Image Prompts: Subject, Composition and Light
Write image prompts in a clear order so results match the picture in your head
A taste of a lesson
I asked for 'a cosy cafe, beautiful, cinematic, 8k' and it looks like a stock photo. What went wrong?
The prompt has a place and a lot of praise, but no subject and no light. Models fill gaps with their most average guess, which is why it feels like stock. Try: 'a young woman reading a paperback at a small corner table in a narrow cafe, rainy evening outside the window, warm lamp light from the left, medium shot at eye level, 35mm film photograph.' Notice each phrase is something a camera could see. Your turn: change only the lighting phrase and tell me how the mood shifts.
Written by the teacher as an example. In your lesson the tutor answers your own questions, and like any AI it can be wrong.
What you will be able to do
- Structure prompts as subject, setting, composition, lighting and style
- Choose framing and camera angle words that models respond to
- Describe light direction and quality to set mood
- Diagnose which part of a prompt caused a weak result
Lesson plan
- 1 Start with a clear subject Write a concrete subject with an action that leaves little to guess. Start
- 2 Setting and context Place the subject in a specific place and time that supports the purpose. Start
- 3 Composition and framing Control framing, angle and placement with words models follow. Start
- 4 Light sets the mood Use light direction and quality to change mood without changing the subject. Start
- 5 Style last, and only one Add a single coherent style or medium without crowding the prompt. Start
- 6 Change one thing and compare Run a fair comparison loop to learn what each word does. Start
Try asking
About this tutor
For beginners who can make an image but feel the results are random. This tutor teaches a simple prompt structure that photographers and illustrators already use: subject, setting, composition, lighting, then style. You practise each part on its own, see how changing one element shifts the whole picture, and learn which words models respond to reliably. By the end you will write short, specific prompts, compare results fairly, and know when to stop adding words. Lessons are hands on: you bring a picture idea, we build the prompt together, and you judge the output against a checklist.
Reviews
4.3
4 ratingsSample
- Erik J.Sample
Solid basics but a bit slow if you have already been prompting for a while. Probably perfect for real beginners.
- Kwame A.Sample
Good structure and the one change at a time habit is useful. I wish it covered a few more styles beyond photography.
- Sung-min P.Sample
Lesson on negative space was exactly what I needed for my blog headers. Short, practical, no fluff.
- Daniela F.Sample
The 'something a camera could see' rule fixed half my prompts. I stopped writing stunning and started writing window light from the left.
About the teacher
Image generation taught as a visual craft: prompts, light, consistency and editing
9 tutors 466 lessons taught Sample
I teach people how to make images with AI that look intended rather than accidental. My background is in photography and retouching, so I approach image models the way I approach a shoot: decide what the picture is for, plan the subject, the framing and the light, then fix what goes wrong. I like short exercises where you write a...
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