TL;DR: What You'll Learn

• 10 common image prompt mistakes cause 80%+ of failed generations

• Vague style terms like "professional" or "high quality" produce random results

• Composition mistakes waste 40-60% of image space or crop subjects poorly

• Lighting direction matters more than lighting quality for consistent results

• Tool-specific errors: Midjourney over-interprets, Nano Banana optimizes portraits differently

Most failed image generations aren't caused by tool limitations. They're caused by predictable, fixable prompt mistakes.

When Midjourney produces generic stock photo aesthetics, Nano Banana misses the mark on portrait composition, or either tool generates technically correct but visually unusable images, the problem is usually prompt structure.

This guide covers the 10 most common image generation prompt mistakes with instant diagnostic fixes for Midjourney and Nano Banana.

The Three Categories of Image Prompt Failure

Every mistake falls into one of three categories.

Category 1: Unclear Visual Direction (50% of failures)

Vague style terms, missing composition guidance, ambiguous aesthetic references. AI fills gaps with generic defaults.

Symptoms: Stock photo look, random composition choices, inconsistent aesthetic, could-be-anyone results.

Category 2: Technical Specification Errors (35% of failures)

Wrong aspect ratios, conflicting parameters, inappropriate constraints for intended use.

Symptoms: Unusable formats, cropped subjects, technical quality issues, platform incompatibility.

Category 3: Conceptual Complexity (15% of failures)

Trying to generate impossible combinations, too many competing elements, abstract concepts requiring visual specificity.

Symptoms: Confused compositions, elements compete for attention, AI picks arbitrary interpretation, incoherent results.

The 10 Most Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Vague Style References

The error: "Professional photo" or "high quality image" without concrete style definition.

Why it fails: These terms have no specific visual meaning. Professional product photography differs from professional portraiture differs from professional architectural photography.

Symptoms:

• Generic stock photo aesthetic

• Inconsistent results across generations

• No recognizable style signature

• Default AI interpretations

Instant fix: Use specific photographer names, publication styles, or brand aesthetics.

Before: "Professional headshot, high quality"

After: "Corporate headshot in Peter Hurley style: warm approachable professional, soft beauty lighting from front-left creating gentle catchlights, neutral grey background slightly defocused, confident natural smile, business casual attire, intimate portrait feel"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Responds strongly to photographer names (Annie Leibovitz, Peter Hurley, Steve McCurry)

• Nano Banana: Optimized for portrait styles, mention "dating profile" or "LinkedIn professional" for best results

Mistake 2: No Composition Specification

The error: Describing what's in image without specifying how elements arrange spatially.

Why it fails: AI makes arbitrary composition choices that may not serve your purpose (subject too small, wrong framing, unusable negative space).

Symptoms:

• Subject takes up entire frame when you needed negative space

• Elements positioned randomly

• Can't add text overlay where needed

• Wrong aspect for intended platform

Instant fix: Specify framing, subject positioning, and negative space allocation.

Before: "Coffee mug on desk"

After: "Coffee mug positioned left third of frame, overhead flat-lay composition, 60% negative space on right side for text overlay, desk surface white marble, mug showing handle and interior, 4:5 aspect ratio for Instagram --ar 4:5"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Use rule of thirds, golden ratio, centered composition as explicit guides

• Nano Banana: Portrait framing automatically optimized, but specify if you need specific crop

Mistake 3: Lighting Direction Missing

The error: "Good lighting" or "natural light" without specifying direction and quality.

Why it fails: Lighting direction determines mood dramatically. Overhead, side, back, front lighting create completely different feels.

Symptoms:

• Flat boring lighting

• Harsh unflattering shadows

• Mood doesn't match intent

• Inconsistent across generations

Instant fix: Specify light source position and shadow direction.

Before: "Portrait with good natural lighting"

After: "Portrait with natural window light from left side creating Rembrandt lighting triangle on right cheek, soft diffused quality, warm golden afternoon tone, gentle shadow gradation, highlights on left side of face, 3:2 aspect ratio --ar 3:2"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Responds to technical lighting terms (Rembrandt, butterfly, loop, split lighting)

• Nano Banana: Automatically optimizes portrait lighting, but specific direction improves consistency

Mistake 4: Over-Describing Every Detail

The error: Exhaustive list of every element hoping AI includes everything.

Why it fails: AI tries to satisfy all requirements, produces cluttered composition with competing visual elements.

Symptoms:

• Busy overwhelming composition

• No clear focal point

• Elements compete for attention

• Feels cramped and chaotic

Instant fix: Focus on 2-3 essential elements, let AI handle background details naturally.

Before: "Coffee shop interior with brick walls, wooden tables, metal chairs, pendant lights, plants in corners, chalkboard menu, espresso machine, pastry display case, customers at tables, barista at counter, large windows, tile floor, ceiling fans..."

After: "Modern minimalist coffee shop interior, large windows with natural light, single customer at wooden table in foreground in soft focus, clean open space with generous negative space, Kinfolk magazine aesthetic, muted earth tones, 16:9 aspect ratio --ar 16:9"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Handles 3-5 key elements well, degrades quality beyond that

• Nano Banana: Focuses on primary subject naturally, backgrounds simplified automatically

Mistake 5: Conflicting Style Directives

The error: Asking for incompatible aesthetics simultaneously.

Why it fails: AI attempts to satisfy contradictory requirements, produces confused output that doesn't commit to either direction.

Symptoms:

• Inconsistent aesthetic within single image

• Style shifts across composition

• Neither directive fully realized

• Feels unresolved or confused

Instant fix: Choose primary style, make others subordinate or eliminate them.

Before: "Minimalist but detailed, modern vintage style, professional casual, dramatic subtle lighting, colorful black and white"

After: "Primary aesthetic: Minimalist modern (clean simple composition, generous negative space). Secondary: Warm approachable (not cold sterile), uses muted earth tones not stark whites. Lighting: Soft directional from left creating gentle shadows, not dramatic high contrast"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Often picks one directive and ignores conflicting ones

• Nano Banana: May alternate between styles unpredictably

Mistake 6: Wrong Aspect Ratio for Platform

The error: Not specifying aspect ratio or using wrong ratio for intended platform.

Why it fails: Image crops poorly when uploaded, subjects cut off, composition doesn't work in required format.

Symptoms:

• Subjects cropped awkwardly on platform

• Wasted space or missing critical elements

• Horizontal image for vertical platform

• Square crop cuts off important parts

Instant fix: Specify platform-appropriate aspect ratio upfront.

Platform aspect ratios:

• Instagram feed: 1:1 square or 4:5 portrait

• Instagram stories: 9:16 vertical

• LinkedIn post: 1.91:1 landscape or 1:1 square

• Website header: 16:9 landscape

• Blog featured image: 16:9 or 3:2 landscape

• Pinterest: 2:3 or 9:16 vertical

• YouTube thumbnail: 16:9 landscape

Before: "Product photo of headphones" (defaults to whatever AI chooses)

After: "Product photo of headphones, 1:1 square composition for Instagram feed, product centered occupying 60-70% of frame, pure white background, --ar 1:1"

Mistake 7: Assuming AI Knows Your Brand Aesthetic

The error: No style guidance assuming AI will match your brand automatically.

Why it fails: AI has no knowledge of your brand aesthetic, defaults to generic interpretations.

Symptoms:

• Doesn't match existing brand visuals

• Inconsistent across image set

• Generic look not distinctive

• Doesn't reinforce brand identity

Instant fix: Reference specific brand styles or include detailed aesthetic specifications.

Before: "Product photo for our brand"

After: "Product photography in Apple commercial aesthetic: extreme minimalism, generous negative space (70%+ empty frame), soft even lighting eliminates harsh shadows, premium feel through simplicity, clean white or light grey background, product positioned using golden ratio, --ar 16:9 --style raw"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Include --style raw to reduce AI interpretation, maintain control

• Nano Banana: Less brand-aware, requires explicit aesthetic descriptions

Mistake 8: No Background Specification

The error: Focus entirely on subject, ignore background treatment.

Why it fails: Background often dominates composition if not specified, distracts from subject, or conflicts with intended use.

Symptoms:

• Busy distracting backgrounds

• Subject blends into background

• Can't use for intended purpose (needs clean background)

• Background tells wrong story

Instant fix: Explicitly specify background treatment.

Background options:

• Pure white: "Pure white seamless background RGB 255,255,255"

• Neutral blur: "Neutral grey background softly out of focus, subject sharp"

• Environmental context: "Office environment visible but blurred, natural context for product use"

• Negative space: "Clean minimal background, 70% negative space, subtle gradient"

Before: "Portrait of business professional"

After: "Portrait of business professional, neutral grey background (RGB 180,180,180) slightly out of focus creating separation from subject, subject sharp with edge definition against background, clean professional context without distraction, 4:5 aspect ratio for LinkedIn --ar 4:5"

Mistake 9: Ignoring Depth of Field

The error: Not specifying what should be sharp vs blurred.

Why it fails: AI makes arbitrary focus choices that may emphasize wrong elements.

Symptoms:

• Wrong elements in focus

• Everything sharp when selective focus needed

• No depth or dimension

• Flat appearance

Instant fix: Specify focus plane and blur pattern.

Depth of field specifications:

• Sharp throughout: "Deep depth of field, everything in focus from foreground to background"

• Selective focus: "Shallow depth of field, subject sharp, background soft blur, f/2.8 equivalent"

• Rack focus effect: "Foreground element blurred, subject mid-ground sharp, background soft"

Before: "Coffee cup on table at cafe"

After: "Coffee cup on table at cafe, shallow depth of field focuses on cup (sharp detailed), cafe environment in soft background blur suggests context without distraction, bokeh lights from window in background, 50mm f/1.8 aesthetic, warm intimate feel"

Tool-specific notes:

• Midjourney: Responds well to photography terms (f/2.8, bokeh, shallow DOF)

• Nano Banana: Portrait mode automatically applies appropriate depth for faces

Mistake 10: Tool Mismatch for Task

The error: Using Midjourney for portraits when Nano Banana optimized for that, or vice versa.

Why it fails: Each tool has specific strengths, using wrong tool produces suboptimal results.

Symptoms:

• Mediocre results despite good prompt

• Better results when switching tools

• Fighting tool's natural tendencies

• Quality ceiling despite iteration

Instant fix: Match tool to task requirements.

Midjourney strengths:

• Artistic interpretations

• Complex compositions

• Style diversity

• Professional photography aesthetics

• Product photography

• Architectural visualization

• Conceptual artwork

Nano Banana strengths:

• Portrait photography (headshots, dating profiles)

• Human faces and expressions

• Social media profile photos

• LinkedIn professional photos

• Portrait optimization and enhancement

Task assignment:

• Corporate headshot: Nano Banana first choice, Midjourney if need specific artistic style

• Product photography: Midjourney

• Dating profile photo: Nano Banana optimized for this

• Lifestyle brand photography: Midjourney

• Professional LinkedIn photo: Nano Banana

• Architectural visualization: Midjourney

Quick Diagnostic Guide

Symptom: Generic stock photo look → Mistake: Vague style references (#1) → Fix: Add specific photographer/brand/publication style reference

Symptom: Subject too small or poorly positioned → Mistake: No composition specification (#2) → Fix: Specify framing, positioning, negative space allocation

Symptom: Flat boring lighting → Mistake: Lighting direction missing (#3) → Fix: Specify light source position and shadow direction

Symptom: Cluttered busy composition → Mistake: Over-describing (#4) → Fix: Focus on 2-3 essential elements only

Symptom: Confused inconsistent aesthetic → Mistake: Conflicting style directives (#5) → Fix: Choose one primary style, eliminate conflicts

Symptom: Crops poorly on platform → Mistake: Wrong aspect ratio (#6) → Fix: Specify platform-appropriate ratio upfront

Symptom: Doesn't match brand → Mistake: Assuming AI knows brand (#7) → Fix: Add detailed aesthetic specifications

Symptom: Distracting background → Mistake: No background specification (#8) → Fix: Explicitly define background treatment

Symptom: Wrong focus → Mistake: Ignoring depth of field (#9) → Fix: Specify what should be sharp vs blurred

Symptom: Mediocre despite good prompt → Mistake: Tool mismatch (#10) → Fix: Switch to tool optimized for your task

Prevention Checklist

Before generating, verify:

☐ Style Specification Have I used specific photographer/brand reference, not vague terms?

☐ Composition Have I specified framing, positioning, negative space?

☐ Lighting Have I defined light direction and shadow placement?

☐ Focus Is element count appropriate (2-5 main elements)?

☐ Consistency Do all directives point same direction, no conflicts?

☐ Aspect Ratio Is ratio specified and correct for intended platform?

☐ Brand Alignment Have I included aesthetic details matching brand?

☐ Background Is background treatment explicitly defined?

☐ Depth of Field Have I specified what's sharp vs blurred?

☐ Tool Selection Is this the right tool for this task?

Scoring:

• 8-10 checks: Excellent prompt, high success likelihood

• 5-7 checks: Good prompt, minor issues possible

• 2-4 checks: Weak prompt, expect problems

• 0-1 checks: Failed prompt, major revisions needed

Frequently Asked Questions

Which mistakes are most common?

Vague style references (#1) and no composition specification (#2) cause 60% of failures. Lighting direction missing (#3) causes another 15%. Fix these three first.

Do Midjourney and Nano Banana need different prompts?

Core principles same, implementation differs slightly. Midjourney responds better to photography technical terms and artistic references. Nano Banana optimized for portraits needs less composition guidance but benefits from platform context (LinkedIn, dating app).

How specific should lighting direction be?

Specify: light source position (left, right, overhead, behind), shadow direction, quality (soft/hard). Example: "Soft window light from left creating gentle shadows falling right" better than "good natural light."

Can I fix mistakes without starting over?

Usually yes. Identify specific failing component from diagnostic guide. Modify only that element. Regenerate and compare. Most mistakes fixable by adding missing specification or removing conflicts.

Why does same prompt produce different quality on different tools?

Midjourney and Nano Banana trained differently with different optimization goals. Midjourney optimizes for artistic diversity, Nano Banana for portrait quality. Prompt that works well on one may need adjustment for other.

Should I specify everything or let AI decide some things?

Specify what matters for your use case. Control critical elements (composition, style, platform specs). Let AI handle incidental details (exact background texture, minor color variations). Over-specification causes problems too.

What if technical parameters conflict with creative vision?

Technical requirements take priority if image must work for specific platform. Adjust creative vision to work within technical constraints. Better to have usable image that's 80% of creative vision than unusable image that's perfect conceptually.

How do I maintain consistency across image set?

Save successful prompts with all specifications. Change only subject-specific elements. Keep style references, lighting, composition, technical specs identical. Use same tool for entire set.

Related Reading

Foundation:

• The Prompt Anatomy Framework: Why 90% of AI Prompts Fail Across ChatGPT, Midjourney & Sora - Core framework

Image Generation:

• Midjourney & DALL-E Image Prompts 2026: From Concept to Perfect Visual Output - Complete image prompting guide

Optimization:

• AI Prompt Iteration & Optimization: How to Get Perfect ChatGPT, Claude, Nano Banana, Midjourney & Sora Results Every Time in 2026 - Systematic refinement

Text AI Mistakes:

• Common AI Prompt Mistakes 2026: Why Your ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Perplexity Prompts Fail (And How to Fix Them Fast) - Text AI troubleshooting

Templates:

• AI Prompt Templates Library 2026: 50+ Ready-to-Use Prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Midjourney, Nano Banana & Sora - Image templates

www.topfreeprompts.com

Access 80,000+ professionally engineered prompts for Midjourney, Nano Banana, and all major visual AI tools. Every image prompt demonstrates mistake-free construction with complete style specifications, composition guidance, and technical parameters for consistently excellent results.