Portrait Photography SREF Codes
Professional portrait photography SREF codes for Midjourney including studio portraits, natural light, headshots, and character studies.
Portrait SREF codes specialize in capturing people with professional photography techniques. These codes understand lighting, skin tones, depth of field, and composition specific to portraiture.
Quick Start:
Use --sref 178455688 --sw 120 for professional studio portraits, or --sref 1418553586 --sw 100 for natural light portraits.
Important:
Portrait codes work best when you focus your prompt on the subject and lighting, not on style descriptions. Let the SREF code handle the photographic style.
Without Style Reference
Basic usage with SREF
Studio Portraits
178455688 - Professional Studio Portrait
High-end studio portrait photography with perfect lighting and professional finishing.
Characteristics:
- Professional studio lighting setup
- Perfect skin tones and color accuracy
- Sharp detail with controlled depth of field
- Commercial photography quality
Best For: Corporate headshots, LinkedIn photos, professional portfolios, and commercial portrait work.
corporate headshot of a business executive --sref 178455688 --sw 140
No SREF
with --sref 178455688
Settings: SW 120-160 | Best with V7, V6.1
2872866529 - Ultra Realistic Portrait
Hyper-realistic portrait photography with exceptional detail and natural lighting.
Characteristics:
- Ultra-high detail capture
- Natural skin textures
- Realistic lighting and shadows
- Lifelike representation
close-up portrait with natural expression --sref 2872866529 1876603589 237086219 --sw 900 --c 5 --s 1000
Settings: SW 700-1000 | Best with V7 + --sv 4 | Chaos 5, Stylize 1000
Note:
This code works best with multiple SREF codes combined and very high style weights for maximum realism.
Natural Light Portraits
1418553586 - Natural Window Light
Beautiful natural window light portrait style with soft, flattering illumination.
Characteristics:
- Natural window lighting
- Soft, directional light
- Flattering skin tones
- Minimalist aesthetic
portrait by window light, soft natural illumination --sref 1418553586 440264265 --sw 100
Settings: SW 80-120 | Best with V7 + --sv 6
Combination Tip:
This code works beautifully paired with --sref 440264265 for enhanced natural light characteristics. Use --sw 100 for balanced results.
2653204188 - Soft Documentary
Soft, natural documentary style with gentle tones perfect for authentic, candid photography.
Characteristics:
- Soft natural lighting
- Documentary-style authenticity
- Gentle color grading
- Candid, unposed feel
candid portrait in natural environment --sref 2653204188 --sw 100
Settings: SW 80-130 | Best with V7, V6.1
Great for Storytelling:
Ideal for lifestyle photography, family portraits, wedding candids, and documentary-style personal branding.
Artistic & Cinematic Portraits
1097552965 - Dream Odyssey
Cinematic vintage-glazed vignettes with soft bloom and muted, saturated hues.
Characteristics:
- Cinematic vintage aesthetic
- Soft bloom and glow effects
- Muted but saturated colors
- Dreamlike atmosphere
atmospheric portrait with soft glow and vintage tones --sref 1097552965 --sw 130
Settings: SW 110-160 | Best with V7, V6.1
Artistic Applications:
Perfect for editorial fashion, music album covers, creative portraiture, and artistic personal projects with a nostalgic feel.
4029852131 - French Cinema
French new wave cinema-inspired photography with artistic documentary style.
Characteristics:
- French cinema aesthetic
- Artistic documentary approach
- Natural, authentic moments
- Sophisticated color grading
intimate portrait, French cinema style --sref 4029852131 --sw 115
Settings: SW 100-140 | Best with V7, V6.1
Cinema Inspired:
Captures the essence of French New Wave directors like Godard and Truffaut. Excellent for storytelling and character-driven portraits.
How to Use Portrait Codes
Choose Your Code
Select a code based on your desired aesthetic:
- Studio look →
--sref 178455688 - Natural light →
--sref 1418553586 - Ultra realistic →
--sref 2872866529 - Artistic/cinematic →
--sref 1097552965
Describe Your Subject
Focus on the person and content, not the style:
portrait of a woman in business attire --sref 178455688 --sw 120
Add Lighting Details
Specify lighting for better control:
portrait, soft window light from left --sref 1418553586 --sw 100
Fine-tune Style Weight
Adjust --sw to control the strength:
- Start with
--sw 120 - Increase for stronger effect
- Decrease for subtlety
Lighting Techniques
Portrait photography lives and dies by lighting. Here's how to specify different lighting setups:
Studio Lighting
portrait, three-point lighting setup --sref 178455688 --sw 140
Pro Tip:
Three-point lighting creates professional, dimensional portraits. Midjourney understands this terminology and will add appropriate key, fill, and rim lights.
Natural Light
portrait, soft window light from left side --sref 1418553586 --sw 100
Golden Hour
outdoor portrait, golden hour sunlight --sref 2653204188 --sw 110
Lighting Direction Matters:
Always specify the direction of light (e.g., "from left", "from behind", "overhead") for more predictable and professional results.
Camera Equipment Specifications
Add camera details for enhanced realism and professional quality:
Professional Studio Setup
portrait, shot on Canon 5D Mark IV, 85mm f/1.4 lens --sref 178455688 --sw 140
Natural Documentary Style
portrait, shot on Fujifilm X-T4, 56mm f/1.2 --sref 2653204188 --sw 100
Popular Portrait Lenses:
85mm f/1.4 - Classic portrait lens with beautiful bokeh 50mm f/1.2 - Natural perspective, versatile 135mm f/2 - Compressed, ultra-flattering look
Composition & Framing
Enhance your prompts with these composition keywords:
Depth of Field Keywords:
- "shallow depth of field"
- "bokeh background"
- "f/1.4 aperture"
- "background separation"
Expression & Emotion:
- "confident expression"
- "contemplative mood"
- "warm smile"
- "serious, professional demeanor"
Camera Angles:
- "eye-level shot"
- "slightly above eye level"
- "profile view"
- "three-quarter angle"
Composition Tip:
Combining framing with expression creates more dynamic portraits. Example: "three-quarter angle portrait with confident expression"
Style Weight Guide
| Range | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 80-110 | Light, natural | Candid, documentary style |
| 110-140 | Standard professional | Most portraits |
| 140-180 | Enhanced characteristics | Studio, commercial work |
| 180+ | Ultra-stylized | Hyper-detailed, artistic |
Note:
Tip: Start with --sw 120 and adjust up or down based on results.
Combining Codes
Mix portrait codes for unique styles:
portrait --sref 178455688::2 2653204188::1 --sw 120
This combines professional studio quality (2 parts) with documentary naturalism (1 part).
Advanced Technique:
Use the ::weight syntax to control the influence of each SREF code. Higher numbers mean stronger influence. Experiment with different ratios for unique hybrid styles.
Note:
When combining codes, start with lower --sw values (100-120) to prevent over-stylization. You can always increase later.
Related Collections
- Fashion & Editorial - High-end fashion portraits
- Documentary & Street - Candid portraiture
- Photorealistic Overview - All photography styles
- All SREF Categories - Explore other styles
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