How to Write Dark, Cinematic Fantasy Photo Editing Prompts (Mirror Selfie + Smoke Demon)
If you want to transform a normal mirror selfie into a dark, cinematic fantasy scene—without changing the person, pose, outfit, lighting, or camera angle—the secret is a prompt that is both strict and visual. This article shows you exactly how to write prompts that add a smoke-like demonic entity (glowing eyes, swirling black mist) while keeping the original photo identity untouched.
Goal: Keep the subject exactly the same (face, pose, outfit, background, angle), and add a realistic, shadowy smoke entity that blends naturally with reflections, shadows, and depth.
1) The Anatomy of a Perfect “Cinematic Fantasy Edit” Prompt
A strong image-editing prompt usually has 6 core parts:
- Base instruction: “Use the uploaded image as the base photo.”
- Lock what must not change: face identity, pose, outfit, lighting, background, angle.
- Add what must change: the new entity, smoke behavior, glow eyes.
- Physical realism: shadows, reflections, occlusion, depth, contact points.
- Style + mood: dark, moody, high contrast, cinematic lighting, ultra-realistic.
- Negative constraints: no extra objects, no distortions, no face changes, no text/watermarks.
2) “Locking” the Subject: The Most Important Lines
When editing a real photo, your prompt must clearly tell the model to preserve the person and scene. These lock-lines prevent the model from redesigning the outfit, changing your face, or shifting the room.
Use these phrases:
- “Keep the person exactly the same (same face identity, skin texture, hair, proportions).”
- “Do not change pose, outfit, background, camera angle, lens perspective.”
- “Maintain original room lighting and exposure.”
- “No beautification, no face reshaping, no style transfer on the subject.”
3) Describing the Demonic Smoke Entity (So It Looks Real)
The difference between “cool smoke” and “believable creature in the room” is your detail about volume, transparency, and interaction with the environment.
Key details to include
- Material: “swirling black smoke, semi-transparent, volumetric, wispy edges”
- Shape: “emerging from behind the back, looming silhouette, subtle horns/shoulders (optional)”
- Eyes: “glowing white eyes, soft bloom, not cartoonish”
- Motion & flow: “wraps around the body, trails downward, pools on the floor”
- Lighting: “matches room light; smoke catches highlights and casts soft shadows”
4) Realism: Shadows, Reflections, Depth (Make It Part of the Mirror Selfie)
Mirror selfies need extra realism instructions because reflections can look wrong if you don’t mention them. Ask for consistent reflections and correct occlusion (the smoke should appear behind and around the body, not pasted on top).
- Occlusion: “Smoke emerges from behind the subject, partially obscured where appropriate.”
- Contact shadows: “Smoke casts subtle shadows on the body and floor.”
- Reflection consistency: “Maintain accurate mirror reflections and depth cues.”
- Environmental blending: “Blend with the existing background with no cutout edges.”
5) Negative Prompts: Your Safety Net
Negative prompts (or “do not” constraints) stop unwanted changes. You can add them at the end as a checklist.
No face change, no body reshape, no outfit change, no background change, no extra accessories, no new text/logos/watermarks, no blur, no distortion, no AI artifacts, no weird hands, no duplicate phones.
6) Copy-Paste Prompt Templates (Ready to Use)
Template A: Dark Cinematic Smoke Demon (Ultra-Realistic)
Use the uploaded human image as the main subject.Keep the person 100% unchanged: same face, body, pose, clothing, expression, position, camera angle, and lighting on the person.Add a highly aggressive shadow snake entity behind the person, made of dense black smoke infused with intense burning orange fire.The shadow snake should:Look hostile and predatoryHave sharp, glowing fiery eyes with strong contrastMouth slightly open with suggested burning fangs made of fireSmoke moving violently, swirling fast like a stormFire embers bursting from inside the smokeForm a powerful curved shape (question-mark or attack coil)Feel like it is about to strike, but frozen in timeAppear massive and threatening compared to the humanBe clearly visible but stay behind the personBehavior & placement:Snake emerges from dark smoke behind the subjectHead positioned near shoulder or above, angled forwardBody coils in the background, not touching the personDepth and scale perfectly matched to the sceneNo overlap on face or bodyStyle & realism:Ultra-realistic photographyCinematic dark atmosphereRealistic smoke physicsReal fire glow (no fantasy light)Natural shadows interacting with backgroundDSLR look, sharp focusNo stylization, no AI look
Transform this mirror selfie into a dark, cinematic fantasy scene. Keep the person exactly the same same face, pose, outfit, lighting, and background. Add a shadowy, smoke-like demonic entity emerging from behind the person's back. The entity should be made of swirling black smoke, semi-transparent, with glowing white eyes.
The smoke wraps around the body and flows down to the floor naturally, blending with the environment.
Maintain realistic shadows, reflections, and depth so the creature feels part of the scene. Dark, moody atmosphere, high contrast, cinematic lighting, ultra-realistic, 4K quality.
No change to facial features, clothing, or camera angle.Template B: Subtle Horror (More Realistic, Less “Monster Poster”)
Use the uploaded mirror selfie as the base image. Preserve the subject exactly: same face identity, pose, outfit, body shape, lighting, and background. Create a faint demonic silhouette behind the subject using wispy black smoke. Keep it subtle and realistic: semi-transparent smoke layers with soft depth, with two small glowing white eyes. Smoke gently curls around the torso and fades toward the floor, matching the room’s lighting and shadows. Photorealistic blending: correct occlusion behind the body, soft contact shadows, accurate mirror reflection, no cutout edges. Dark cinematic mood, high contrast, natural grain, 4K detail. No text, no watermark, no changes to the person or room.
Template C: Strong “Fantasy Poster” Energy (Still Keeping the Subject Same)
Base photo locked: keep the person, face identity, pose, outfit, and background exactly unchanged. Add a large smoke demon behind the subject, made of swirling black mist with glowing white eyes and a looming shape. Smoke wraps around the subject’s body and trails to the floor with cinematic depth and realistic shadows. Increase mood: darker ambience, high contrast, dramatic rim-lighting that matches the original room lighting direction. Ultra-realistic composite, sharp, detailed smoke texture, 4K. No edits to face, clothing, phone, angle, or background elements. No text or watermark.
7) Quick Checklist Before You Generate
- Did you clearly say what must not change (face, pose, outfit, background)?
- Did you describe the smoke as volumetric + semi-transparent (not a flat sticker)?
- Did you include shadows + reflections + occlusion?
- Did you add a short negative constraints list?
- Did you specify no text / no watermark?
8) Pro Tip: If the Model Keeps Changing the Face
Add one extra line near the top: “Identity lock: do not alter facial structure, eyes, nose, lips, jawline, or skin tone.” Then repeat: “Do not beautify.”
Done. You can copy any template above and paste it into your image editor/generator. If you want, tell me which style you prefer (subtle horror vs strong fantasy), and I’ll make one custom prompt exactly for your photo type.
