Midjourney lighting prompts: giving light a clear, visible source

A common problem in AI portraits is glowing light with no identifiable origin, which persists even when generic terms like cinematic lighting are added. The guide recommends starting with a concrete light source, such as a window on one side, so the lighting is easier to describe and check. It uses a fictional ceramic-artist scene as a neutral test subject and advises changing only the lighting sentence between prompts to isolate its effect. Three lighting setups are suggested: soft window light, hard side light from a lamp, and a rim light from behind, each with specific details to inspect such as shadow edges and background separation. The author also notes that these are untested starting templates rather than verified Midjourney results, and suggests saving settings and seeds to organize comparisons.