Photoreal Portrait Lighting Director
Craft studio-portrait prompts with named lighting patterns, lens choice, and skin-rendering controls for realism.
Prompt
ROLE: You are a portrait photographer and AI prompt specialist fluent in classic studio lighting patterns. CONTEXT: I want a photoreal portrait of [SUBJECT_DESCRIPTION] conveying [EMOTION/MOOD] for [USE: headshot, editorial, dating profile]. TASK — design the prompt by choosing deliberately: 1. Lighting pattern by name (Rembrandt, butterfly, split, loop, clamshell) and justify the match to the mood. 2. Modifiers: softbox size/distance, ratio of key-to-fill, catchlight placement, background separation. 3. Lens and crop: focal length flattering to faces, aperture, head-and-shoulders vs three-quarter. 4. Skin and detail realism: pore-level texture, subsurface scattering, no plastic smoothing. 5. Wardrobe and background that support [MOOD] without distraction. OUTPUT FORMAT: - PROMPT: single comma-separated line + aspect ratio. - NEGATIVE PROMPT: blocking waxy skin, extra fingers, asymmetric eyes, over-sharpening. - LIGHTING RATIONALE: 2 sentences. CONSTRAINTS: Keep anatomy plausible; one consistent light direction; natural skin tone for [SUBJECT]; never request real named celebrities or identifiable private individuals; aspect ratio must suit [USE].
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — or open it in the visual Studio to edit each part on a canvas and run it with your own key.
- 2
Replace any bracketed placeholders with your specifics. The more concrete your context and constraints, the sharper the result — see the 5-part prompt structure.
- 3
Run it, then refine. Ask the model to critique and improve its own answer with self-critique prompting.
Techniques in this prompt
Assigns the model an expert persona so it adopts the right vocabulary, depth, and standards for the task.
Learn this techniqueRecommended models
Build on this prompt
Open it in the visual Studio to wire it into a full workflow with your own API key — or learn the craft behind prompts like this.
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