How to write a prompt for a product photo

A product photo prompt works best when it names five things: the product, the surface it stands on, the light, the camera, and what is around it. Leave one out and the model fills it in for you, usually with the most average choice.

• Product: what it is, its material and colour, "exactly as in the reference".
• Surface: oak table, marble slab, linen cloth, wet stone.
• Light: soft window light from the left, low evening sun, a single studio softbox.
• Camera: eye level or from above, a 50mm or 85mm lens, shallow depth of field.
• Around it: one or two props that tell where it is used, softly out of focus.

"This ceramic mug, exactly as in the reference, on a light oak kitchen table next to a window. Soft morning light from the left. A plate with a croissant and a folded newspaper softly out of focus behind it. Eye level, 50mm lens, shallow depth of field, the mug sharp."

Describe the product and send a photo of it as a reference. Words alone change the product: a slightly different handle, a different shade. With the reference the model keeps what it sees.

Do not ask for your logo or label text in the prompt. Add it afterwards; models still get small text wrong.

Make a few variants and pick the one where the product is exactly right. Check shape, colour and every edge at full size before you use it.