Prompting for realism
Beginner · 6 min read
Why "8k, masterpiece" doesn't work and what does: lenses, motivated light and imperfections.
1. Think like a camera
Name the shot size (wide, medium, close-up), the lens (35mm f/2, 85mm f/1.4) and the camera move. Real optics create real depth of field and compression.
2. Light needs a source
"Soft window light from the left", "a sodium streetlight overhead", "golden hour behind the subject". Light with a direction and a color looks photographed; "beautiful lighting" looks rendered.
3. Imperfection is realism
Skin pores, flyaway hair, wrinkled fabric, a coffee stain on the table, people in the background going about their day. The realism layer adds these and a negative prompt against plastic CGI.