Image prompt structure: subject, style, light, composition
The ten parts of a prompt for an image, a formula and two prompts by it — a photograph and an illustration — seven principles of a predictable prompt and what spoils it.
In short
A good prompt for an image is a description of a shot, not a wish. It answers the questions a photographer or an illustrator would ask: what is in the picture, what it is doing and where, in what style, how it is framed, how it is lit, in what colours and with what mood — plus technical details such as the lens or the format. The order matters: the subject first, then the setting and style, then light and details, because generators pay more attention to the beginning. Concrete visual words — “soft morning light from the left” instead of “beautiful lighting” — give predictable results, and changing one part at a time shows what each word does.
The 10 parts of an image prompt
Not every prompt needs all ten, but each missing part is decided by the generator at random.
| Part | What it sets | Example words |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | who or what is in the picture | a ceramic coffee cup, a red fox |
| Action or pose | what the subject is doing | steam rising, reading a book |
| Setting | where it happens | on a wooden table, in an autumn forest |
| Style or medium | photo, illustration, 3D, painting | editorial photography, flat vector |
| Composition | how the shot is framed | close-up, wide shot, top view |
| Light | direction, softness, time of day | soft window light, golden hour |
| Colours | the palette of the picture | warm beige tones, teal and orange |
| Mood | the feeling the picture gives | calm, cosy, dramatic, playful |
| Technical details | lens, depth of field, format | 50mm lens, shallow depth of field |
| Exclusions | what must not be in the picture | no text, no people, clean background |
A formula and two prompts by it
One formula works for a photograph and for an illustration — only the words for style and light change.
The formula
The order of parts — from the most important to the details.
# The order: from what is in the picture to how it is shot
[subject], [action or pose], [setting],
[style or medium], [composition and framing],
[light], [colours], [mood], [technical details]A photograph
Every part of the formula is filled — the generator has nothing left to guess.
# A photograph: every part of the formula in one sentence
A ceramic coffee cup with steam rising, on a wooden kitchen table
by a window, editorial lifestyle photography, close-up at eye level,
soft morning light from the left, warm beige and cream tones,
calm and cosy mood, shallow depth of field, 50mm lensAn illustration
Empty space on the right is planned in advance — for a heading on a banner.
# An illustration: the same formula, other words for style and light
A fox reading a book under a tree, sitting on a pile of autumn leaves,
flat vector illustration with simple shapes, wide shot with empty space on the right,
even soft lighting without hard shadows, orange, teal and off-white palette,
playful and friendly mood, clean background7 principles of a predictable prompt
-
01
The main thing first
Generators pay the most attention to the beginning of the prompt.
-
02
Visual words instead of ratings
“Soft side light” instead of “beautiful”; “matte ceramic” instead of “high quality”.
-
03
One scene
Several ideas in one prompt give a picture where none of them works.
-
04
Plan the composition
Where the text, the button or the face will be — is decided in the prompt.
-
05
The format at once
A square, a vertical story or a wide banner — cropping later loses the composition.
-
06
Change one thing at a time
Then it is clear which word changed the result.
-
07
Keep the prompts that worked
A library of proven prompts gives a recognisable brand style.
What spoils an image prompt
-
Only the subject
“A cup of coffee” — and the style, light and framing are chosen at random.
-
A pile of quality words
“Masterpiece, 8k, ultra detailed” do little in modern generators and push out the important words.
-
Contradictions
“Minimalist” and “many details”, “night” and “bright sun” in one prompt.
-
A story instead of a shot
A picture shows one moment; what happened before and after cannot be drawn.
-
Everything at once
Changing five words between attempts teaches nothing.
Questions about image prompts
How should a prompt for an image be written?
As a description of a shot: subject, action, setting, style, framing, light, colours, mood and details — in that order.
How long should a prompt be?
One or two sentences, 30–60 words: enough for all parts, short enough not to contradict itself.
In which language should prompts be written?
In English the vocabulary of styles and photography is the richest; many generators understand other languages too.
Does one prompt work in every generator?
The structure — yes; the result differs, and the prompt is adjusted for each.
How to get the same style in many pictures?
Keep the parts for style, light and colours the same and change only the subject and the setting.