Prompt Library

How to Write AI Image Prompts (and 30 to Steal)

30 copy-paste prompts

The 6-part framework that controls every output — Subject, Style, Lighting, Lens, Mood, Parameters. 30 prompts that prove it on Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

In short: This page contains 30 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 4 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 15 prompts are free instantly — no signup needed. Hand-curated and tested by the AI Academy team.

By Louis Corneloup · Founder, Techpresso
Last updated ·Hand-curated & tested by the AI Academy team

The 6-Part Framework (start here)

6 prompts

Subject — the WHAT

1/30

Subject: [be specific. "A young woman" is generic. "A young woman with auburn hair and freckles, mid-laugh" is generative.] Replace this line with your specific subject.

Subject is the only mandatory element. Everything else is optional but improves the output.

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Pro tip: Specificity is the multiplier. "Person" → generic figure. "40-year-old woman with auburn hair, freckles, mid-laugh" → a specific image. Always add 2-3 specific traits.

Style — the AESTHETIC

2/30

Style: [Pick one or stack two. Examples: "cinematic photography", "Studio Ghibli watercolor", "1970s film grain", "Art Deco illustration", "by Wes Anderson", "Vogue editorial".] Replace this line with your style.

Style is the single highest-leverage decision. It compresses an entire aesthetic into one phrase.

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Pro tip: Named references (named artists, films, magazines, decades) carry more signal than adjectives. "Vogue editorial" beats "high fashion" every time.

Lighting — the MOOD MAKER

3/30

Lighting: [Examples: "golden hour backlight", "soft window light from the left", "harsh midday sun with deep shadows", "blue hour twilight", "single spotlight, deep shadows", "softbox lighting from upper-left".] Replace this line with your lighting.

Lighting changes mood more than anything else. A "scary forest" + "soft morning light" = peaceful, not scary.

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Pro tip: Always specify lighting. The difference between hobbyist AI images and professional ones is usually that the pro versions specify lighting explicitly.

Lens / Camera — the TEXTURE

4/30

Lens / camera: [Examples: "85mm f/1.4 lens", "wide-angle 24mm", "macro lens at 3x magnification", "Hasselblad medium format", "shot on Fujifilm X100V", "Kodak Portra 400 film". For DALL-E, use prose: "shot on 85mm lens at f/1.4 for shallow depth of field".] Replace this line with your camera/lens.

Camera/lens descriptors are placebo from a physics standpoint but they shift the AI's style heavily. Use them.

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Pro tip: "85mm f/1.4" reliably produces shallow depth of field with creamy bokeh — the "professional portrait" look. Memorize this one.

Mood / Color — the EMOTIONAL TONE

5/30

Mood / color: [Examples: "warm muted earth tones", "high-contrast monochrome", "pastel color palette", "moody Roger Deakins cinematography", "vibrant primary colors", "faded vintage film tones".] Replace this line with your mood/color.

Mood ties the whole image together. Inconsistency here is what makes AI images look "off."

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Pro tip: Pick a mood that matches your subject. A cozy interior with vibrant primary colors will feel wrong — use warm muted tones instead.

Parameters — the CONTROL

6/30

Parameters (Midjourney): --ar 4:5 (portrait) or --ar 16:9 (wide) or --ar 1:1 (square), --style raw (no beauty filter) or --niji 6 (anime), --v 6, --stylize 250 (literal) to 750 (artistic). DALL-E / Stable Diffusion: parameters don't exist — instead, specify aspect ratio in prose ("vertical poster format", "square 1:1 aspect ratio").

Parameters are the engine controls. Without them, you get Midjourney's defaults (square, beauty-filtered, mild stylize).

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Pro tip: Always set --ar (aspect ratio) explicitly. The default 1:1 square is almost never what you want for portraits, landscapes, or wallpapers.

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Subject + Style Recipes

8 prompts

Cinematic Photography Recipe

7/30

[Subject]: [specific person/object/scene], [photographer reference] cinematography, [color grade reference like "Blade Runner 2049 color grade" or "Wes Anderson palette"], 85mm lens, f/1.4, shallow depth of field, film grain, --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

The "looks like a movie still" formula. Works for almost any subject if you swap in the right photographer + color grade.

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Pro tip: Roger Deakins (1917, Blade Runner 2049), Robert Yeoman (Wes Anderson), Hoyte van Hoytema (Dunkirk, Interstellar) are the three most reliable photographer references.

Editorial Magazine Recipe

8/30

[Subject], Vogue editorial style, beauty-dish lighting, [color] pastel seamless backdrop, professional makeup, fashion photography by [name like "Tim Walker" or "Mert and Marcus"], --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "magazine cover" formula. Strong for portraits, fashion, beauty, lifestyle.

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Pro tip: Beauty-dish lighting is shorthand for "professional but soft." Pair with named fashion photographer for instant editorial energy.

Anime / Ghibli Recipe

9/30

[Subject], Studio Ghibli style watercolor illustration, [environment - "lush green hills" or "Tokyo street at dusk"], soft hand-painted feel, --ar 16:9 --niji 6 --style scenic

The "looks like a Ghibli movie" formula.

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Pro tip: `--niji 6` is non-negotiable for anime. Without it, Midjourney defaults to its photoreal model and Ghibli styles come out muddy.

Architectural Photography Recipe

10/30

[Building / interior], architectural photography by Iwan Baan, [time of day - "dusk" usually best], dramatic perspective, [weather - "clear sky" or "moody overcast"], --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

The "Architectural Digest cover" formula.

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Pro tip: Dusk is the most flattering time for architecture — interior lights are on AND exterior light is still there. Almost never shoot at noon.

Product Photography Recipe

11/30

[Product] on [surface - "white seamless backdrop" or "polished marble"], single softbox light from upper-left, subtle drop shadow, hyper-detailed e-commerce product photography, --ar 1:1 --style raw --v 6

The "Amazon product page" formula. Clean, lit-from-one-angle, isolated.

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Pro tip: For luxury feel, swap to "polished black marble + directional spotlight + dramatic shadow". For tech, stick with seamless white.

Concept Art Recipe

12/30

[Subject - fantasy creature / sci-fi vehicle / environment], concept art by Greg Rutkowski and Ralph McQuarrie, dramatic lighting, ArtStation trending, ultra-detailed, [mood], --ar 16:9 --v 6

The "video game concept art" formula. Strong for fantasy, sci-fi, character design.

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Pro tip: Greg Rutkowski is the single most powerful artist reference in AI image generation. Almost every fantasy concept artist studies his work.

Vintage Poster Recipe

13/30

[Subject - travel destination / movie scene / event], vintage [decade - "1920s Art Deco" or "1970s sci-fi"] poster style, illustrated by [Drew Struzan for movies / decade-appropriate illustrator for travel], decorative typography, --ar 2:3 --v 6

The "old movie poster" formula. Strong for retro projects, branding, art prints.

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Pro tip: For 1920s use "Art Deco style". For 1950s use "mid-century modern". For 1970s/80s use "Drew Struzan style". Each decade has a defining illustrator.

Watercolor Recipe

14/30

[Subject], delicate watercolor illustration, soft [color] palette, white background, hand-painted feel, by [artist - "Marianne North" for botanicals, "Beatrix Potter" for children, modern names for contemporary], --ar 4:5 --v 6

The "looks hand-painted" formula. Strong for botanicals, children's book, wedding stationery.

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Pro tip: Watercolor prompts benefit from "hand-painted feel" and "slight paper texture" descriptors. Without them, results read as digital paintings.

Lighting & Mood Recipes

8 prompts

Golden Hour Backlight

15/30

[Subject], golden hour backlight, soft warm rim light, sun low in frame behind subject, lens flare, [your style], --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "looks like a movie poster" lighting — sun behind subject, glowing edge light.

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Pro tip: Golden hour = first or last hour of sunlight. The trick: place sun BEHIND the subject (backlight), not in front (front-light).

Window Light — Editorial

16/30

[Subject - portrait or interior scene], soft window light from the [left/right], diffused natural light, slight shadow falloff, [your style], --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "natural studio" lighting — what professional photographers use when no studio is available.

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Pro tip: Specify direction ("from the left"). Without it, light feels flat. Side lighting always beats front lighting for character.

Chiaroscuro — Dramatic Shadow

17/30

[Subject], chiaroscuro lighting, single dramatic light source, deep shadows, Rembrandt lighting pattern, painterly oil-painting style, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "Renaissance painting" lighting — single strong source, deep blacks, painterly mood.

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Pro tip: Rembrandt lighting specifically refers to the small triangle of light on the shadow-side cheek. Add "subtle triangle highlight on cheek" to lock the look.

Blue Hour — Atmospheric

18/30

[Subject - city / interior / landscape], blue hour twilight, soft purple-blue sky, warm interior or street lights starting to glow, contemplative mood, --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

The "moody dusk" lighting. The 20 minutes after sunset when sky is deep blue and artificial lights are warm.

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Pro tip: Blue hour beats sunset for urban scenes — you get both natural sky color AND warm artificial lights, which sunset lacks.

Studio Three-Point Lighting

19/30

[Subject portrait], professional studio three-point lighting (key light, fill light, rim light), neutral [color] backdrop, sharp catchlights in eyes, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "professional headshot" lighting — the safe, flattering setup used for corporate photography.

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Pro tip: Three-point lighting is reliable but predictable. For more interesting portraits, use chiaroscuro or window light instead.

Harsh Midday — Documentary

20/30

[Subject - street scene / candid moment], harsh direct midday sunlight, hard shadows, high contrast, documentary photography by Henri Cartier-Bresson, --ar 3:2 --style raw --v 6

The "documentary photojournalism" lighting — usually avoided but powerful when used intentionally.

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Pro tip: Midday light works for documentary/street photography because it forces high contrast. Avoid for portraits — it produces unflattering shadows under eyes.

Overcast Diffused — Editorial

21/30

[Subject - portrait or fashion], overcast diffused natural light, soft even lighting with no harsh shadows, muted color palette, editorial photography mood, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "fashion editorial" lighting — soft and even, lets the subject and styling carry the image.

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Pro tip: Photographers call this "nature's softbox." It's flattering on every subject and removes lighting as a complicating variable.

Single Spotlight — Theatrical

22/30

[Subject], single dramatic spotlight from above, deep black surrounding shadow, theatrical mood, isolated subject in pool of light, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "stage performance" lighting — high drama, isolated subject, emotional intensity.

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Pro tip: Spotlight from above creates the strongest drama. Spotlight from the side creates a more cinematic, less theatrical feel.

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Composition & Camera Recipes

8 prompts

Shallow Depth of Field (Portrait)

23/30

[Subject - portrait], 85mm lens, f/1.4 aperture, shallow depth of field, subject sharp with creamy bokeh background, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "looks expensive" portrait recipe. Sharp subject + soft background = professional.

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Pro tip: 85mm f/1.4 is the gold-standard portrait combination. For more compression (face looks flatter and more flattering), use 135mm f/2.

Ultra-Wide Landscape

24/30

[Subject - landscape scene], ultra-wide 24mm lens, dramatic foreground element, sense of vast scale, deep depth of field, --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

The "epic landscape" recipe. Wide-angle exaggerates foreground and creates depth.

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Pro tip: Wide-angle lenses make foreground objects feel larger. Always include a foreground element (rock, plant, person) — without it, ultra-wide feels empty.

Telephoto Compression

25/30

[Subject - 2 things at different distances], shot with telephoto 200mm lens, compressed perspective, background feels close to subject, --ar 3:2 --style raw --v 6

Telephoto compression makes distant objects feel close. Used in cinema to make mountains feel huge behind subjects.

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Pro tip: For wildlife, sports, or "mountain looming behind person" shots, telephoto is mandatory. Wide-angle would make the mountain look tiny.

Overhead (Flat Lay)

26/30

Overhead flat-lay shot of [subjects], top-down 90-degree angle, [surface], styled like a magazine spread, --ar 1:1 --style raw --v 6

The "Instagram food/product flat lay" composition. Top-down view, often square format.

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Pro tip: Flat lay works for plated food, products, paper goods, and beauty. For drinks, beverages, or layered foods, use "45-degree angle" instead.

Macro — Extreme Close-Up

27/30

Extreme macro photograph of [subject], Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens at 3x magnification, razor-thin focus plane, --ar 3:2 --style raw --v 6

The macro photography recipe — works for insects, droplets, fabric textures, food details.

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Pro tip: "MP-E 65mm at 3x magnification" is the specific phrase that triggers macro-photography style. Without "3x" the depth of field is too deep.

Low-Angle Hero Shot

28/30

[Subject - person, building, vehicle], shot from low angle pointing upward, subject feels powerful and imposing, dramatic perspective, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "hero shot" composition. Low angle = power. Used for heroic portraits, dramatic architecture, products.

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Pro tip: Low angle exaggerates the subject's power. Use for confident portraits or impressive buildings — avoid for vulnerable or contemplative subjects.

Negative Space — Minimalist

29/30

[Subject placed in lower-third of frame], large empty negative space above subject, [solid color] background, minimalist composition, --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

The "magazine cover" composition — subject anchored in one corner, generous empty space.

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Pro tip: Negative space gives editorial sophistication. Specify WHERE the subject sits ("lower-third", "right side") and the empty area appears naturally.

Tracking Shot Motion Blur

30/30

[Moving subject - car / runner / dancer], shot with panning technique, motion blur on background, sharp subject in middle of frame, dynamic energy, --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

The "panning shot" composition. Sharp subject, blurred background — communicates speed and movement.

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Pro tip: For sports/cars: emphasize "motion blur on background, sharp wheels/legs". For dance: emphasize "flowing fabric blur".

Frequently Asked Questions

The Subject (the WHAT) is mandatory. Everything else is optional — but if you skip Lighting and Style, you get generic results. The 80/20 rule: just adding lighting + style descriptors to a basic subject prompt produces a 10x better image.
Three reasons: (1) AI models are stochastic — same prompt produces different images each run. Generate 4+ variations. (2) Your account settings (style, weirdness, stylize values) affect every prompt. Check `/settings` in Midjourney. (3) Small wording matters more than you'd think. "Soft warm light" vs "soft golden light" produces visibly different outputs. Use exact wording from a prompt that works, then iterate.
Yes — they're the highest-leverage tool in your prompt. Named references compress entire aesthetics into one phrase. "Wes Anderson palette" carries more signal than 20 adjective descriptions. The most reliable references: Roger Deakins (cinematography), Tim Walker (surreal fashion), Greg Rutkowski (fantasy concept art), Wes Anderson (symmetric palette), Drew Struzan (vintage movie posters). Build a reference library as you experiment.
**Midjourney**: comma-separated descriptors + parameters at the end. "Portrait of a woman, golden hour light, 85mm lens, --ar 4:5 --v 6". **DALL-E 3**: full natural-language sentences. "A photograph of a young woman in golden hour light, shot on an 85mm lens with shallow depth of field." DALL-E rewards prose; Midjourney rewards keywords. **Stable Diffusion**: tag-style for anime models, comma descriptors for photo models, always include a negative prompt.
The prompts themselves are free to copy. Whether the IMAGES are commercially usable depends on your generator and subscription tier. Midjourney Pro grants broad commercial rights; Basic is limited. DALL-E 3 grants ownership but OpenAI retains some usage rights. Stable Diffusion is fully open-licensed. Check current terms before publishing.
Yes — every prompt on this page is free to copy and paste. The first 15 are visible immediately with no signup. Drop your email to unlock the rest plus a 10-page guide that goes deeper into each of the 6 framework elements.

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