A prompt is the text the model works from. On tool pages it is written for you from the fields you fill in; open Prompt sent to the model to read it. In the studio you write it yourself. These habits save credits because you get closer on the first try.

Describe the shot

Write it the way you would brief a photographer, in this order:

  1. Subject: who or what, with the details that matter. "The person in the reference photos", or "a golden retriever puppy with a red collar", not "a dog".
  2. Outfit and pose: "cream linen suit, sitting on a porch step, looking up".
  3. Setting: "wooden porch, autumn leaves, small town street behind".
  4. Light and time: "late afternoon sun, soft shadows".
  5. Camera and style: "85mm portrait lens", "35mm film photo", "black and white editorial".
  6. Framing: "head and shoulders", "waist up", "full body, wide shot from low angle".

Keep it to one scene. If you list two subjects doing different things, many models blend them.

Looks: one idea each

A look is one setting, outfit and light, such as "light gray studio backdrop, navy suit, soft key light". On tools with looks, a full shoot makes one image per look. Looks that differ in one or two clear ways (backdrop, outfit, time of day) give a set that reads as one shoot; looks that change everything at once read as different people's photos.

Editing a photo: say what changes and what stays

When you upload a photo, describe the change and what to keep: "Replace the background with a beach at sunset. Keep the person, clothes and pose the same." Short, specific instructions beat a full scene description. Saying "keep the exact face and identity" helps on every photo of a person.

What to leave out

  • Settings that have controls: aspect ratio and the number of images.
  • Long lists of quality words ("masterpiece, 8k, ultra detailed"). They add little on current models.
  • Names of real people you do not have permission to depict, and anything the content rules do not allow.

Iterate one change at a time

If a result is close, change one thing and generate again. Changing everything at once makes it hard to tell what helped. Once one look works, run the full shoot.