Vocabulary Choice
Swap words deliberately—synonyms are not interchangeable; this page maps intent to high-signal phrases.
Sharpness and detail
- Clinical / analytical: micro-contrast, crisp edges, high acutance
- Natural / photographic: natural detail, organic sharpness, not oversharpened
- Dreamy: soft focus falloff, gentle glow, delicate detail
Lighting words that actually change results
- Hard light: small source, crisp shadows, specular highlights
- Soft light: large source, gradual falloff, wrapped shadows
- Practicals: visible lamps in frame, motivated lighting
Lens personality without a real lens
- Wide: environmental context, slight distortion acceptable
- Normal: neutral perspective, documentary feel
- Long: compressed background, subject isolation
Materials that need adjectives
Instead of metal, try brushed aluminum with fine scratches.
Instead of fabric, try heavy linen with visible weave.
Avoid vague mega-words
Words like “cinematic” or “professional” help mood but should be supported by concrete camera/light/material clauses.
Semantic negatives (Google’s recommended pattern)
Instead of stacking “no X, no Y,” describe the desired emptiness in positive terms—this matches Gemini / Nano Banana prompting guidance:
- Weak: “no cars”
- Stronger: “an empty, deserted street with no signs of traffic”
The model still understands what to avoid, but the scene reads as one coherent idea.
Next
- Prompt art for creative control and mood boards in text.
- Multi-prompts and weights when you blend ideas.