Midjourney v5 Lighting Tips 📚

The significance of lighting in your prompt cannot be overstated, as it greatly influences the overall appearance and ambiance of the image.

Effective lighting can accentuate the nuances, hues, and patterns within the generation, while inadequate lighting may result in a lackluster or visually unappealing output image.

Think of this blog article as your introductory course to lighting fundamentals.

And now, let the learning commence...

➡️ Natural Lighting

• Sunlight - Common source of lighting for outdoor images.
• Moonlight - Natural lighting that creates a soft/ethereal effect.
• Firelight or Candlelight - Warm and cozy light source that helps create rustic and romantic effects for indoors.
• Cloudy Skies or Overcast - Soft and diffused natural light for portrait photography.
• Reflections - Can provide artistic shimmering and dreamy effect when paired with other lighting.

➡️ Ambient Lighting

• Overhead - Light fixtures like ceiling lights or chandeliers for lighting indoor scenes.
• Wall Sconces - Adds a decorative element to a room while providing soft, indirect lighting effect.
• Table Lamps - May provide warm and cozy effect OR bright and harsh lighting.
• Floor Lamps - Helps provide warm and cozy effect, but also lights the corners of the scene.
• Natural Light - Windows or Skylights can provide consistent lighting throughout the scene.

➡️ Artificial & Directional Lighting

• Studio Lights - Powerful/controlled light source best for portrait, product, and fashion.
• Strobe Lights - Flash photography with bright light to illuminate the subject.
• Ring Lights - Circular light source for portrait generations to provide a flattering and even lighting effect.
• LED Lights - Can provide a range of color temperatures.
• Butterfly Lighting - Light placed directly above and slightly in front of subject to create shadow under the nose.
• Rembrandt Lighting - A triangular-shaped patch of light under one eye creating a dramatic shadowy effect.
• Split Lighting - Light source is at a 90-degree angle to the subject face creating a half-and-half shadow effect.
• Rim Lighting - Light source is placed behind the subject, illuminating the edges of the subject's silhouettes for a dramatic/moody effect.
• Low-Key Lighting - Minimal lighting with only one or two sources for dramatic/moody effect.
• High-Key Lighting - Bright and even lighting to create a light/airy effect.
• Top Light - Creates shadows and highlights emphasizing texture and shape.
• Side Light - A light source that creates strong shadows and highlights emphasizing texture and shape.
• Backlighting - Light source is placed behind the subject to create a bright/glowing halo effect.

➡️ Hard & Soft Lighting

• Direct Sunlight - Creates strong, well-defined shadows on the subject.
• Spot Lighting - Strong beam of light creating shadows and highlights.
• Halogen Bulbs - A strong, harsh, and intense light for commercial and industrial settings.
• Laser Lighting - Use of lasers to create a strong light source for stage production and concert effects.
• Fresnel Lighting - A special lens that focuses the light source for theater and film effects.
• Hard Fill Lighting - A second light source that fills in shadows created by primary light source for commercial and fashion prompts.
• Window Light - Soft lighting used most commonly for indoor portraits.
• Cloudy Days - Natural source of soft lighting.
• Softbox Lighting - Softens the light and creates better distribution across the subject.
• Umbrella Lighting - Reflects and diffuses light creating a soft and even effect.
• Beauty Dish Lighting - A soft and flattering light effect used for portrait photography.

To craft the perfect prompt, you may need to remove, add, or rearrange words from each keyword suggestion in this blog post.