How to Make MidJourney-Generated Portraits More Realistic？

In MidJourney, creating more realistic portraits requires optimizing your prompt descriptions, focusing on detailed depictions, and leveraging specific parameters and keywords to control the image’s details, texture, and style. Below are detailed methods and tips for achieving high-quality and lifelike portraits.

1. Use Clear and Specific Descriptions

The level of detail in your prompt determines the quality of the generated image. When describing, include specific details about the facial features, expressions, hairstyles, skin tones, clothing, lighting, and background.

Key Elements to Include:

  • Facial Features:
    • Realistic details: freckles, pores, wrinkles, detailed skin texture
    • Proportions: symmetrical features, high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes
    • Highlight features: piercing blue eyes, full lips, sharp jawline
  • Skin Tone and Texture:
    • Describing realistic skin texture: natural skin tone, soft lighting on textured skin
    • Clear skin tones: fair skin, olive skin, tanned skin, dark brown complexion
  • Hair Details:
    • Hairstyle and texture: long wavy hair, curly hair with frizz, neatly combed black hair
    • Hair color: ash blonde, jet black, chestnut brown
  • Emotions and Expressions:
    • natural smile, soft gaze, confident expression, subtle emotion

2. Add Key Keywords and Technical Descriptions

Enhance the realism and detail of the image by incorporating specific keywords.

Keyword Library:

  • Lighting and Details:
    • photorealistic, cinematic lighting, soft shadows, rim light, natural sunlight, high dynamic range
  • Lens Effects:
    • DSLR camera quality, shallow depth of field, bokeh background, 85mm lens
  • Artistic Style:
    • ultra-realistic, hyper-detailed, high-definition, 8k resolution
  • Facial and Skin Details:
    • skin pores, natural imperfections, realistic highlights, slight skin sheen
  • Environment and Atmosphere:
    • warm ambient light, soft natural lighting, cozy indoor setting, urban street background
  • Avoid Cartoonish Terms:
    • Avoid words like stylized, illustration, anime-like if aiming for realism.

3. Use MidJourney Parameters

MidJourney parameters can directly impact the style and level of detail in the generated images. Below are some useful parameters:

  • --ar (Aspect Ratio):
    • For portraits, use narrower ratios like --ar 2:3 or --ar 3:4.
    • For full-body portraits, try --ar 9:16.
  • --v (Version):
    • Use the latest MidJourney versions like --v 5 or --v 5.2, which are better at producing realistic images.
  • --q (Quality):
    • Set a high-quality parameter: --q 2 or --q 3 to enhance details.
  • --style (Stylization):
    • Use lower stylization values, such as --style 250 or below, to reduce artistic abstraction and lean toward realism.
  • --chaos (Variation):
    • Use a lower chaos value (e.g., --chaos 5) to maintain stability and consistency in the output.

4. Sample Prompts

Here are some complete prompt examples for generating highly realistic portraits:

Example 1: Classic Portrait

“A photorealistic portrait of a young woman, fair skin with natural freckles, almond-shaped green eyes, soft natural makeup, long wavy auburn hair, cinematic lighting, DSLR camera quality, shallow depth of field, blurred background, –ar 3:4 –v 5 –q 2”

Example 2: Fashion Editorial

“A hyper-realistic image of a man with a sharp jawline, short neatly styled black hair, olive skin with slight sheen, wearing a tailored dark suit, confident expression, soft dramatic lighting, studio backdrop, shot with an 85mm lens, –ar 2:3 –q 2 –v 5.2”

Example 3: Outdoor Realistic Portrait

“A photorealistic close-up of a smiling woman, tan skin with natural pores, curly black hair with soft frizz, subtle makeup, wearing a white summer dress, warm natural sunlight, bokeh effect with flowers in the background, –ar 3:4 –q 2 –v 5”

Example 4: Elderly Person Close-Up

“A highly detailed portrait of an elderly man, wrinkles and age spots visible, warm brown eyes, silver hair, wearing a wool sweater, soft ambient lighting, indoor cozy setting, ultra-realistic, –ar 4:5 –v 5 –q 3”

Example 5: Dynamic Sports Scene

“A photorealistic image of a young man in motion, sweat on his forehead, short spiky blonde hair, muscular build, wearing a sleeveless white shirt, dynamic pose on a basketball court, natural sunlight with lens flare, ultra-detailed, –ar 16:9 –q 2 –v 5.2”

5. Post-Processing Tips

The generated image may not always meet your expectations, so you can refine it further with these steps:

  1. Adjust Prompts:
    • Add more descriptive keywords (e.g., for skin texture, lighting, or expression) if details are insufficient.
  2. Generate Multiple Versions:
    • Use -n to produce multiple versions (e.g., --v 5 --q 2 --chaos 10 -n 4) and select the best.
  3. Uplight or Variation:
    • Use the “Uplight” option to upscale and optimize results or the “V” option to generate variations.

By using these techniques and sample prompts, you can create highly realistic and lively portraits in MidJourney, while controlling the level of detail and style to achieve results similar to professional photography.