It used to be easy to tell at a glance whether an image is AI generated. Since the release of Midjourney v5, it's become extremely difficult.
There are still a lot of instances in which you can tell whether an image was created with artificial intelligence, but it takes a lot more effort than before. It becomes even harder if a person who used a text-to-image model to create an image is particularly skilled in prompting.
There are a few tricks you can use to ensure that an image you generate in Midjourney is as photorealistic as possible. I'll teach you how you can write Midjourney prompts for realistic landscapes in this article.
How to Write Midjourney Prompts for Landscapes
I've previously written an article for this website regarding Midjourney prompts for realism. I explored techniques that you can use to generate photorealistic images. It mainly contains advice on how to generate good portraits, but I also included a few examples of prompts for landscape photography.
Ever since I finished that article, I couldn't stop thinking that maybe I should do a whole piece on Midjourney prompts for landscapes. In case you haven't read the article I linked above, I recommend that you take a few minutes to do so.
Whenever you want to create photorealistic images in Midjourney, you'll have to write the prompts a certain way.
The most important thing you can do to get good results is become familiar with high-quality cameras and the focal lengths used to take photos of landscapes. In case you don't want to spend time researching cameras, here is a short list:
- Canon EOS R5
- Canon EOS R6
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Sony A7R II
- Sony A9
- Sony A6400
- Sony A6000
- Fujifilm X-T4
- Nikon D850
- Nikon Z7
Meanwhile, the best focal lengths for landscape photography include 14mm, 18mm, 21mm, 24mm. This is extremely important information that I think should be mentioned in each of your prompts.
When I'm writing Midjourney prompts for landscapes, I use the following format:
/imagine shot with [camera model], [focal length], [description]
- I start my prompts by specifying a certain camera model. I do this to describe to the model that I want my image to look like it was shot with that particular camera.
- Following the mention of the camera model, I mention a specific focal length. This is an instruction that describes how much of a scene a user wants to be captured.
- Finally, I finish my prompt with a description of the scene that I want generated. The description can be either short or long, and it should include relevant keywords. I'll show you what I mean in the next section of this article.
15 Midjourney Prompts for Landscape Photography
This is always my favorite part of each Midjourney article I write. I love coming up with various prompts and sharing the results. Although the information provided in the previous section is valuable, I think the best way for people to learn how to write prompts in Midjourney is by looking at specific examples.
Here are some of the Midjourney prompts for landscapes I came up with while I was writing this article.
Midjourney Prompts for Countryside Landscapes
I'll start with some great landscapes of the countryside. Prompts that encapsulate scenes like this are not difficult to write if you have a clear idea in your mind. I'll show you what I mean with the following three examples.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS R5, 24mm lens, an idyllic farmstead nestled amidst vast fields of golden wheat, emanating a sense of warmth and nostalgia, award-winning photo --ar 16:9 --v 5
When I think of the countryside, two things come to my mind for some reason - fields of wheat and a red house. This image is in my mind. Midjourney did an excellent job of generating what I had imagined.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS R5, 21mm lens, panoramic view of an expansive countryside, with patchwork fields stretching to the horizon, embraced by rolling hills and bathed in the soft light of a setting sun, evoking a sense of timeless beauty, National Geographic, timeless, awe --ar 16:9 --v 5
There is nothing better than to go on a hike in the countryside when you want to get away from an urban area. People often take the beauty of rural areas for granted.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A9, 18mm lens, charming country church nestled amidst a sea of vibrant wildflowers, with a backdrop of rolling hills and a boundless sky, capturing the spirit of faith, community, and the enduring charm of rural life --ar 16:9 --v 5
I was actually conflicted on whether I should feature this image in the article. It does look photorealistic at first glance, but it could also pass as a digital painting. I'm not sure what to think, but I really like the image. If you want, you can use the prompt above in Midjourney to generate more photorealistic results and pick out a photo you like.
Midjourney Prompts for Woodland Landscapes
Hiking through the woodlands gives you the opportunity to truly connect with nature. The only downside is the fear of giant insects attacking you, but maybe that's just me.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A6000, 21mm lens, hidden woodland waterfall, cascading over moss-covered rocks, surrounded by a carpet of ferns and towering evergreens, evoking a sense of awe, magical, beautiful nature --ar 16:9 --v 5
I really wish I could teleport to a place like this just so I can hear the sound of this small waterfall. This image looks so calming.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Nikon D850, 24mm lens, forest lake reflecting the surrounding foliage and a symphony of autumn colors, with a peaceful canoe gliding across the glass-like surface, wondrous, adventurous --ar 16:9 --v 5
The reflections in the water here are pretty good. I see a few flaws, but it's generally better than what you'd usually get from Midjourney. Sometimes, the model does an outstanding job at achieving a great level of detail in the output.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Nikon Z7, 24mm lens, peaceful woodland pond, reflecting the surrounding foliage and framed by ancient gnarled trees, tranquility, peaceful, relaxing, calming --ar 16:9 --v 5
In my opinion, this is the most photorealistic woodland landscape image in this article. What's even better is that Midjourney generated this in the first batch of four images, and I was immediately blown away.
Midjourney Prompts for Mountain Landscapes
I love looking at mountains from a distance, so it made sense that I would generate three images of mountain landscapes for this article. Let's dive in.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A7R II, 14mm lens, snow-covered mountain range, glistening under the soft light of a full moon, with stars sprinkled across the night sky, wondrous, awe, stargazing, majestic --ar 16:9 --v 5
I'm usually not too fond of generating photorealistic scenes that capture a landscape in the night-time, but I made an exception here. Overall, the image looks great. The night sky may be a bit weird in a few spots, but you can always edit the image in Photoshop or using any other image editing software.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS R5, 21mm lens, mountaintop sunrise, with the soft light of dawn painting the landscape in gentle pastels, as morning mist weaves through the valleys, good morning, inspirational, breath of fresh air --ar 16:9 --v 5
Since the previous image featured the night sky, it only made sense to create one that captured a sunrise. I can picture myself drinking some tea in the early morning and just observing nature.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Fujifilm X-T4, 24mm lens, remote mountain peak, accessible only through a challenging trek, rewarding adventurous souls with a breathtaking panoramic view of neighboring peaks and valleys, travel blog photography, adventure, hiking trail --ar 16:9 --v 5
This is the only image in this article that features a person. I'd like to think that I saved the best image for last, because this is a really photorealistic result.
Midjourney Prompts for Desert Landscapes
I've been to the Sahara Desert once in my life and I was amazed by it. I never knew that exploring the desert could be such an adventure. But now, let's explore some scenes of fictional deserts.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 21mm lens, desert nomad camp under a starry sky, with flickering campfire and tents dotting the vast desert landscape --ar 16:9 --v 5
This is another scene that kind of made sense to set in the night-time. I got the idea of creating an image of a nomad camp and thought it would be much better if there was a flickering campfire in the middle of it. In my opinion, the night sky looks much better in this image compared to the first mountain landscape one.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A6400, 24mm lens, solitary cactus standing tall in the desert, its spiky silhouette contrasting against the vast expanse of sand, inspirational, resilience --ar 16:9 --v 5
The cactus looks good. The sand looks pretty real. This is quite a good result considering that the prompt is quite basic.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 21mm lens, vast desert plain stretching to the horizon, with sparse vegetation and subtle undulations, vastness, emptiness --ar 16:9 --v 5
For some reason, this image reminds me of New Mexico. Mind you, I've never been to New Mexico. I just know about it from watching Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Still, I would say this is a pretty good result that came out of the prompt I wrote.
Midjourney Prompts for Coastal Landscapes
Let's finish the article with three coastal landscape images. I'll do three different styles of photos here. Get ready because this will be interesting!
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Canon EOS R6, 21mm lens, rugged coastline, with towering cliffs and crashing waves, showcasing the raw power and beauty of the ocean meeting the land, coastal wilderness --ar 16:9 --v 5
I can almost hear the sounds of the waves crashing here. I included the keywords 'coastal wilderness' to give the image a certain flair. In my opinion, it was also helpful to mention the raw power and beauty of the ocean.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Nikon D850, 14mm lens, secluded coastal cove, with crystal-clear turquoise waters and pristine sandy beaches, hidden beach, off the beaten path, secluded, peaceful, calming --ar 16:9 --v 5
These are my favorite types of beaches. In fact, my favorite locations when I go abroad are always off the beaten path. They're places mostly locals know about and tourists are unfamiliar with. If I went to a place where a beach like this exists, I would without a doubt be spending most of my time here.
/imagine photorealistic image shot with Sony A7R II, 21mm lens, coastal sunset, painting the sky in a vibrant palette of oranges, pinks, and purples, as the last rays of sunlight kiss the waves and create a mesmerizing play of colors, breathtaking, alluring --ar 16:9 --v 5
This is a beautiful coastal sunset. I think it's important to mention the colors you want to see. By mentioning the colors orange, pink, and purple, I was able to create what I think is an awesome image.
All of these images look great, but the only downside is that there is a limit to their resolution. However, you can increase the resolution with an open source and free tool called Upscayl. You can find information on how to do that in my article on upscaling Midjourney images with Upscayl.
I really like free and open source tools. I’ve used Upscayl before, as have many people in the Midjourney community, which is the only reason I’m promoting it.
Final Thoughts
Each of the 15 landscapes we generated here are outstanding, in my opinion. I often wonder what the capabilities of text-to-image models will be within a few years if they're already so good at producing photorealistic images.
Don't forget that the initial release of the first Midjourney iteration was in July 2022. At the time of writing this article, it hasn't even been a year since we got to the point where it's easy to generate images in Midjourney that look like actual photos.
The results you'd get from Midjourney v1 look silly compared to the images that you can generate now. What awaits us is truly going to be remarkable.
Before I end this article, let's do a quick recap.
The best advice I can give you when you're writing Midjourney prompts for landscape photography is to start the prompt off by mentioning a specific camera model. The next part of your prompt should contain information about the focal length you want "used" in the photo.
Finally, your prompt should contain a clear description of the scene you want to see. It can be short, but you'll often have to add more details to your prompts to get really good results. It’s best if you have a scene in your mind that you can clearly imagine. Try to describe the scene in the most concise way possible without leaving out the important details.
