Using today’s Midjourney prompt we are going to replicate some usual and unusual photographic effects. This is Part 2 in a mini-series of 3.
There are so many effects to choose from so I have tried to mash commonly used effects with some not so common. If feedback on the series is positive, and if demand is there, I will do a second series covering more effects later in the year. Just let me know!
Photographic Effects
The history of photographic effects is as rich and varied as the history of photography itself, dating back to the early 19th century. These effects have evolved from simple experiments to complex digital manipulations, reflecting both technological advancements and changing artistic trends.
Midjourney is pretty good at replicating photographic effects, but can be a little flakey at times with a given subject.
In Part 1 we covered letters A through I. So today, we pick up the baton at J.
Midjourney Prompt
I decided to use the same prompt for all images. This helps with comparison of effects, but do recognise that some effects will probably work better with different (more appropriate) subjects.
Base Prompt
photograph of a fashionable woman, [EFFECT]
/settings: Version 6 and Stylize Med
Effects
J - Janus Effect
The Janus effect in photography is a concept inspired by Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings, who is often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. In photographic terms, the Janus effect refers to a technique or composition that captures or represents two contrasting or opposing elements within a single image. This could manifest as a juxtaposition of old and new, light and dark, decay and growth, or any other set of contrasting themes.
K - Kirlian Effect
The Kirlian effect, named after Semyon Kirlian who accidentally discovered it in 1939, refers to a photographic technique that supposedly captures the "aura" or energy field of an object, particularly organic objects like leaves or human hands. This effect is achieved through a process known as Kirlian photography, which involves placing the object on a photographic plate connected to a high-voltage source. When the electricity is applied, an image is created on the photographic plate due to the electrical coronal discharge between the object and the metal plate.
The resulting images often appear as glowing, colorful halos or outlines surrounding the object, which some interpret as the object's "life force" or "energy field." However, these colorful patterns are actually the result of various mundane physical and electrical processes, including moisture, pressure, and other factors influencing the electrical conductivity of the object.
L - Long Exposure
Long exposure photography is a technique where the camera's shutter is left open for an extended period, allowing more light to enter the camera sensor or film over a longer duration than in standard shooting. This technique captures the effect of time passing within a single image, making it ideal for creating unique and often surreal photographs.
M - Multisonic Effect
The essence of multisonic photography is using an array of extremely fast, sequentially pulsed strobes surrounding a subject to freeze slices of motion from all angles simultaneously within a single composite frame. This reveals unusual perspectives and a multi-faceted view of movement.
Not sure that this is the best subject for multisonic. So here’s ‘woman running, multisonic effect’ …
N - Night Vision
The night vision photographic effect is a technique used to capture images in low-light conditions, typically mimicking the appearance of images seen through night vision goggles. This effect is characterized by a green monochromatic color palette, which is a result of the way night vision technology amplifies light. In actual night vision equipment, this green hue is due to the phosphor screen on which the electron image is projected; the human eye can differentiate more shades of green than other phosphor colors.
O - Overlay
The overlay effect in photography and digital imaging involves superimposing one image on top of another, creating a composite that blends elements of both images. This technique is widely used for artistic, creative, and practical purposes, allowing photographers and designers to merge different visual elements into a single cohesive image.
In this image I specified ‘overlay with flowers’ as the effect.
P - Pinhole Effect
The pinhole effect in photography refers to images taken with a pinhole camera, a simple camera without a lens but with a tiny aperture - a pinhole. This effect can be characterized by its infinite depth of field, meaning everything in the scene, from the foreground to the background, is in relatively equal focus. The physics behind this involves the camera obscura principle, where light passes through a small hole and projects an inverted image on the opposite side.
Images produced by pinhole cameras have a distinct softness due to the diffraction of light at the edges of the pinhole. This softness contrasts with the sharpness typically associated with lens-based photography. The exposure times for pinhole photography are usually much longer than conventional photography due to the small size of the aperture, leading to interesting effects with moving subjects and changing light.
Q - QuasarBurst
The quasarburst effect involves adding radial, rainbow-like star filter effects during post-processing to simulate the appearance of a quasar. A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. Quasars emit jets of plasma and radiation, including visible light, that can extend thousands of light years into space.
The effect can make for eye-catching sci-fi or space-themed photography. It dramatizes and adds an extraterrestrial vibe using purely photographic and digital post-production techniques here on Earth.
R - Rolling Shutter Effect
The rolling shutter effect refers to visual distortions that can occur with photographs and videos taken with CMOS image sensors. Unlike a global shutter which exposes the entire frame at once, a rolling shutter exposures the image progressively by scanning across the frame either horizontally or vertically. This can cause skew, wobble, smear, partial exposure, and other distortions with fast moving subjects or when the camera itself is in motion.
What Next?
As always, make the prompts your own and experiment with different image and effect combinations.
And Finally
If you like this prompt, don’t forget to add it to your copy of the AI Prompt Pod. If you don’t yet have a copy, you can find out more HERE.
Muito bom irmão! Essa série vale ouro!
Muito agradecido por isso. Eu que gosto de trabalhar com fotografia expressiva, po, fiquei muito feliz ao ver ontem, a primeira.