AI Photorealism Guide
Master the art of creating ultra-realistic, photo-quality images with AI. Complete techniques for Flux, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E 3, Leonardo, and Ideogram to achieve stunning photographic results.
Best AI Tools for Photorealism (2025 Ranking)
Comparing the top AI image generators for realistic photos
Flux Pro
Best overall photorealism, accurate hands, text
Midjourney V6
Exceptional skin textures, natural lighting
DALL-E 3
Great prompt following, natural compositions
📊 Complete Tool Comparison
| Tool | Realism | Hands | Skin | Text | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flux Pro | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | All-around photorealism |
| Midjourney V6 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | Portraits, fashion, beauty |
| DALL-E 3 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | Text in images, concepts |
| Leonardo Phoenix | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Product photos, portraits |
| Ideogram 2.0 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Signage, posters with text |
| Stable Diffusion XL | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | Customization, local control |
Photorealistic Prompt Formulas
Proven structures for achieving realistic results
🎯 The Master Photorealism Formula
This structure consistently produces the most realistic results across all AI tools:
# Complete Photorealistic Portrait Example: Photo of a 30-year-old woman with olive skin and dark wavy hair, Setting: sitting at a cafe terrace in Paris, morning, Camera: Canon EOS R5, 85mm f/1.4 lens, shallow depth of field, Lighting: soft natural morning light, golden hour glow, Quality: 8K, ultra detailed, professional photography, raw photo # Product Photography Example: Photo of a luxury wristwatch with silver case and black leather strap, Setting: on dark marble surface with soft reflections, Camera: Hasselblad H6D, 120mm macro lens, f/8, Lighting: professional studio lighting, soft key light, subtle rim light, Quality: commercial photography, 8K, magazine quality, sharp focus
⚡ Essential Photorealism Keywords
Include these keywords to push AI toward realistic outputs:
Realism Triggers:
Quality Enhancers:
❌ Bad Prompt (Vague)
"A woman in a city, realistic"
✅ Good Prompt (Specific)
"Raw photo of a 28-year-old Asian woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a beige trench coat, walking through rainy Tokyo streets at night, reflection in puddles, shot on Sony A7III with 35mm f/1.8 lens, shallow DOF, neon lights bokeh, cinematic color grading, 8K"
Camera & Lens Keywords
Technical specifications that enhance realism
📷 Professional Camera Bodies
Mentioning specific camera brands triggers more realistic rendering:
Lens Types & Effects:
🔧 Technical Settings That Matter
- Aperture (f-stop): f/1.4-f/2.8 for portraits with bokeh, f/8-f/11 for landscapes and products
- Depth of Field: "shallow depth of field" for subject isolation, "deep DOF" for everything sharp
- Film Stock: "Kodak Portra 400" for warm skin, "Fuji Pro 400H" for cooler tones, "Cinestill 800T" for cinematic
- Sensor Size: "full frame sensor" or "medium format" for higher perceived quality
# Portrait with beautiful bokeh: "Shot on Canon EOS R5 with 85mm f/1.2L lens, shallow depth of field, creamy bokeh background, subject in sharp focus" # Landscape with everything sharp: "Shot on Nikon Z9 with 24-70mm at f/11, deep depth of field, hyperfocal distance, everything in focus from foreground to horizon" # Film photography look: "Shot on 35mm film, Kodak Portra 400, natural film grain, slightly lifted blacks, warm color cast"
Lighting Mastery for Realism
Lighting makes or breaks photorealistic images
💡 Natural Lighting Keywords
Studio Lighting:
🌟 Lighting Scenarios by Subject
# Portrait - Soft and Flattering: "soft natural window light from the left, subtle fill light, catchlights in eyes, soft shadows under chin" # Product - Clean and Professional: "professional product photography lighting, soft key light at 45°, white fill card, subtle gradient background, no harsh shadows" # Food - Appetizing: "natural side lighting, backlight creating steam glow, dark moody shadows, food photography lighting setup" # Fashion - Editorial: "dramatic studio lighting, strong key light, deep shadows, editorial fashion photography, high contrast" # Landscape - Epic: "golden hour sunlight, long shadows, warm color temperature, sun low on horizon, volumetric light rays through clouds"
💡 Pro Lighting Tips
1. "Catchlights in eyes" adds life to portraits
2. Specify light direction: "from the left," "from behind," "overhead"
3. Mention color temperature: "warm tungsten," "cool daylight," "mixed lighting"
4. Add atmosphere: "volumetric light," "god rays," "hazy atmosphere"
Realistic Portrait Photography
Achieving believable human subjects
👤 Skin Realism Keywords
These terms help AI generate realistic skin textures:
⚠️ Avoid Over-Perfection
Too-perfect skin looks AI-generated. Include subtle imperfections: "natural skin texture with minor blemishes," "slight under-eye circles," "natural expression lines."
👁️ Realistic Eyes & Hair
Eyes and hair are common giveaways for AI images. Use these terms:
Eyes:
Hair:
# Complete Realistic Portrait Prompt: "Raw photograph of a 35-year-old Caucasian man with short brown hair and light stubble, wearing a navy blue Oxford shirt, natural relaxed expression with slight smile, looking directly at camera. Shot on Sony A7R IV with 85mm f/1.4 GM lens at f/2, shallow depth of field with creamy bokeh background. Soft natural window light from the right side creating gentle shadows, warm color temperature. Natural skin texture with visible pores and subtle imperfections, detailed iris with catchlights, individual eyebrow hairs visible. 8K resolution, ultra detailed, magazine portrait quality."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
What breaks photorealism and how to fix it
❌ Top Photorealism Killers
- Wrong hands/fingers: Always include "anatomically correct hands" in your prompt or negative prompt
- Plastic skin: Avoid "smooth skin" - use "natural skin texture" instead
- Oversaturated colors: Add "natural color grading" or "realistic colors"
- Symmetrical faces: Real faces aren't perfectly symmetrical - slight asymmetry adds realism
- Floating objects: Describe how objects interact with surfaces and light
- Inconsistent lighting: Make sure light direction matches across the scene
- Too-perfect teeth: Add "natural teeth" rather than Hollywood-white
🚫 Negative Prompt for Photorealism
Use this negative prompt to avoid common AI artifacts:
# Universal Photorealism Negative Prompt: cartoon, illustration, painting, drawing, art, anime, CGI, 3D render, artificial, fake, plastic, smooth skin, airbrushed, oversaturated, deformed hands, extra fingers, mutated, disfigured, bad anatomy, watermark, signature, blurry, out of focus, low quality, jpeg artifacts, overexposed, underexposed, unnatural colors, unnatural pose
💡 Final Pro Tips
1. Use "--style raw" in Midjourney for less stylization
2. In Flux, simpler prompts often work better than complex ones
3. Generate multiple images and select the most realistic one
4. Upscale your best results for even more detail
5. For hands, try: "hands in pockets" or "hands behind back" to avoid issues
Ready to Create Stunning Realistic Images?
Browse our curated photorealistic prompts for every AI tool!
Explore Photorealistic Prompts