Hi wonderful creators!

When I first heard about AI image generation, I had a lot of questions about its possible impact on traditional artists like myself. I knew I had to learn more and also learn how to create art with it.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned a ton about generating AI images and what approaches work best when using Midjourney. So much has changed and improved since I created my very first AI images, and prompting for great results is now easier than ever.

That said, it’s still incredibly helpful to have go-to tips and keywords that consistently produce images you love. And I truly enjoy sharing ways for other AI artists to create images they can love, share, sell, or use in their own creative projects.

Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite AI image keyword modifiers, the ones I genuinely can’t stop using in my own work.

These are kind of like my “secret sauce” for taking an image from meh to wow, this looks amazing.

In this post, I’m sharing 30 powerful AI image prompt modifiers that you can plug into your prompts, whether you’re using Midjourney or another AI image generator.

Some of my go-to modifiers for achieving a more photographic look include cinematic lighting, studio lighting, depth of field, and ultra-realistic.

You can also experiment with camera and lens-based modifiers. I love using these to create unique and fun effects for example polaroid or fisheye looks.

If you’d like more prompt inspiration or examples using these modifiers, consider joining my Patreon.

I hope you find this helpful and that you create some truly gorgeous images with these!

Thanks so much for reading 💛

🎯 30 Powerful AI Image Prompt Modifiers

📸 Realism & Photography Boosters

These make images feel like real-world photos:

• cinematic lighting

• soft natural light

• golden hour

• studio lighting

• volumetric lighting

• rim lighting

• depth of field

• shallow depth of field

• bokeh

• ultra realistic

🎥 Camera & Lens Effects

These subtly (but powerfully) change composition:

• shot on 35mm film

• polaroid photo

• macro photography

• wide-angle lens

• telephoto lens

• fisheye lens

• motion blur

• long exposure

🎨 Texture & Detail Enhancers

Perfect for making images feel rich and tactile:

• highly detailed

• hyper-detailed

• intricate textures

• sharp focus

• film grain

• noise texture

🌈 Color & Style Modifiers

These shift the entire vibe of the image:

• muted tones

• pastel color palette

• vibrant colors

• monochrome

• black and white

• color graded

• cross-processing

🧠 Artistic & Conceptual Styles

These push things into more unique / viral territory:

• surreal

• dreamlike

• ethereal

• otherworldly

• dystopian

• retro aesthetic

• vaporwave

• analog aesthetic

The exact prompts used to create the above images (plus tons more), available for paid Patreon members below:

💡 Some Plug and Play AI Prompt Examples for You!

For example:

• “portrait of a woman, soft natural light, shallow depth of field, film grain”

• “cozy room, golden hour, cinematic lighting, warm tones, ultra realistic”

• “alien landscape, surreal, volumetric lighting, otherworldly, vibrant colors”

Prompts for images in collage above:

1. woman's silhouette filled with an ocean, environment, double exposure style, soft gradients

1. portrait of a woman formed entirely from flowing silk ribbons, fabric strands drifting like hair, soft wind motion, studio lighting, detailed texture, ethereal mood

2. a quiet suburban street where the sky is replaced with a glowing ocean, waves slowly rolling overhead, reflections on pavement, cinematic lighting

3. a forest where tree leaves are tiny glowing lanterns, warm light flickering, misty atmosphere, volumetric lighting

4. macro shot of ice forming around a blooming flower, frozen petals mid-motion, crystal textures, sharp detail, cool blue tones

5. cracked glass surface with soft light passing through, rainbow refractions, delicate fractures, extreme detail

6. a child holding a jar filled with tiny glowing galaxies, wonder-filled expression, soft lighting, magical realism

7. a tiger made from constellations, glowing star lines forming shapes, deep space background, soft cosmic lighting