Lesson 5. Photorealism and portrait prompts
For photorealistic images, the model needs the language of real photography. Camera model, lens focal length, aperture, ISO, lighting type — all this gives AI the feel of a real photo. In this lesson, you will learn to translate photo studio techniques into the language of prompts.
Topic breakdown
The most effective way to achieve photorealism in AI is to use real photographic terminology. The model was trained on real photographs and their captions, so photographic terms work well.
Key photographic terms: camera model (Canon 5D, Sony A7, Hasselblad), lens (35mm, 50mm, 85mm), aperture (f/1.4 — shallow depth of field; f/8 — deep), ISO (100 — clean, 3200 — grainy).
Lighting: 'golden hour', 'blue hour', 'overcast diffused', 'dramatic sidelight', 'Rembrandt lighting', 'split lighting'. Each creates a different feel.
Specific terms for portraits: 'catchlight in eyes', 'skin texture detail', 'natural expression', 'bokeh background', 'shallow depth of field'.
What you'll learn
- Achieve photorealism through photographic terms
- Master the prompt structure for a professional portrait
- Choose lighting type for the desired mood
- Correctly use camera and lens parameters
Deep dive
The secret to photorealism is not the word 'photorealistic' itself, but the logic of physical photography. Signals about the camera, optics, and light remind the model of the language of a real shoot.
In portraits, not only the technique is managed, but also the emotion. Formulations like 'calm expression', 'confident gaze', or 'slight smile' turn a person from a mannequin into a living subject.
If a portrait looks artificial, the reason is often excessive perfection. 'Natural skin texture', 'subtle imperfections', and 'authentic lighting falloff' significantly increase the sense of reality.
Lesson plan
Photographic term = high realism
The model is trained on millions of real photos with captions. So 'Canon 5D', 'f/2.8 bokeh' give it the right visual cue.
Lens and composition
24-35mm — wide shot, architecture. 50mm — natural look. 85-135mm — portrait, bokeh. 200mm+ — telephoto, sports.
Lighting techniques catalog
Golden hour (warm, soft), blue hour (cold, mysterious), Rembrandt (dramatic shadow on face), split light (half in shadow), butterfly (bottom-up, glamour).
Portrait: detailing and naturalness
'Natural expression', 'skin texture', 'catchlight in eyes', 'not over-edited' — these elements protect the portrait from an artificial plastic look.
Weak vs strong prompt
a photorealistic portrait of a woman
portrait of a woman in her 30s, natural makeup, genuine smile, shot on Hasselblad H6D, 85mm f/1.6 lens, soft Rembrandt lighting, warm neutral background, natural skin texture, catchlight in eyes, photorealistic, ultra-detailed --no plastic skin, airbrushed, deformed, bad anatomy
The camera, lens, lighting technique, skin texture, and specific negative prompt significantly increase realism together.
Ready visual prompt template
Copy and adapt[subject and description], [camera model], [lens and aperture], [lighting technique], [color and mood], photorealistic, ultra-detailed, 8K
Why it works
'shot on Canon 5D Mark IV' or 'Hasselblad H6D' — professional camera names signal high quality.
'85mm lens, f/1.8' — classic portrait lens, blurs the background into soft bokeh.
'golden hour backlight' — backlighting the subject during sunset hour, creates a dramatic effect.
'RAW photo, 8K resolution, ultra-detailed, photorealistic' — standard quality keywords.
'natural skin texture, pores visible' — reduces the 'plastic' skin effect in portraits.
Practice
- Start with a portrait prompt: 'a man in his 50s, outdoor portrait'.
- Add camera: '...shot on Sony A7III, 85mm f/2 lens'.
- Add lighting: '...golden hour side lighting, warm backlight'.
- Add quality: '...photorealistic, natural skin texture, shallow depth of field, 8K'.
- Add negative prompt: 'bad anatomy, deformed, plastic skin, airbrushed, over-edited'.
Checklist
Common mistakes
- writing 'photorealistic' without adding photographic terms
- forgetting facial details (skin texture, catchlight) in a portrait
- using a very small aperture value in a complex scene (f/1.4 only gives sharpness on the subject)
- contradictory lighting and color palette
Lesson FAQ
Is it necessary to specify a specific camera model?
Not strictly necessary, but effective. 'Shot on Canon 5D' can be replaced with 'professional DSLR photography'. However, a specific camera model often yields better results.
Why does AI struggle with hands?
This is one of the main weaknesses of AI. Add 'bad hands, extra fingers, deformed hands' to the negative prompt, and try to keep hands out of frame when possible.