Why Portraits Are Hard in Midjourney
Midjourney is good at many things. But portraits are tricky. The faces often look too perfect. Skin looks like plastic. Eyes look strange. I made this mistake many times.
After lots of testing, I learned what works. Realistic portraits need the right words. Not more words. The right ones.
In this post I share my best prompts. These are prompts I actually use. They give me faces that look real, not fake.
Start With Camera Words
The biggest trick I found is camera words. Real photos come from real cameras. So you must tell Midjourney about the camera.
Try words like these:
- shot on Canon EOS R5
- 85mm lens
- f/1.8 aperture
- natural lighting
Here is a simple prompt that works:
portrait of a woman, 85mm lens, f/1.8, natural window light, shot on Canon EOS R5, photorealistic
The 85mm lens is my favorite. It is a real lens people use for portraits. Midjourney knows this. It makes the face look natural. The background goes soft too.
The f/1.8 part controls the blur. Low number means more blur behind the person. This looks like real photo.
Add Skin Details
Fake AI faces have perfect skin. Real skin is not perfect. This is important.
You must ask for skin texture. Say words like:
- skin pores
- natural skin texture
- freckles
- small wrinkles
Example:
close up portrait of an old man, detailed skin texture, visible pores, natural wrinkles, soft daylight, photorealistic
When I added "visible pores" the face changed a lot. It stopped looking like a doll. It looked like a person.
Freckles also help. Even a few. Perfect skin is a sign of AI. Small flaws make it real.
Light Is Everything
Good photo is really about light. I learned this slowly.
Some light words I use often:
- golden hour
- soft window light
- Rembrandt lighting
- overcast light
Rembrandt lighting is a real photo term. It makes a small triangle of light on the cheek. It looks very professional.
Try this:
portrait of a young man, Rembrandt lighting, dark background, 50mm lens, moody, photorealistic
Soft window light is easier. It gives a calm and natural look. Good for beginners. I started with this and got nice results fast.
Use the Right Settings
Prompt words are not everything. Midjourney settings also matter.
I like to use --style raw for portraits. This turns off some of the Midjourney art style. It makes the image more plain and real.
Also set the aspect ratio. For portraits I use --ar 2:3. This is a normal photo shape for people.
Full example:
portrait of a woman with curly hair, natural light, detailed skin, 85mm lens, photorealistic --style raw --ar 2:3
The --style raw made a big difference for me. Without it, faces look too stylish. With it, they look like real photos.
Describe the Person Clearly
Be clear about who the person is. Age, hair, mood, clothes. But do not add too much.
I made a mistake before. I wrote very long prompts. The result was messy. Short and clear is better.
Good:
portrait of a 30 year old woman, brown hair, calm expression, beige sweater, soft light, photorealistic --style raw
Every word has a job. No extra junk. This gives clean results.
Fix Common Problems
Sometimes eyes look weird. Or the face is strange. Here is what I do.
If eyes look bad, add "sharp eyes" or "detailed eyes" to the prompt. This often helps.
If the face looks too smooth, add more skin words. Pores, texture, detail.
If the image looks like a painting, use --style raw and add "photo" words. Like "candid photo" or "documentary photo".
The word "candid" is useful. It makes the person look natural, not posing. Like a real moment.
My Go-To Prompt
After all my testing, this is my base prompt. I change the person part each time.
candid portrait of [person], natural window light, detailed skin texture, 85mm lens, f/1.8, photorealistic, shot on Canon EOS R5 --style raw --ar 2:3
I just fill in the person. It works almost every time.
Final Thoughts
Realistic portraits take practice. Do not give up after one try. I failed many times before.
Start with camera words. Add skin texture. Fix the light. Use --style raw. These four things changed my results the most.
Try small changes each time. See what works. Soon you will make faces that look truly real.