RESOURCE
Crafting AI prompts from real photographs: a guide
13 July 2024 – Vol 2, Issue 4.
This AI prompt guide includes photographs along with descriptive text to help you write prompts more easily. The descriptions outline the visual parameters and technical qualities of the photographs – the styles and features, such as lighting, composition, and subject positioning.
The process I followed was essentially a ‘reverse-engineering’: starting with looking at photographs and then writing text to describe them. By studying these texts, you can learn the visual details of the images, which can then help you in writing text-to-image prompts.
1.
A highly detailed wide-angle photograph taken from an angle of 60 degrees, looking upwards at the canopy of tall beech trees with golden autumn foliage; it is a clear sunny day. The vibrant orange, yellow, and red hues of the leaves stand out against the clear blue sky, creating a vibrant contrast. The upward view emphasizes the height and grandeur of the trees, with the sunlight filtering through the leaves, making the scene feel both expansive and intimate. The scene should not be symmetrical, and a small area of clear sky should be centred to the top of the frame. Shot using a Nikon Z5 –ar 45:103 –style raw –v 6.1
Photo by Pascal Bullan. Image in public domain.
2.
A photograph looking up towards a detailed view of snow-capped mountain peaks in the Dolomites peeking above the rising mist and clouds against a clear blue sky. The mountains are imposing and centrally positioned and composed within the rule of thirds. It is early morning and the sun is highlighting crevices with a beautiful golden hour light which contrasts beautifully against the shadows; in the top left of the scene a single para-glider is far away in the distance –ar 16:9 –style raw –v 6.1
Photo by Daniel Sessler. Image in public domain.
3.
A colour close-up photograph of a giraffe at Calgary Zoo. The giraffe is looking to the right of the frame and is cheekily poking its tongue out; the tongue should be upturned and is black in colour. The giraffe’s skin is covered in a pattern of large brown patches separated by white lines. The giraffe’s large, expressive eyes and long eyelashes are visible, along with its large ears which project outward. The lighting is neutral yet contrasty and is picking out the giraffe against a dark slightly textured background –ar 45:103 –style raw
Photo by Andy Holmes. Image in public domain.
4.
A contemporary natural photograph of a small bunch of round catkin-like twigs sat in a tumbler style dappled glass vase, they lean to the right. The vase is positioned on a stack of three brand new notebooks; positioned at a slight angle the leaves of the books are facing us. The book covers are a natural linen material. These are set on a table with a flat white linen tablecloth, only a quarter of the tabletop is visible. The back of a contemporary Scandinavian style chair back is just visible to the right and almost touching the table. White tone and soft natural daylight –style raw –v 6.1
Photo by Karolina Grabowska. Copyright: the artist / Unsplash+. The photo was purchased from Unsplash+.
5.
A medium-wide photograph of a male road cyclist, approximately in his 40s, riding up a road on a sunny day, against a backdrop of mountains and green valleys. He is positioned in profile, facing left, as he pedals upwards on the sleek road. He is focused as he grips the handlebars and pedals forward. The bike has a black frame with red on the back wheel. The cyclist is dressed in a blue, yellow, and white cycling kit, with a white helmet and black bike gloves. The lush greenery along the roadside contrasts with the rocky mountain range in the distance, capturing the rugged beauty of the natural landscape under a blue sky. The scene radiates a sense of endurance and connection to the outdoors –ar 4:3 –style raw –v 6.1
Photo by Melvinpic23. Image in public domain.
© Journal of Creativity and Inspiration.
Arts © the artists, or as specified
Dave Gibbons is a visual artist specialising in photography and collage. His work investigates the emotional connections people have with found objects and ephemera. His photographic projects, often spanning decades, focus on documenting objects in situ or in the studio, exploring memory, nostalgia, and mortality. His collage practice incorporates both digital photomontages and papier collé, drawing inspiration from instructional diagrams and everyday materials.
