What to describe
- The subject. Who or what, and what they are doing. "A golden retriever catching a frisbee" beats "a dog".
- The setting. Where and when. "On a beach at sunset", "in a cozy kitchen".
- The style or medium. A photo, a watercolor, a 3D render, a flat logo. This changes the whole look.
- Light and color. "Soft morning light", "neon pink and blue", "warm golden tones".
- Framing. "Close-up", "from above", "wide shot", "centered with lots of empty space".
- The mood. Calm, playful, dramatic, cozy.
- The shape. Square, tall or wide. See the table below.
Before and after
Before
a coffee shop
After
A small corner coffee shop on a rainy night, seen from across the street. Warm golden light spills from tall windows onto wet cobblestones. Inside, a barista pours steamed milk while two friends laugh at a window table. Cinematic photo, shallow depth of field, deep blue night tones against the amber glow inside. Calm and cozy. Wide, 16:9.
Pick the right shape
| Shape | Good for |
|---|---|
| Square, 1:1 | Profile pictures, logos, many social posts |
| Portrait, 4:5 | Social feed posts that take up more of the screen |
| Tall, 9:16 | Stories, reels, phone wallpapers |
| Wide, 16:9 | Video thumbnails, slides, desktop backgrounds, banners |
Tips that save tries
- Say what you want, not what you do not want. "An empty street" works better than "a street with no people", because the word "people" can still sneak in.
- Keep words on the image short. Put the exact text in quotes, like a shop sign that says "Rise". Image tools still misspell, so check it.
- Change one thing at a time. If the picture is close, adjust only the light or only the style, so you know what helped.
- Do not copy real people or brands. Most image tools block it, and it can break their rules.