involves using lenses with an extremely short focal length to capture an even wider field of view than traditional wide-angle lenses. It allows for dramatic perspectives, expansive landscapes, and emphasizes the sense of depth and scale in a photograph.

Midjourney Prompts: Shot Types

In addition to lighting and camera angles, understanding different shot types can further enhance the visual storytelling of your photographs. Here are three commonly used shot types you can explore with Midjourney prompts:

1. Closeup Shot: Close-up shots are ideal for capturing the subject’s expressions and emotions. They create a sense of intimacy and engagement, drawing the viewer’s attention to the finer details. Use prompts that focus on close-up shots to bring out the essence of your subjects.

2. Medium Shot: The medium shot provides context and captures the subject from the waist up. It is commonly used in portrait, fashion, and environmental photography. This shot type allows you to convey the subject’s personality while providing visual information about the surroundings.

3. Full-body Shot: The full-body shot showcases the subject’s entire body, allowing you to emphasize scale, height, and location. It is commonly used in architectural and landscape photography to highlight the grandeur of buildings, landmarks, or natural scenery.

Midjourney Prompts: Lighting Effects

Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood and enhancing the overall aesthetics of your photographs. Here is a list of commonly used lighting effects in photography and cinematography, along with instructions on how to recreate them using Midjourney prompts:

1. Key Lighting: The key light is the primary light source in your scene. It provides intense and direct illumination, emphasizing the form of your subject. To achieve a strong key light effect, consider using studio portraiture or studio photography prompts.

2. Backlighting: Backlighting involves placing a light source behind your subject, creating a separation between the subject and the background. It adds depth, drama, and a three-dimensional feel to your shots.

3. Silhouette Lighting: Silhouette lighting occurs when the subject is backlit, resulting in a darkened subject with a well-defined outline against a brighter background. This technique creates a sense of mystery, drama, or emphasizes the shape and form of your subject.

4. Rembrandt Lighting: Named after the famous painter, Rembrandt lighting creates a dramatic and classic look. It involves positioning the light source to create a small triangular highlight under the subject’s eye on the shaded side of their face.

Natural Light Effects

Apart from artificial lighting, natural light can also be a powerful tool in your photography. Here are some natural light effects that you can experiment with in Midjourney prompts:

1. Sunny: Sunlight captures beauty and energy in your subjects. It brings out vibrant colors and creates a lively atmosphere. Consider using prompts that simulate the warmth and brightness of sunny conditions.

2. Snow: Snow can add a cozy and romantic ambiance to your photographs. The soft, diffused light on a cloudy winter day can produce flattering and natural lighting for your subjects.

3. Overcast: Overcast lighting provides soft, diffused, and even illumination without harsh shadows or bright highlights. It is perfect for creating a moody or contemplative atmosphere in your shots.

4. Hazy: Hazy lighting creates a dreamy and atmospheric effect, adding a touch of mystique to your photographs. It softens the overall look and enhances the sense of depth and atmosphere.

5. Foggy: Incorporating fog and foggy light prompts can create an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere. The diffused light passing through the fog adds an ethereal quality to your images.

Times of Day

Using different times of the day in photography can greatly impact the mood and atmosphere of your images. Golden hour, blue hour, twilight, and night offer unique lighting conditions that can enhance the storytelling and visual appeal of your photos. Here are some times of day effects that you can experiment with in Midjourney prompts:

1. Golden Hour: refers to the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset when the sun is low in the sky, casting a warm, golden light that enhances colors and creates a soft, flattering illumination for photography.

2. Blue Hour: The blue hour refers to the time of day, lasting approximately 20 to 30 minutes, just after sunset or just before sunrise, when the sky takes on a deep blue color and the landscape is bathed in bluish light. It is a favorable period for photography, particularly for capturing atmospheric and serene images with a unique color palette.

3. Twilight: Twilight photography refers to capturing images during the period between sunset and complete darkness or before sunrise. It offers a unique blend of soft, ambient light and vibrant colors, creating a dreamy and atmospheric mood in photographs.

4. Night: Night photography offers a captivating opportunity to capture the world under the veil of darkness, revealing mesmerizing scenes illuminated by moonlight, city lights, or starry skies.

Midjourney Prompts: Retro Camera/Film Effects

Midjourney offers the ability to recreate the unique characteristics and aesthetics of various cameras and film types. Although not every camera, film, or setting name will have a specific effect, you can experiment with these Midjourney prompts to achieve a desired retro look:

1. Tri-X: Tri-X is a black and white film type known for its nostalgic look. By incorporating Tri-X prompts, you can recreate the timeless aesthetic of black and white photography.

2. Daguerreotype: Inspired by the 19th-century technique of producing black and white images on coated copper plates, Daguerreotype prompts can add a vintage and classical touch to your photographs.

3. Infrared Photography: Infrared photography produces unique and distinct effects, creating a surreal and ethereal atmosphere. Experiment with infrared prompts to capture landscapes or subjects in a way that transcends reality.

Closing Thoughts

I’m just getting starting with Midjourney. I actually aim to do quite a few blogs here about various prompts for different camera models, traditional techniques and various subjects (so bookmark this blog!) Among other things. Remember, Midjourney’s prompt generation relies on a combination of textual cues and the AI’s training data. While experimenting with lighting, camera angles, and shot types, it’s essential to consider the overall artistic vision and balance of your photographs.

In conclusion, while I firmly advocate for the irreplaceable perspective and ingenuity of traditional photographers, I have found immense value in AI as a powerful creative companion, allowing me to stretch my creative boundaries and unlock new dimensions of artistry. By harnessing the power of Midjourney and applying various lighting effects, camera angles, and shot types, you can unleash your creativity and capture stunning photographs that resonate with viewers. Experiment, explore, and let Midjourney be your companion on the journey to create visually captivating and emotionally evocative imagery.

*This blog uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Below is the full gallery of images created from the prompts above. Enjoy!

Let us know if you end up using one of my prompts! We’d love to see what you created. You can tag us on Instagram: @pink_horn_ai or @acsantos.