Enhance Your Featured Image Effortlessly with Midjourney

In this tutorial, part of the "Midjourney Mini Tutorials" series, we aim to assist new users of Midjourney with straightforward instructions to accomplish specific tasks.

You Can Have It All

The saying goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover," yet we know that first impressions matter. In an era where content creators vie for attention, an appealing featured image is essential for capturing readers' interest.

The featured image serves as the visual front for your article; it must be exceptional.

If you rely on free stock images from platforms like Pexels, Pixabay, or Unsplash, you might find it challenging to locate a unique photo that hasn't been overused, as it may lose its charm.

You're likely searching for an image that resonates with your content, whether it directly mirrors your writing's essence or symbolizes its core concept. The image should be distinctive, clear, and high-quality, with a license permitting commercial use.

That’s quite a bit to ask for a free image, right? Consequently, you might find yourself compromising for something that's merely acceptable.

But what if I told you there's a super easy way to enhance your selected image, making it both unique and visually appealing, all without requiring any prompting skills? Intrigued?

Let’s imagine we are in the process of creating a featured image now.

Here are the specifications:

A picture of a young black woman celebrating a successful year on Medium by sharing stories about baking cupcakes.
The subject must include both the woman and a cupcake.
She should wear a yellow shirt, as it holds significant meaning related to the content.
The overall vibe of the photo should be cheerful.

After searching on Pexels, you find this photo to be the best option:

Two Scenarios

Scenario A: You’re a Writer.

You wonder if you can make the photo brighter and more vibrant.
You wish to credit the photographer who provided this fantastic free image.
You lack the time to learn the Midjourney prompting technique and need a quick solution.

Scenario B: You’re an Experienced Midjourney User.

You’ve hit a wall after typing /imagine.
Your creativity has stalled.
You know how to create a photo that fits the criteria, but today you can’t find the right keywords.

Solution

Type /describe and upload the image from Pexels to Midjourney.
Click on any number (1–4) to generate a corresponding photo. Alternatively, click the “Imagine all” button to create all four images at once, utilizing your “fast hours.”
Choose one image to upscale from the 16 generated options.
Acknowledge the photographer using one of the following formats:

If you did not edit the prompt: Attribution: Reference image by [stock-photo-author-and-platform], rendering by Midjourney.

If you edited the prompt: Attribution: Reference image by [stock-photo-author-and-platform], prompt by [your-name], rendering by Midjourney.

Substitute “stock-photo-author-and-platform” with the platform name from where you downloaded the image, and replace “your-name” with your name or the name of the person who assisted in editing the prompt.

In this instance, the credit will read: Attribution: Reference image by Anna Shvets from Pexels, rendering by Midjourney.

Results

The /describe command will provide four starting prompts. Click the number to create the corresponding photo, or opt for "Imagine all" to generate all four at once.

You would likely agree that the produced images are more vivid and captivating than the original. It’s as though the image has undergone an aesthetic upgrade.

But now there are too many options! We need to choose one…

I selected the image below from the Prompt 2 grid to upscale. She radiates joy. The pointed tip of the cupcake subtly symbolizes the number “1” in celebration.

All done! Mission accomplished. As promised, you don’t even need to write a prompt!

What about you? Which image do you prefer? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Editing Prompt

Simple Adjustments

At times, the output from the /describe command is nearly what you want, but requires slight modifications.

For example, suppose you admire the background of the images in Prompt 2 but prefer cupcakes over sweets.

Adjusting the prompt is straightforward. Change "sweets" to "cupcakes," and you’re set.

Here’s what your adjusted prompt will look like: /imagine prompt: young african american woman with cupcakes on yellow background, in the style of maia flore, shot on 70mm, sparklecore, pop inspo, polka dot madness, ferdinand hodler, cult party kei --ar 128:85

So easy, right?

Editing Tips for Seasoned Midjourney Users

Using the original image as a reference to run a starter prompt generated by the /describe command can help you achieve results closer to the original image.

Alternatively, you can change the subject to something entirely different to explore new artistic ideas for future projects.

In such cases, the starter prompt serves as a source of inspiration and creativity.

Explanation

The /describe command is mainly used to learn new vocabulary for crafting prompts. However, it can also help you enhance or alter the appearance of a stock image. It provides you with 16 options that share a similar theme or idea.
Not satisfied with the 16 options? Click the “Imagine all” button to generate another set of 16 options. You can also rerun the /describe command for a fresh set of four prompts or click the reroll button for each prompt.
The cost per photo is approximately $0.01, calculated based on the $10 monthly Basic Plan, which offers 3.3 hours (198 minutes). As the average image generation job takes about one minute of GPU time, you can generate around 792 images each month (198 x 4 images per grid).
Higher-tier plans allow for the generation of unlimited photos using "Relax mode."
Even those new to Midjourney can create remarkable images without writing any prompts.
Due to the random nature of Midjourney’s image-creation process, each generated image is almost always unique.
Experienced users can refine images by adjusting aspect ratios, outpainting, inpainting, and utilizing other advanced techniques.
Always perform a final quality check, such as verifying the number of fingers and the subject's anatomy. As the software improves, the generated images should exhibit greater coherence and fewer errors. Nonetheless, always double-check regardless of future updates.

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Conclusion

Don’t settle for a “good enough” featured image if you aim for success as a writer. Midjourney can help enhance your photo.
The /describe command empowers new users to create impressive and unique images without needing to write prompts.
For seasoned users, consider using /describe as a springboard for your creative endeavors.
Utilize the provided templates to credit the original photographer.
A straightforward technique doesn't imply inferiority; excellent results can be achieved with minimal effort.

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