The Power User
Guide to Midjourney

The Power-User Mindset

Most beginners prompt like this: "cool cyberpunk samurai in the rain". Power users think in layers, making deliberate decisions across six axes before generating a single image.

Choose the Right Model

The model version changes everything: prompt obedience, style, available parameters, and editing compatibility. Make this decision first.

Anatomy of a Strong Prompt

Use this structure as a mental checklist — you don't need every component, but knowing them makes every prompt intentional.

[subject] + [action/context] + [environment] + [composition/framing]
+ [medium] + [lighting] + [style/aesthetic]
+ [technical/camera details] + [constraints] --parameters

a weathered astronaut DJ performing in a small underground club on Europa,
crowd reflected in the visor, low-angle cinematic composition,
volumetric blue lighting, editorial sci-fi photography,
realistic textures, high contrast, shallow depth of field
--ar 16:9 --stylize 200 --v 8.1

Aspect Ratio — --ar

Choose your aspect ratio before thinking about composition. A "wide establishing shot" needs 16:9; a character portrait needs 4:5 or 2:3. Getting this wrong wastes your composition.

Stylize — --s

Controls how strongly Midjourney applies its own aesthetic taste over your literal instructions. Low values give you more control; high values give you more beauty.

Chaos — --c

Increases variation across the grid of outputs. Use high chaos to explore, low chaos once you've found a direction.

Raw Mode — --raw

Reduces Midjourney's default aesthetic interpretation. Use it when Midjourney keeps "beautifying" things you want to look real.

documentary photo of a small family-owned diner in Seattle on a rainy morning,
natural light, realistic street photography --raw --ar 3:2 --v 8.1

Seed — --seed

Seeds help you reproduce or systematically vary from a similar starting point. Essential for A/B testing prompt changes and building consistent visual series.

Use seed when comparing parameter changes, trying alternate styles while preserving composition, or A/B testing prompt wording with a controlled variable.

Negative Prompting — --no

Use --no to remove unwanted elements. Target categories, not exhaustive lists.

clean product photo of a black ceramic coffee mug on a walnut desk,
soft morning light --no text, logo, watermark, hands --ar 4:5

Tile, Weird + More

hand-drawn botanical pattern, Pacific Northwest ferns and mushrooms,
vintage textile print --tile --ar 1:1

a luxury perfume bottle designed by alien oceanographers,
iridescent glass, museum product photography --weird 500 --s 400 --ar 4:5

Image References: The Real Unlock

Midjourney has several distinct reference systems. They are not interchangeable — understanding which to use is a core power-user skill.

Style Reference — --sref

One of the most important advanced features. Captures the visual vibe of an existing image — colors, medium, textures, and lighting — without copying the objects or people in it.

a modern chair in a quiet sunlit room --sref [image URL] --sw 200 --ar 4:5 --v 8.1

[subject], [scene], [composition], [medium]
--sref [style image] --sw 200 --ar [ratio] --seed [number]

Omni Reference — --oref

For subject consistency. Lets you put a character, object, vehicle, or creature from a reference image into new creations. Compatible with V7 — not V8.1.

a heroic portrait of the same robot gardener standing in a misty Pacific Northwest forest,
cinematic backlight --oref [robot image] --ow 300 --ar 4:5 --v 7

a small orange delivery robot waiting at a rainy bus stop in Tokyo at night,
cinematic street photography
--oref [robot reference] --ow 350
--sref [neon rainy photo] --sw 250
--ar 16:9 --v 7

Moodboards

Broader than Style References. A Moodboard lets you select a collection of images to create a unique visual world for a project — when words alone aren't enough.

Personalization — --p

Acts like a style assistant. Learns from images you've liked and uses that information to tailor generations toward your taste. Useful for less generic outputs and building a consistent "house style."

a minimalist poster of Jupiter over a calm ocean,
geometric shapes, elegant negative space --p --ar 2:3 --v 8.1

The Editing Workflow

The web Editor combines Remix, Vary Region, Pan, and Zoom Out — and works on both generated images and uploaded personal images.

HD & Final Quality

V8.1 supports HD generation. The key rule: don't burn HD generations during exploration. Use SD or draft mode to find the right image, then generate the final version in HD.

Repeatable Prompt Formulas

Copy-paste templates for common image types. Customize the bracketed variables.

[subject] in [environment], [specific action], cinematic still,
[camera angle], [lens], [lighting], [mood], detailed production design
--ar 16:9 --s 200 --v 8.1

[product] on [surface/background], [lighting],
premium editorial product photography, sharp focus, clean composition
--ar 4:5 --raw --s 80 --v 8.1

[character], [silhouette description], [costume], [personality trait],
full-body character concept art, neutral background, detailed costume design
--ar 2:3 --s 250 --v 8.1

[subject/product] in [scene], [brand adjectives], [composition], [lighting]
--p [moodboard] --sref [style image] --sw 150 --ar 4:5 --v 8.1

[space] designed in [style], [materials], [plants/furniture], [lighting],
architectural visualization, realistic, clean composition
--ar 16:9 --raw --s 100 --v 8.1

[main subject], [action or pose], [environment], [time of day / lighting],
[composition / camera angle], [medium or rendering style],
[materials / textures], [mood], [important details], [constraints]
--ar [ratio] --s [value] --c [value]
--raw / --p / --sref / --oref (as needed)
--v [version]

Workflows by Use Case

a shocked software engineer staring at a glowing AI dashboard,
dramatic lighting, clean empty space on left for title,
cinematic YouTube thumbnail composition
--ar 16:9 --s 250 --v 8.1 --no words, letters, watermark

[location], quiet cinematic editorial photography,
soft overcast light, natural textures, calm atmosphere
--sref [style reference] --sw 200 --ar 3:2 --v 8.1

Troubleshooting Guide

Parameter Cheat Sheet

The 80/20 Power Stack

If you only master a few things, master these ten. They cover the vast majority of use cases.

The Midjourney Operating System

A repeatable 7-step framework for every job, from brief to final output.

[prompt] --c 30 --s 300 --ar [ratio] --v 8.1

[refined prompt] --c 5 --s 150 --seed [seed] --ar [ratio] --v 8.1

[prompt] --sref [style image] --sw 200 --p [moodboard] --ar [ratio] --v 8.1

[final prompt] --hd --ar [ratio] --v 8.1

Final Pro Tips

The Prompt Builder

Assemble a prompt the way this guide recommends: layer by layer, then parameters. Fill what you need, skip what you don't. The prompt updates live, ordered to match the Master Template.