Midjourney Prompting

name: midjourney-prompting description: Craft effective Midjourney V7 prompts for any style — photography, illustration, anime, or artistic. Provides frameworks (7-Element, F.O.C.A.L.), parameter reference (--ar, --stylize, --sref, --cref), lighting/camera terminology, and V7-specific optimization. Auto-activates when writing Midjourney prompts, discussing MJ parameters, or creating AI image prompts. Triggers: Midjourney, MJ prompt, --ar, --stylize, --sref, style reference, character reference, image generation prompt.

Midjourney V7 Prompting Guide

Quick Reference: Prompt Structure

A Midjourney prompt has up to four parts:

/imagine [description] [image URLs] [parameters]

Key Principle: Short, specific prompts work best. Describe what you want to SEE, not abstract concepts.

The 7-Element Framework

Build complete prompts systematically:

Example:

A weathered fisherman, oil painting, stormy harbor at dawn,
dramatic backlighting, muted blues and grays, melancholic,
rule of thirds composition --ar 3:2

Essential Parameters

Reference Parameters

See reference/parameters.md for complete details.

Aspect Ratio Guide

Common Prompt Types

Photorealistic Portrait

[Age] [ethnicity if relevant] [gender] [action/pose], [clothing],
[environment], [lighting type], [camera] [lens] [aperture],
[film stock if desired] --ar [ratio] --style raw

Example:

30-year-old woman with freckles and auburn hair, wearing cream
linen shirt, sitting in sun-drenched cafe, soft window light,
Canon EOS R5, 85mm lens, f/1.8, Kodak Portra 400 --ar 2:3 --style raw

Illustration/Art

[Subject] in the style of [artist/medium], [environment],
[lighting], [mood] --ar [ratio] --stylize [value]

Example:

A mystical forest spirit, digital illustration in the style of Loish,
enchanted woodland, dappled sunlight, ethereal and mysterious
--ar 2:3 --stylize 250

Anime/Manga (Niji Mode)

[Subject], [action/pose], [environment], [style notes] --niji 6

Example:

A fierce warrior princess, dynamic action pose, cherry blossom
battlefield, dramatic lighting, detailed armor --niji 6

Style Reference (--sref)

Copy visual style from an image:

A mountain landscape --sref [image_URL]

Using SREF codes (numeric style codes):

A portrait of a warrior --sref 5000

Random styles (discover new aesthetics):

A cityscape --sref random

Multiple style references with weights:

A scene --sref URL1::2 URL2::1

Style weight (--sw): Higher = stronger style influence (0-1000, default 100)

Character Reference (--cref)

Maintain character consistency across images:

A knight in a forest --cref [character_image_URL]

Character weight (--cw):

• --cw 100 (default): Face, hair, AND clothing
• --cw 50: Moderate consistency
• --cw 0: Face only (different hair/clothes allowed)

Best Practice: Works best with Midjourney-generated characters. Real photos may produce distortions.

Multi-Prompts & Weights

Use :: to separate concepts for independent interpretation:

space ship    → sci-fi spaceship
space:: ship  → a boat in outer space

Weighted prompts:

forest::3 cabin::1 river::1    // Forest dominates

Negative weights (equivalent to --no):

flowers::-0.5

V7 Key Features

V7 is Midjourney's latest and most capable model:

• Superior prompt understanding — More accurate interpretation of complex prompts
• Better coherence — Improved hands, bodies, and object relationships
• Richer textures and details — Higher quality output by default
• Draft Mode — 10x faster, half cost for exploration (--draft)
• Personalization ON by default — V7 applies learned preferences automatically
• Omni Reference — Enhanced reference capabilities

V7 Best Practices

DO

• Be specific with visual details
• Use natural language clearly
• Include time of day, weather, specific elements
• Place important elements early in prompt
• Use --style raw for photorealism and precise control
• Use --draft for quick exploration iterations
• Leverage V7's improved coherence for complex scenes

DON'T (Junk Words to Avoid)

V7 produces high quality by default — these waste tokens:

• 4k, 6k, 8k, 16k, ultra 4k
• Octane, unreal, v-ray, lumion
• HDR, high-resolution
• Award-winning, photorealistic (unless specifically needed)

Negative Prompts (--no)

Correct usage:

still life painting --no fruit, shadows, bright colors

Critical warnings:

• "don't" and "without" DO NOT work — use --no instead
• --no modern clothing = "no modern" AND "no clothing" (words interpreted separately)

Text in Images

A storefront sign that says "BAKERY"

Tips (V7 handles text better than previous versions):

• Use double quotes only (single quotes don't work)
• Keep text SHORT (5 words or fewer)
• Include context: "sign that says", "text reading"
• Use --style raw for better accuracy
• Lower --stylize helps text clarity

Common Mistakes

Key Principles

The Specificity Principle

More specific = more control. Vague prompts let Midjourney decide; specific prompts give you your vision.

The Subtraction Principle

Adding more words doesn't always help. Use /shorten to identify essential terms.

The Reference Power Law

--sref and --cref provide more consistent control than text descriptions alone.

The Iteration Mindset

First generation = starting point. Use variations, remix, vary region to refine.

Photography Reference

For detailed camera settings, lighting terminology, and film stocks, see reference/photography.md.

Quick Templates

Product shot:

[Product] on [surface], [lighting], professional product photography,
clean background --ar 1:1 --style raw

Landscape:

[Scene], [time of day], [weather], [mood], wide angle,
[camera/film if desired] --ar 16:9

Character design:

[Character description], [pose], [outfit], [art style],
full body shot --ar 2:3

Abstract/artistic:

[Concept], [artistic style], [color palette], [texture],
[mood] --ar 1:1 --stylize 500