Image & Video prompt
Midjourney Prompt for Realistic Lifestyle Stock Photos
MidjourneyAdobe FireflyLeonardo AIIdeogram
The short answer
Generates natural, non-cheesy lifestyle stock photos for websites and ads: real moments, believable people, no 2010s laughing-at-salad energy. Copy the prompt below, replace the 11 [BRACKETED] variables with your own, and paste it into Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Leonardo AI or Ideogram.
PROMPT TEMPLATE (paste into an image model, replacing the brackets):
Candid lifestyle photograph of [SUBJECT_DESCRIPTION] [ACTION] in [SETTING], [TIME_OF_DAY] with [LIGHTING], natural unposed moment, authentic expressions, [WARDROBE_STYLE] clothing, [COLOR_PALETTE] colour palette, documentary photography style, shot on a [LENS] lens, [FRAMING], subtle film grain, realistic skin texture, uncluttered background with negative space on the [NEGATIVE_SPACE_SIDE] for text --ar [ASPECT_RATIO] --style raw
FIELD GUIDE
- [SUBJECT_DESCRIPTION]: be specific and inclusive about age range, number of people, and relationship ("two colleagues in their 40s", "a father and teenage daughter"). Describe people by role and look, never by a real person's name.
- [ACTION]: a real, mid-task verb ("sorting seedlings on a balcony", "reviewing sketches at a shared desk"). Avoid "smiling at camera".
- [SETTING]: lived-in and specific ("a small sunlit apartment kitchen with plants and mismatched mugs").
- [LIGHTING]: "soft window light", "overcast diffused daylight", "warm late-afternoon sun".
- [LENS] / [FRAMING]: "35mm" / "medium shot from slightly over the shoulder", or "85mm" / "close-up with blurred background".
- [NEGATIVE_SPACE_SIDE]: left or right, so you can place headlines.
ANTI-CHEESE RULES
- Avoid: thumbs up, handshakes at camera, pointing at screens, perfect teeth grins, people laughing alone at objects.
- Add imperfection: slightly messy desks, natural posture, people looking at each other or their task, not the lens.
- Check every result for AI tells: extra fingers, warped text on objects, melted jewellery, mismatched earrings, odd teeth.
USE RESPONSIBLY
- Do not present AI images as real customers, staff, or testimonials.
- Check your image tool's licence terms for commercial use.What to fill in
Everything in [GOLD CAPS] is yours to replace. Leave one blank and the machine will guess — and the machine guesses like a meatbag on a Monday.
[SUBJECT_DESCRIPTION][ACTION][SETTING][TIME_OF_DAY][LIGHTING][WARDROBE_STYLE][COLOR_PALETTE][LENS][FRAMING][NEGATIVE_SPACE_SIDE][ASPECT_RATIO]
How to use it
- Never caption an AI photo as "our customer Sarah". Putting fake people next to real testimonials is how trust, and occasionally regulators, get involved.
- Zoom to 100% on hands and background objects before publishing. The Obsolete are surprisingly good at spotting six-fingered colleagues.
- Adobe Firefly is a sensible pick when commercial-safety terms matter to your client; check the current licence terms for whichever tool you use.
Example
Candid lifestyle photograph of two colleagues in their 30s reviewing printed design proofs at a shared wooden desk in a bright small studio, late morning with soft window light, natural unposed moment, casual linen and denim clothing, warm neutral colour palette, documentary photography style, shot on a 35mm lens, medium shot, subtle film grain, negative space on the right for text --ar 16:9 --style rawWorks with
Tested for Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Leonardo AI, Ideogram. Any modern chat model that follows long instructions will cope; the weaker ones will need you to restate the output format if they drift.
Weapons from the Arsenal that pair well with this prompt:
- Midjourney — AI image and video generator known for its striking, artistic output.
- Adobe Firefly — Adobe's AI creative studio for images, video and audio, positioned as commercially safe.
- Leonardo.Ai — Canva-owned AI image and video studio with custom model training and fine control.