Image Prompt Engineering

Triggers

• image prompt
• photo prompt
• ai image
• midjourney prompt
• dall-e prompt
• stable diffusion prompt
• flux prompt
• photography prompt
• product photography
• portrait prompt
• landscape prompt
• fashion photography
• image generation
• prompt engineering
• visual concept
• cinematic portrait
• studio lighting prompt
• generate image

Instructions

Prompt Structure Framework

When crafting AI image prompts, build layered prompts with these components:

1. Subject Description Layer

   • Primary subject: detailed description of main focus (person, object, scene)
   • Subject details: specific attributes, expressions, poses, textures, materials
   • Subject interaction: relationship with environment or other elements
   • Scale and proportion: size relationships and spatial positioning

2. Environment & Setting Layer

   • Location type: studio, outdoor, urban, natural, interior, abstract
   • Environmental details: specific elements, textures, weather, time of day
   • Background treatment: sharp, blurred, gradient, contextual, minimalist
   • Atmospheric conditions: fog, rain, dust, haze, clarity

3. Lighting Specification Layer

   • Light source: natural (golden hour, overcast, direct sun) or artificial (softbox, rim light, neon)
   • Light direction: front, side, back, top, Rembrandt, butterfly, split
   • Light quality: hard/soft, diffused, specular, volumetric, dramatic
   • Color temperature: warm, cool, neutral, mixed lighting scenarios

4. Technical Photography Layer

   • Camera perspective: eye level, low angle, high angle, bird's eye, worm's eye
   • Focal length effect: wide angle distortion, telephoto compression, standard
   • Depth of field: shallow (portrait), deep (landscape), selective focus
   • Exposure style: high key, low key, balanced, HDR, silhouette

5. Style & Aesthetic Layer

   • Photography genre: portrait, fashion, editorial, commercial, documentary, fine art
   • Era/period style: vintage, contemporary, retro, futuristic, timeless
   • Post-processing: film emulation, color grading, contrast treatment, grain
   • Reference photographers: style influences (Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, etc.)

Photography Accuracy Rules

• Use correct photography terminology (not "blurry background" but "shallow depth of field, f/1.8 bokeh")
• Reference real photography styles, photographers, and techniques accurately
• Maintain technical consistency (lighting direction must match shadow descriptions)
• Ensure requested effects are physically plausible in real photography

Platform-Specific Optimization

• Midjourney: Use parameters (--ar, --v, --style, --chaos), multi-prompt weighting
• DALL-E: Optimize with natural language, style mixing techniques
• Stable Diffusion: Token weighting, embedding references, LoRA integration
• Flux: Detailed natural language descriptions, photorealistic emphasis

Specialized Techniques

• Composite descriptions: Multi-exposure, double exposure, long exposure effects
• Specialized lighting: Light painting, chiaroscuro, Vermeer lighting, neon noir
• Lens effects: Tilt-shift, fisheye, anamorphic, lens flare integration
• Film emulation: Kodak Portra, Fuji Velvia, Ilford HP5, Cinestill 800T

EloPhanto Tool Integration

• Use web_search to research reference photographers and styles
• Use browser_navigate to analyze visual references and mood boards
• Use knowledge_write to save successful prompt patterns for reuse

Workflow

1. Concept Intake: Understand visual goal, target AI platform, style references, aspect ratio
2. Reference Analysis: Analyze references for lighting, composition, style; extract technical details
3. Prompt Construction: Build layered prompt following structure framework with platform-specific syntax
4. Prompt Optimization: Review for ambiguity, add negative prompts, test variations

Deliverables

Genre-Specific Prompt Patterns

Portrait Photography

[Subject description with age, ethnicity, expression, attire] |
[Pose and body language] |
[Background treatment] |
[Lighting setup: key, fill, rim, hair light] |
[Camera: 85mm lens, f/1.4, eye-level] |
[Style: editorial/fashion/corporate/artistic] |
[Color palette and mood] |
[Reference photographer style]

Product Photography

[Product description with materials and details] |
[Surface/backdrop description] |
[Lighting: softbox positions, reflectors, gradients] |
[Camera: macro/standard, angle, distance] |
[Hero shot/lifestyle/detail/scale context] |
[Brand aesthetic alignment] |
[Post-processing: clean/moody/vibrant]

Landscape Photography

[Location and geological features] |
[Time of day and atmospheric conditions] |
[Weather and sky treatment] |
[Foreground, midground, background elements] |
[Camera: wide angle, deep focus, panoramic] |
[Light quality and direction] |
[Color palette: natural/enhanced/dramatic] |
[Style: documentary/fine art/ethereal]

Fashion Photography

[Model description and expression] |
[Wardrobe details and styling] |
[Hair and makeup direction] |
[Location/set design] |
[Pose: editorial/commercial/avant-garde] |
[Lighting: dramatic/soft/mixed] |
[Camera movement suggestion: static/dynamic] |
[Magazine/campaign aesthetic reference]

Example Prompt Templates

Cinematic Portrait

Dramatic portrait of [subject], [age/appearance], wearing [attire],
[expression/emotion], photographed with cinematic lighting setup:
strong key light from 45 degrees camera left creating Rembrandt
triangle, subtle fill, rim light separating from [background type],
shot on 85mm f/1.4 lens at eye level, shallow depth of field with
creamy bokeh, [color palette] color grade, inspired by [photographer],
[film stock] aesthetic, 8k resolution, editorial quality

Luxury Product

[Product name] hero shot, [material/finish description], positioned
on [surface description], studio lighting with large softbox overhead
creating gradient, two strip lights for edge definition, [background
treatment], shot at [angle] with [lens] lens, focus stacked for
complete sharpness, [brand aesthetic] style, clean post-processing
with [color treatment], commercial advertising quality

Environmental Portrait

[Subject description] in [location], [activity/context], natural
[time of day] lighting with [quality description], environmental
context showing [background elements], shot on [focal length] lens
at f/[aperture] for [depth of field description], [composition
technique], candid/posed feel, [color palette], documentary style
inspired by [photographer], authentic and unretouched aesthetic

Success Metrics

• Generated images match the intended visual concept 90%+ of the time
• Prompts produce consistent, predictable results across multiple generations
• Technical photography elements (lighting, depth of field, composition) render accurately
• Style and mood match reference materials and brand guidelines
• Prompts require minimal iteration to achieve desired results
• Clients can reproduce similar results using the prompt frameworks
• Generated images are suitable for professional/commercial use

Verify

• The change was rendered in a browser/simulator and a screenshot or DOM snapshot was captured, not just code-reviewed
• Layout was checked at the breakpoints the image-prompt-engineering guide calls out (mobile + desktop minimum); evidence of each is attached
• Color, typography, and spacing values used come from the project's design tokens / theme, not hard-coded ad-hoc values
• Keyboard navigation and focus order were exercised on every interactive element introduced
• Reduced-motion / dark-mode (when supported) variants were verified, not assumed to inherit
• No console errors or hydration warnings were emitted during the verification render