As one of the best AI image generators, Midjourney can create incredibly realistic depictions of humans and scenes. But without specific prompting, the results can be somewhat haphazard, leaning more on the side of art than photo.
Even if you manage to refine the prompt to depict a photorealistic scene, you then have to further refine it to provide a degree of style or originality. That is unless you can find the right style parameters. These shortcodes can act as a shortcut to an impressive creation.
There are thought to be more than four billion style reference codes available, accessible by typing --sref and a number at the end of the prompt. You can also just provide the url of an image or photograph with the style you’re going for but ensure you have the rights first.
I’ve pulled together a handful of useful sref codes I’ve found that work particularly well with photorealistic-style images. A way to create compelling ‘photos’ with added flare using AI.
Creating the prompts
For each prompt I’ve created a different scene and scenario, keeping the actual style description to a minimum and instead relying on the style reference code.
I ran each prompt with and without the corresponding style reference to see how much of a difference using an sref code can have to the overall creativity of an image. You can discover several impressive 'sref' codes with reference images on Midjourneysref by underwoodxie96.
1. The city street scene (--sref 13)
First we start with this simple descriptive prompt “A lively street in a major city with people walking and cars passing by,” and add --sref 13.
We went from a modern, well lit city scene looking like a photo taken with a relatively good camera to something out of a noir film, sepia-toned and with traditional looking buildings.
This shows just how much of a difference a style reference can have on the overall image. It completely transformed the picture despite none of the prompt changing.
2. A portrait of time (--sref 174971033)
Next, the prompt is one for more of a portrait. I used this prompt: “A close-up, detailed portrait of an elderly person with wrinkles and grey hair, capturing the wisdom in their eyes” and then regenerated appending this style reference: --sref 174971033.
The image generated with the sref code has a high contrast black and white feel, very intense and creates a more intensive sense of emotion. It does take away from the photorealism but its worth the sacrifice for the stark emotion visible.
3. A vintage car in the country (–sref 3267366411)
Next, we're moving into vehicles. The prompt I created was “a classic vintage car parked on a dirt road in the countryside, with rolling hills and a farmhouse in the background.” Then I added the sref 3267366411 for a digital art effect.
I love this prompt, although of the four images it generated in Midjourney only two of them actually looked good, so you might need to be more descriptive.
4. Wildlife safari (--sref 1707707235)
We've had a street view, an old person and an old car so now we're shifting gears and getting Midjourney to depict a safari scene. The prompt: "“A snapshot of a safari, featuring animals like elephants, zebras, and giraffes in their natural habitat.”
This was one of the most radical transformations from an sref. I used 1707707235 which completely changed the way the AI interpreted the prompt, in one image showing a woman wearing animal skins, in another an elephant car.
5. Concert Crowd (--sref 2169177422)
In another era I spent a lot of time photographing festivals and have an archive of images that look exactly like this one. The prompt: "A dynamic photo of a large crowd at an outdoor concert, with people cheering and bright stage lights.”
I used the sref 2169177422 which interestingly seems to have added a flashlight type effect to the image, putting specific people in stark relief and minimizing stage light.
6. Farmers Market (--sref 3879150397)
This was my favorite sref. I used the prompt: "“A colourful farmer’s market with various stalls selling fresh produce, flowers, and artisanal goods, bustling with activity." This gave me a colorful food market scene.
Appending the sref 3879150397 gave me a stunning image of a time gone by, depicting with hints of red throughout adding a stunning style overlay. This is an example of how sref can be used to enhance an image.
7. Family picnic (--sref 3200)
In our final prompt the sref actually did very little, adding a slight haze. The prompt: "Photograph of a family enjoying a picnic on a sunny day in a park, with a blanket spread out, children playing, and trees providing shade.”
This gave us a fun picnic scene in a park with trees on a sunny day. Sharp greens and hints of sunlight through the trees. The sref, 3200, added a haze-like effect over everything giving it more of classic feel.
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