The prompts that look most like real photos describe a camera, a light source and a few imperfections, not quality words. "Ultra realistic, 8K, masterpiece" tells a model almost nothing. "Shot on a 50mm lens at f/2, soft window light from the left, visible skin pores, slight film grain" tells it how a photograph of this scene would actually look. Below is a five-part formula, copy-paste recipes, and what to do when a good prompt still produces plastic skin. Try any recipe in Sandbox, which shows the credit cost before you generate.
The five-part formula
Write the parts in this order. Each one adds something a real camera would have captured.
- Subject and action: who or what, doing something ordinary. "A woman in her 40s pouring coffee at a kitchen counter."
- Camera and lens: "shot on a 35mm lens", "85mm portrait lens at f/1.8", "phone camera, slightly tilted".
- Light: name a source and a direction. "Morning window light from the left", "overcast daylight", "single tungsten lamp".
- Colour and grain: "muted colours, light film grain", "natural white balance", "Kodak Portra tones".
- Imperfections: "visible skin pores", "flyaway hairs", "a few crumbs on the counter", "slight motion blur on the hand".
Around 30 to 60 words is usually enough. Past that, later details start fighting earlier ones.
Keywords that change the result
| Layer | Keywords that help | Keywords to drop |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, f/1.8, f/8, eye level, phone camera | "hyper-detailed", "8K", "ultra HD" |
| Light | window light, overcast, golden hour, on-camera flash, practical lamps | "perfect lighting", "dramatic lighting" alone |
| Colour | natural white balance, muted colours, Portra tones, slight green cast | "vibrant", "HDR" |
| Texture | skin pores, fabric weave, dust, scratches, film grain | "flawless", "smooth skin", "perfect" |
| Framing | candid, off-centre, cropped at the elbow, shallow depth of field | "centred", "symmetrical" |
Copy-paste prompts for realistic photos
Candid portrait
Candid photo of a man in his 30s laughing at a café table, shot on a 50mm lens at f/2, soft window light from the right, natural white balance, visible skin pores and stubble, slight film grain, background out of focus.
Phone-camera snapshot
Phone photo of two friends taking a selfie on a crowded beach boardwalk, slightly tilted framing, harsh midday sun, squinting eyes, wind in their hair, a little lens flare, casual and unposed.
Street photography
Street photo of an older woman crossing a rainy city street with a red umbrella, 35mm lens, overcast light, wet asphalt reflections, muted colours, light grain, a blurred cyclist in the foreground.
Product on a table
Photo of a ceramic coffee mug on a worn wooden table, morning window light from the left, soft shadow to the right, a few coffee drips on the rim, 50mm lens at f/4, natural colours.
Food
Overhead photo of a half-eaten bowl of ramen on a dark table, chopsticks resting on the rim, steam rising, tungsten restaurant light, shallow depth of field, crumbs and a napkin at the edge of frame.
Interior
Photo of a small sunlit living room with a linen sofa, a stack of books and a sleeping cat, 24mm lens at eye level, afternoon light through sheer curtains, slightly cluttered, natural colours.
Landscape
Photo of a gravel mountain road at dusk after rain, 35mm lens, low clouds on the peaks, puddles reflecting the sky, muted blue and green tones, light film grain.
Headshot
Head-and-shoulders portrait of a woman in her 50s in a navy blazer, 85mm lens at f/2.8, soft light from a large window, neutral grey wall, fine lines around the eyes, natural skin texture, calm expression.
Why a good prompt still looks fake
Even a strong prompt can come back with waxy skin, light with no clear source, or detail that is equally sharp everywhere. That's a generator habit, not a prompt problem, so fix the image rather than rewriting the prompt again:
- Plastic skin → the Plastic Skin Fixer rebuilds pores and fine texture.
- Overall "AI look" → the AI Image Humanizer reads the photo first, then fixes skin, light and lens in one pass.
- Too clean, composition must not change → Real Film Grain adds camera sensor grain only.
- Broken hands or faces → the AI Anatomy Fixer.
Before and after from the Plastic Skin Fixer demo: framing, light and expression stay the same; the skin gets real texture.
For a full checklist of camera tells, read make AI images look real. For a broader library, see the AI image prompts guide.
What it costs
Generations and fixes use credits, shown on the button before you run. The Starter plan is $19.99/mo for 300 credits, and credit packs start at $39.99 for 350 credits. See pricing.
