Writing a new product photography prompt from scratch every time you need an image is slow, and it's the reason so many AI product photos still look generic. A blank text box with no structure to fill in tends to produce a short, vague prompt - and a short, vague prompt produces the flat, plasticky, over-lit "AI look" that instantly signals a photo wasn't real.
We wrote about this problem in depth in why your AI images look generic - the short version is that generic prompts skip the layers that make a photo feel real: specific materials, a named light direction, an actual camera and lens reference. Every prompt in this library exists to skip that failure mode entirely.
Every prompt below follows CropUp's 6-layer framework: concept + subject + colors and materials + composition + lighting + camera and lens. That structure is what separates a prompt that reads like a photography brief from one that reads like a guess. You don't need to memorize the framework - just copy a prompt below, swap in your product and brand details, and the structure is already built in.
Use this as a working library, not a one-time read. Bookmark the section for your product category, save your best variations, and come back to the platform-specific section whenever you're prepping a new listing.
Why a prompt library beats writing from scratch
A prompt library saves two things: time and consistency. Instead of re-deriving the same lighting and material language every time you sit down to generate an image, you start from a proven structure and change only what's actually different about this product or this platform.
It also protects you from the most common shortcut that produces bad results - typing a two or three word prompt and hoping the AI fills in the rest well. It usually won't. The tools below are long and specific on purpose. Read one aloud: you should be able to picture the shot before you ever generate it. That's the test we use internally for every prompt on this site, and it's the same test worth applying to your own edits.
Midjourney product photography prompts (15 prompts)
Midjourney rewards precision in both the descriptive language and the parameters. Each prompt below is a complete, ready-to-paste Midjourney prompt - just swap in your specific product where you see the product name. Default parameters are --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw, with a few adjusted where the product category calls for it.
Skincare and beauty
'Product still life of a frosted glass skincare serum bottle, cool sage green liquid visible through the glass, resting on a white marble surface with subtle gray veining, soft diffused window light from the left, minimal negative space, shot on a Canon 100mm macro lens, shallow depth of field, premium skincare campaign --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'A ceramic jar of face cream with a matte white lid, set on a warm sand-toned linen cloth, golden hour side lighting casting a soft long shadow, a single eucalyptus sprig softly out of focus in the background, shot on 85mm lens at f/2.8, editorial beauty photography --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Amber glass dropper bottle of face oil standing upright on a wet dark stone surface, water droplets on the stone reflecting soft studio light from above, deep charcoal background fading to black, dramatic rim lighting along the bottle's edge, shot on a 50mm lens, luxury spa aesthetic --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 180 --raw'
Food and beverage
'A glass bottle of cold-pressed juice with a kraft paper label, condensation beading on the glass, set on a rustic wooden cutting board next to sliced citrus, warm natural window light from the right, shallow depth of field, shot on 100mm macro lens, appetizing commercial food photography --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Artisan chocolate bar unwrapped on dark slate, one square broken off revealing a smooth matte interior, cocoa powder dusted softly around the base, warm directional light from above, rich brown and cream color palette, macro lens detail shot, gourmet product photography --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Craft coffee bag standing on a rustic wooden table, whole coffee beans scattered casually around the base, warm morning light streaming through a window at a low angle, steam rising from a blurred mug in the background, shot on 85mm lens, cozy lifestyle commercial photography --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
Fashion accessories and jewelry
'Gold minimalist ring displayed on a raw black stone pedestal, dramatic single-source studio lighting from the upper left creating sharp reflective highlights, deep matte black background, shot on a 100mm macro lens, ultra crisp focus on the metal detail, luxury jewelry photography --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 200 --raw'
'Leather crossbody bag resting on a cream boucle textured surface, soft diffused daylight from a large window, warm neutral tones throughout, one hand-tied leather tassel in soft focus foreground, shot on 50mm lens, minimalist accessory editorial --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Pair of silver hoop earrings laid on a piece of black velvet fabric, dramatic side rim lighting catching the metal edge, deep shadow falling across the velvet's texture, shot on 100mm macro lens, high contrast jewelry editorial style --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 200 --raw'
Candles and home fragrance
'Amber glass candle with a lit wick, soft warm flame glow illuminating the surrounding matte wax, set on a raw wood side table, warm ambient room light, dried lavender sprigs blurred in the foreground, shot on 85mm lens at f/2, cozy lifestyle photography --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Minimalist matte ceramic candle vessel on a warm terracotta surface, soft golden hour light from the side, subtle wax texture visible at the rim, a single dried eucalyptus stem resting beside it, shot on 100mm macro lens, warm autumnal home fragrance styling --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Three-wick candle in a frosted glass jar, unlit, arranged on a linen-draped surface with soft window light from above, neutral warm palette, subtle shadow pooling beneath the jar, shot on 50mm lens, clean home decor commercial style --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 130 --raw'
Ceramics and handmade goods
'Handthrown stoneware mug with a matte glaze finish, sitting on a rough linen cloth next to a wooden spoon, warm natural side light emphasizing the clay's texture and small imperfections, shallow depth of field, shot on 85mm lens, authentic handmade pottery photography --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Ceramic bowl with a hand-painted glaze pattern, set on a raw wood table with morning light casting long soft shadows, warm earthy color palette, a single dried flower resting inside the bowl, shot on 100mm macro lens, artisan maker photography --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'Small unglazed terracotta planter on a weathered stone ledge, dappled natural sunlight filtering through leaves overhead, soft moving shadow pattern across the surface, warm neutral tones, shot on 50mm lens, organic handmade product photography --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
ChatGPT and DALL-E product photography prompts (10 prompts)
ChatGPT and DALL-E don't support Midjourney-style parameter flags like --ar or --stylize. Instead, everything - aspect ratio preference, lighting, composition, mood - needs to be written as plain, natural instructions in the same sentence. The trick is not to drop the specificity, just the syntax: describe the material, the light, and the framing conversationally instead of with a flag.
Skincare and beauty
'Create a clean product photo of a frosted glass skincare bottle sitting on a white marble surface. Light it with soft, diffused window light coming from the left side, and keep the background minimal with plenty of negative space. Make it look like a premium beauty campaign shot, tightly focused on the bottle with a shallow depth of field.'
'Generate a warm, editorial-style photo of a ceramic face cream jar with a matte white lid, placed on a warm linen cloth. Use golden hour side lighting that casts a soft long shadow, and add a single sprig of eucalyptus softly blurred in the background for texture.'
Food and beverage
'Photograph a glass bottle of cold-pressed juice with a kraft paper label, with visible condensation on the glass. Place it on a rustic wooden cutting board next to some sliced citrus fruit. Light it with warm natural window light coming from the right, and keep the depth of field shallow so the background softly blurs.'
'Create an appetizing product shot of an artisan chocolate bar on dark slate, with one square broken off to reveal the smooth interior. Dust a little cocoa powder softly around the base and light it from above with warm directional light for a rich, gourmet feel.'
Fashion accessories and jewelry
'Create a luxury jewelry photo of a minimalist gold ring displayed on a raw black stone pedestal. Use dramatic single-source studio lighting from the upper left to create sharp, reflective highlights on the metal, and keep the background a deep matte black. Make the focus ultra crisp on the ring's detail.'
'Photograph a leather crossbody bag resting on a cream boucle textured surface. Light it with soft, diffused daylight from a large window, keep the tones warm and neutral, and add one leather tassel softly out of focus in the foreground for a minimalist accessory editorial feel.'
Candles and home fragrance
'Create a cozy lifestyle photo of an amber glass candle with a lit wick, glowing warmly against the surrounding matte wax. Place it on a raw wood side table with warm ambient room light, and add some dried lavender sprigs softly blurred in the foreground.'
'Photograph a minimalist matte ceramic candle vessel on a warm terracotta surface with soft golden hour side lighting. Show subtle wax texture at the rim and place a single dried eucalyptus stem resting beside it for a warm, autumnal home fragrance feel.'
Ceramics and handmade goods
'Create an authentic handmade pottery photo of a handthrown stoneware mug with a matte glaze finish, sitting on a rough linen cloth next to a wooden spoon. Use warm natural side light that emphasizes the clay's texture and small imperfections, with a shallow depth of field.'
'Photograph a ceramic bowl with a hand-painted glaze pattern on a raw wood table, lit with morning light that casts long soft shadows. Keep the color palette warm and earthy, and place a single dried flower resting inside the bowl for an artisan maker feel.'
Nano Banana placement prompts (10 prompts)
Nano Banana works differently from Midjourney and ChatGPT - instead of generating a product from a text description, it places your real product reference photo into a scene, keeping your actual label, shape, and color intact. Every prompt below needs a position, a lighting-interaction instruction, and a shadow instruction to composite convincingly. See our Nano Banana product photography guide for the full step-by-step workflow.
Marble surface placement
'Place the product from the reference image centered on the white marble surface with warm gray veining, sitting flat and upright. Catch the soft diffused window light coming from the left with a gentle highlight along the product's right edge, and cast a soft natural contact shadow falling to the right on the marble.'
'Position the product from the reference image slightly off-center on the marble surface, rotated 20 degrees to show the front label clearly. Let the overhead studio light create a soft, even highlight across the top of the product, with a short, tight shadow directly beneath it.'
Lifestyle environment placement
'Place the product from the reference image on the wooden kitchen counter in this scene, positioned in the lower third of the frame slightly left of center. Match the warm afternoon light already in the scene, letting it fall naturally across the product's surface, and add a soft, elongated shadow extending to the right that matches the scene's existing light direction.'
'Composite the product from the reference image onto the linen-draped side table in this living room scene, upright and centered in the empty space near the lamp. Match the warm, soft interior lighting already present, with a gentle shadow pooling beneath the base consistent with the lamp's light angle.'
Outdoor scene placement
'Place the product from the reference image on the weathered stone ledge in this outdoor scene, positioned centrally with dappled natural sunlight already filtering through leaves overhead. Let the existing dappled light pattern fall naturally across the product's surface, and cast a soft moving-shadow effect beneath it that matches the light coming through the foliage.'
'Position the product from the reference image on the picnic blanket in this outdoor garden scene, slightly right of center. Match the warm golden hour sunlight already present in the scene, coming from a low angle on the left, and add a long, soft shadow extending to the right consistent with that light direction.'
Editorial background placement
'Place the product from the reference image centered against the deep charcoal editorial background, upright and facing the camera directly. Apply dramatic single-source studio lighting from the upper left to create a sharp rim highlight along the product's edge, with a tight, dark shadow falling directly beneath it.'
'Composite the product from the reference image into the minimal studio scene, positioned slightly left of center on the raised pedestal. Match the soft gradient studio lighting from above, with a subtle reflective highlight on the product's surface and a soft, short shadow directly below it.'
Flat lay arrangement placement
'Place the product from the reference image into the top-down flat lay arrangement, positioned in the upper right quadrant of the frame at a natural resting angle. Match the even, soft overhead lighting already present in the scene, with a short, soft shadow directly beneath the product consistent with the top-down light source.'
'Composite the product from the reference image into the flat lay scene, centered among the surrounding props, angled at 30 degrees to show the label. Match the warm, diffused overhead light already in the scene, and cast a soft, small shadow pooling just beneath the product's base.'
Platform-specific prompts (10 prompts)
Each platform has its own visual expectations and, in some cases, hard technical requirements. These prompts are tuned for where the image will actually be published.
Amazon white-background
'[product] centered on a pure white seamless background, studio lighting, no shadows, no props, product fills 85 percent of frame, commercial product photography, crisp focus edge to edge --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 60 --raw'
'[product] photographed dead-center on a pure white cyclorama background, even top-down studio lighting with no visible shadow, sharp focus across the entire product, no props or text, e-commerce main image standard --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 60 --raw'
Instagram feed
'[product] styled on a warm linen surface with a few soft out-of-focus props in the background, natural window light from the side, warm and inviting color palette, shot on 85mm lens, scroll-stopping social feed aesthetic --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 170 --raw'
'[product] in a bright, minimal flat lay with one or two complementary props, soft diffused overhead light, clean neutral background, contemporary Instagram feed styling --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 170 --raw'
'[product] on a rustic wooden surface with soft natural window light and gentle seasonal styling props softly blurred in the background, warm inspirational mood, vertical composition with generous negative space at the top for text overlay --ar 2:3 --v 8.1 --stylize 160 --raw'
'[product] styled in a cozy, aspirational home setting with warm ambient light and a soft, muted color palette, vertical framing with breathing room above the product for a text overlay, Pinterest-optimized composition --ar 2:3 --v 8.1 --stylize 160 --raw'
Etsy listing
'[product] resting on a warm linen surface, soft natural window light from the left, wooden table with subtle grain, dried flowers softly out of focus in the background, warm golden undertones, shallow depth of field, handmade artisanal feel --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
'[product] photographed on a raw wood surface with a handwoven textile draped softly nearby, warm golden-hour light, slightly imperfect and authentic styling, maker's workspace atmosphere --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
Shopify hero
'[product] as the hero of a wide banner composition, generous negative space on one side for headline text, soft studio lighting with a subtle gradient background matching the brand's color palette, premium e-commerce hero image --ar 16:9 --v 8.1 --stylize 140 --raw'
'[product] positioned off-center in a wide cinematic composition with clean negative space for a headline, soft directional light creating gentle depth, polished brand-website hero banner aesthetic --ar 16:9 --v 8.1 --stylize 140 --raw'
Video base image prompts (5 prompts)
These prompts are designed to produce a still image first, which you then animate afterward in Higgsfield or Midjourney Video - never generate video directly from a blank prompt. Each one includes a short animation-direction note describing the motion to apply once the still exists.
'[product] centered on a marble surface with soft window light from the left, generous empty space above and to the right of the product, calm and minimal composition --ar 9:16 --v 8.1 --stylize 140 --raw'
Animation direction: slow, subtle push-in on the product with a gentle handheld drift, 3-4 seconds.
'[product] on a rotating pedestal against a soft gradient studio background, dramatic single-source side lighting creating a clean rim highlight --ar 1:1 --v 8.1 --stylize 130 --raw'
Animation direction: slow 360-degree product rotation, steady camera, 4-5 seconds.
'[product] resting on a linen surface with a soft breeze-blown sheer curtain visible in the background, warm natural light from a window just out of frame --ar 9:16 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
Animation direction: gentle curtain movement in the background with the product held static, 4 seconds.
'[product] with a softly blurred foreground element in frame, warm golden hour light streaming diagonally across the composition, shallow depth of field --ar 16:9 --v 8.1 --stylize 150 --raw'
Animation direction: rack focus from the blurred foreground element to the product, 3 seconds.
'[product] on a reflective dark surface with a single overhead light source, subtle steam or mist rising softly beside it, moody and cinematic tone --ar 4:5 --v 8.1 --stylize 170 --raw'
Animation direction: slow rising mist with a subtle ambient light flicker, camera held static, 4-5 seconds.
Negative prompt library (10 prompts)
Pair any prompt above with a matching negative prompt to strip out the most common failure modes. See what is a negative prompt for the full breakdown of how --no works in Midjourney.
Remove people and hands
'--no people, hands, fingers, body parts, human figures, faces, crowds'
'--no extra fingers, distorted hands, holding gestures, partial limbs, reflections of a person'
Remove text and logos
'--no text, words, letters, numbers, typography, signs, watermarks, captions'
'--no logos, brand names, trademarks, copyright symbols, competitor branding, unintended labels'
Remove AI artifacts
'--no distorted geometry, warped edges, anatomical errors, noise, grain, pixelation, low quality, blurry, out of focus'
'--no melted texture, duplicated elements, asymmetrical errors, unnatural reflections, morphed surfaces'
Remove generic backgrounds
'--no plain gray backdrop, generic gradient, stock photo studio background, corporate seamless paper'
'--no cluttered background, competing products, busy patterns, distracting props, harsh mismatched shadows'
Remove plastic and synthetic look
'--no plastic feel, oversaturated colors, HDR, artificial bokeh, oversharpened, plastic skin, too smooth, stock photo feel'
'--no waxy texture, artificial sheen, uncanny symmetry, sterile lighting, clinical background, fake glossy finish'
Customizing these prompts for your brand
Every prompt in this library uses generic material and lighting language on purpose - "warm linen surface," "soft window light," "matte ceramic" - so it's easy to see the structure clearly. The fastest way to make any of these prompts genuinely on-brand is to replace those generic descriptors with your own brand's specific vocabulary.
Start with your brand's color language and material words - the exact terms you'd use to describe your surfaces, textures, and palette, not just "nice" or "premium." Then define your lighting signature: does your brand read as warm and golden, cool and clinical, or soft and diffused? Use our AI Visual Style Finder if you haven't defined this yet, or build a complete list of brand-specific words with the Brand Vocabulary Builder.
Once you have that vocabulary, go back through any prompt above and swap the generic surface, material, and lighting words for your own. The 6-layer structure - concept, subject, colors and materials, composition, lighting, camera and lens - stays exactly the same. Only the specific words inside each layer change.