Create Stunning Food Photos Using Midjourney AI

Tired of basic food photos? Want to make your dishes look like they belong in a gourmet magazine? Professional food photography can be expensive. But what if you could use AI to get amazing results without the high cost?

Midjourney is a powerful AI tool that can help you do just that. You can take a simple picture from your kitchen and turn it into a polished, professional-looking image perfect for menus, websites, or even stock photos. This guide shows you how to use Midjourney to upgrade your food visuals.

Set Up Midjourney for Food Photo Success

If you already use Midjourney on Discord, you're ready. If not, you'll need to get it set up. A good first step recommended here is to create your own private server on Discord for Midjourney. This keeps your work organized and separate from others' generations. Plus, it's flexible for adding bots or friends later.

Create a Private Server

• Click the plus sign on the left side in Discord.

• Choose "Create My Own".

• Select "For me and my friends".

• Give your server a name and optionally add an image.

Add the Midjourney Bot

• Go to any server where the Midjourney bot is (like the official Midjourney server).

• Find the Midjourney bot in the user list on the right.

• Right-click the bot and select "Profile".

• Click "Add App".

• Choose the server you just made.

• Click "Continue" and "Authorize".

• Complete the quick checks.

Now you can use Midjourney commands directly in your private server.

Check Your Midjourney Settings

In your private server, type `/settings`. Make sure your default version is V6. Also, ensure the Remix mode is turned on. You can adjust other settings here if you like, but V6 and Remix are important for this process.

Using a private server helps keep your creative process focused. If you want to make your Midjourney workflow even better and faster, consider exploring options like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT. It can streamline tasks and help you manage your generations efficiently.

Start with a Real Photo (Image Prompt)

Midjourney V6 is great at creating realistic images. However, it might not always make a dish look exactly like the one you have. To keep accuracy and show people what they will actually get, use a real photo of the dish as a reference. This helps Midjourney understand the key elements it needs to include.

Understanding Your Image with AI

Before prompting, you might want to see how AI interprets your image. You can use Midjourney's `/describe` command by typing `/describe` and uploading your image. Midjourney gives you four prompt ideas. Note that the `/describe` command is often better suited for older Midjourney versions than V6 and might not be perfectly accurate (it might mistake wontons for chicken, for example).

A potentially better option for V6 is to use an AI like ChatGPT (if you have a paid version that accepts images). Upload your food photo to ChatGPT and ask it to describe what it sees in a concise paragraph. This often gives a description closer to natural language, which works well with the newer Midjourney V6 method.

Take the useful descriptive parts from either `/describe` or ChatGPT to help build your text prompt later. Remove any extra interpretation or creative flair that doesn't strictly describe the visuals.

Build Your Midjourney Prompt

For transforming your food photo, you'll use a simple prompt structure that includes your reference image and text describing what you want.

The formula is: [Image URL] + [Text Prompt] + [Parameters]

Get the Image URL

• Upload your photo to Discord by clicking the plus sign in the message bar and selecting your image.

• Send the image to Discord.

• Click on the image to open it full size.

• Right-click the image and select "Copy Image Address". This is your Image URL.

Write Your Text Prompt

Type `/imagine` in the message bar, paste the Image URL, and add a space. Then, add your text prompt. A simple structure works well for food: Composition/Medium, Subject, Details.

Example based on the subtitles: `gourmet food photography of a bowl of wonton noodle soup placed on a table top. The soup has clear broth with white noodles and is garnish with beansprouts and fresh cilantro on top.`

This prompt follows the structure: `Gourmet food photography` (Medium/Style), `bowl of wonton noodle soup placed on a table top` (Subject/Composition), `The soup has clear broth with white noodles and is garnish with beansprouts and fresh cilantro on top` (Details).

Add Parameters

Parameters follow the text prompt and start with `--`. They let you influence the image generation.

• `--iw [number]`: Image Weight. Controls how much the original image affects the result. Range is 0 to 3 in V6. Higher numbers mean the result looks more like the original photo. Default is 1. Using 2 or 3 is often good for food photos you want to look like the real thing but improved.

• `--style raw`: Gives a more photographic, less artistic result in V6. Useful for realistic food.

• `--stylize [number]`: How artistic or opinionated Midjourney should be. Range is 0 to 1000, default 100. Higher numbers can look more artsy but might make the image less realistic or different from your prompt. Try 200 for a balance.

• `--ar [aspect ratio]`: Set the width:height ratio. Example: `--ar 16:9` for landscape, `--ar 9:16` for portrait, `--ar 1:1` for square.

• `--v 6`: Specify Version 6. If you set V6 as default in settings like mentioned before, you might not need this here.

Put it all together: `/imagine [Image URL] gourmet food photography of a bowl of wonton noodle soup... --iw 2 --style raw --stylize 200 --ar 9:11`

Creating many variations and finding the perfect prompt can take time. Tools designed to help manage this process can be a big advantage. Check out the Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT to see how you can make your workflow more efficient.

Refine Your Image with Vary Region

After you generate your first results, you'll get four options. You can upscale the one you like best (U buttons) or create more variations of one (V buttons). The Vary Region tool is very useful once you upscale an image.

Click the 'Vary Region' button under an upscaled image. This opens an editing panel where you can select part of the image to change. Use the selection tools (box or freehand) to highlight the area you want to adjust (e.g., adding chilies, placing an egg).

Type a new prompt for the selected area. For example, to addchilies, select a spot and prompt: `red chili peppers on top`. To add an egg, select a spot and prompt: `a soy sauce marinated egg`.

Sometimes, adding complex elements like a specific type of egg might require using another image as a reference *within* the Vary Region prompt. Upload an image of the desired egg, copy its URL, and use `[Egg Image URL] a soy sauce marinated egg --iw 2` within the Vary Region panel where you want the egg to appear.

Change the Background

You can also change the background using Vary Region. Upscale an image, click Vary Region, and select the background area. Be careful to select as much of the background as possible, trying not to leave colored pixels from the dish edge.

Prompt for the new background. Example from the subtitles: `marble table with ingredients such as cilantro, ginger, and red chili peppers. artistically arranged around the dish on the table in a gourmet photography style.`

If the background doesn't change much, it might be because the initial influence of the dish is too strong. Sometimes removing the background of your *original* reference image before using it can help prevent this, although it wasn't demonstrated here.

After changing the background, you might want to zoom out to add more space or place more items. Use the 'Zoom Out' buttons (1.5x or 2x) or 'Custom Zoom' (where you can specify the zoom amount like `--zoom 1.7`) under the upscaled image. This generates new images with more area around the plate, allowing you to refine the composition.

Mastering Midjourney involves experimentation. Don't be afraid to try different prompts, parameters, and variations. Automating repetitive tasks or managing many generations can save you lots of time. Find out how the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT could help you optimize your image creation process.

Use Your New Gourmet Food Photos

Once you have generated and refined your stunning food images, you can use them in many ways:

• Menu Design: Use them large format or remove the background (with tools like removal software) to display dishes neatly in a grid.

• Online Platforms: Enhance your listings on delivery apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash.

• Stock Photos: Sell your AI-generated images on platforms that accept them, like Wirestock or Adobe Stock, for passive income.

Final Thoughts

Turning simple food photos into gourmet visuals with Midjourney AI is totally possible. By starting with a real image, writing clear prompts, and using tools like Vary Region and Zoom Out, you can create professional-quality pictures. It takes some practice, but the results can save you money and make your food look irresistible.

Keep experimenting with different prompts and techniques. The AI world is always changing, and finding your own workflow is key. If you're ready to take your Midjourney tasks to the next level and explore automation, check out the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT.