MidJourney Keywords¶

A working vocabulary for prompt construction. Use these as building blocks — most strong prompts combine 3–5 keywords across categories.

Tip: MidJourney parses keywords positionally. The first words carry the most weight. Lead with the subject, then style, then modifiers.

Photography Styles¶

Keyword	Effect
`cinematic`	Dramatic lighting, wide aspect, film-like color grading
`documentary`	Candid, natural framing, no styling
`editorial`	Magazine-style, polished, intentional composition
`street photography`	Urban, candid, often grainy
`portrait`	Subject-focused, shallow depth of field
`landscape`	Wide vista, environmental
`architectural`	Symmetrical, geometric, structural focus
`fashion photography`	Stylized, model-centric, high-key lighting
`food photography`	Top-down or 45°, sharp detail, soft light
`product photography`	Clean background, even lighting, commercial
`macro`	Extreme close-up, fine detail
`aerial`	Top-down or angled overhead view
`long exposure`	Light trails, motion blur, smooth water
`tilt-shift`	Miniature effect, selective focus

Art Movements & Techniques¶

Keyword	Effect
`surreal`	Dreamlike, impossible compositions
`impressionist`	Loose brushwork, light-driven
`art deco`	Geometric, gold accents, 1920s elegance
`art nouveau`	Organic curves, floral, ornamental
`bauhaus`	Geometric, primary colors, functional
`minimalist`	Sparse, negative space, single subject
`maximalist`	Dense, layered, ornate
`baroque`	Dramatic, ornate, chiaroscuro
`pop art`	Bold, flat color, comic-style
`cubist`	Fragmented planes, multiple perspectives
`abstract expressionist`	Gestural, emotional, non-representational
`vaporwave`	Pastel pinks/cyans, retro-digital, 80s nostalgia
`cyberpunk`	Neon, urban dystopia, tech-noir
`solarpunk`	Bright, plant-integrated, optimistic future
`steampunk`	Brass, gears, Victorian-industrial
`gothic`	Dark, ornate, dramatic shadow
`brutalist`	Concrete, raw, geometric, severe

Lighting¶

Keyword	Effect
`golden hour`	Warm, low sun, long shadows
`blue hour`	Cool twilight, ambient glow
`harsh sunlight`	High contrast, hard shadows
`overcast`	Soft, diffused, even
`backlit`	Subject silhouetted against light source
`rim light`	Edge-lit subject, separation from background
`volumetric lighting`	Visible light shafts, atmospheric
`god rays`	Sunlight beams through gaps
`neon lighting`	Saturated color, urban night
`candlelight`	Warm, flickering, intimate
`studio lighting`	Controlled, even, professional
`chiaroscuro`	Strong dark/light contrast, dramatic
`low-key lighting`	Predominantly dark, mood-driven
`high-key lighting`	Bright, minimal shadows, optimistic

Camera & Lens¶

Keyword	Effect
`35mm`	Classic film perspective, slight wide
`50mm`	Natural human-eye perspective
`85mm`	Compressed, flattering portrait
`wide angle`	Expansive, distorted edges
`fisheye`	Extreme wide, curved distortion
`telephoto`	Compressed depth, distant subject
`macro lens`	Extreme close-up capability
`bokeh`	Out-of-focus background blur
`shallow depth of field`	Subject sharp, background soft
`deep focus`	Everything in focus
`dutch angle`	Tilted horizon, unease
`low angle`	Shot from below, subject powerful
`high angle`	Shot from above, subject smaller
`worm's eye view`	Extreme low, dramatic
`bird's eye view`	Directly overhead

Color Palettes¶

Keyword	Effect
`muted tones`	Desaturated, sophisticated
`vivid colors`	Saturated, punchy
`monochrome`	Single color or grayscale
`pastel palette`	Soft, light, dreamy
`earth tones`	Browns, ochres, terracottas
`jewel tones`	Deep saturated — emerald, sapphire, ruby
`neon`	Hot pink, electric blue, lime
`sepia`	Brown-toned, vintage
`duotone`	Two-color treatment
`complementary colors`	Opposite-wheel pairs (orange/blue, red/green)
`analogous colors`	Adjacent-wheel harmony
`warm palette`	Reds, oranges, yellows
`cool palette`	Blues, greens, purples

Mood & Atmosphere¶

Keyword	Effect
`ethereal`	Light, otherworldly, soft
`moody`	Dark, contemplative, ambiguous
`whimsical`	Playful, charming, lighthearted
`nostalgic`	Faded, warm, memory-tinged
`serene`	Calm, peaceful, balanced
`tense`	Compressed, uneasy
`melancholic`	Sad, reflective, cool-toned
`epic`	Grand scale, heroic
`intimate`	Close, personal, soft
`eerie`	Unsettling, off-kilter
`dreamlike`	Hazy, illogical, soft focus
`gritty`	Textured, raw, lived-in
`pristine`	Clean, untouched, perfect

Texture & Detail¶

Keyword	Effect
`hyperdetailed`	Ultra-fine resolution, every surface defined
`intricate`	Complex small-scale detail
`weathered`	Aged, worn, patina'd
`pristine`	Brand-new, flawless
`rough texture`	Coarse, tactile
`smooth`	Polished, sleek
`matte finish`	Non-reflective, soft
`glossy finish`	Reflective, sharp highlights
`metallic`	Reflective, brushed or polished metal
`iridescent`	Color-shifting, oil-on-water
`translucent`	Light passes through, soft glow

Composition¶

Keyword	Effect
`rule of thirds`	Off-center subject placement
`centered composition`	Symmetric, balanced
`symmetrical`	Mirror-image balance
`asymmetrical`	Intentional imbalance
`negative space`	Empty area emphasizing subject
`leading lines`	Lines guide eye to subject
`framing`	Subject framed by foreground elements
`golden ratio`	Spiral composition, classical
`flat lay`	Top-down, arranged objects
`extreme close-up`	Frame-filling detail
`establishing shot`	Wide context, sets scene

Useful Parameters¶

Flag	What it does	Example
`--ar`	Aspect ratio	`--ar 16:9` (cinematic)
`--v`	Model version	`--v 6`
`--style raw`	Less stylization, more literal	`--style raw`
`--stylize` (or `--s`)	Stylization strength 0–1000	`--s 250`
`--chaos` (or `--c`)	Variation between outputs 0–100	`--c 30`
`--seed`	Reproducibility	`--seed 12345`
`--no`	Negative prompt	`--no text, watermark`
`--q`	Quality 0.25–2	`--q 2`
`--weird`	Unusual/experimental output 0–3000	`--weird 500`

Prompt Formula¶

A reliable starting structure:

[Subject] + [Action/State] + [Setting] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Camera] + [Mood] + [Parameters]

Example:

A weathered fisherman mending nets, on a wooden dock at dawn,
documentary photography, golden hour, 35mm lens, melancholic,
shallow depth of field --ar 3:2 --v 6 --s 150

Why it works: Subject leads (highest weight). Action grounds it. Setting adds context. Style/lighting/camera dial in look. Mood pushes the emotional register. Parameters lock the technical output.

Common Mistakes¶

Keyword overload — 15+ keywords confuse the model. Aim for 5–8.
Conflicting styles — "minimalist baroque cinematic vaporwave" cancels out.
Vague subjects — "a person" gives random results. "A weathered fisherman" gives intent.
Forgetting the negative — --no text, blur, watermark cleans up most outputs.
Ignoring aspect ratio — default square wastes screens. Set --ar deliberately.