How do I create AI images that don't look fake or weird?

Creating realistic AI images comes down to using descriptive, layered prompts and choosing a tool trained on photographic data — Midjourney and DALL-E 3 are the current frontrunners for realism, but they require different prompting styles. The biggest mistake beginners make is writing prompts like "a cat wearing a hat." That gives the AI almost nothing to work with, so it fills in the gaps with its weirdest guesses. A better prompt describes the subject, the lighting, the camera style, and the environment. Something like: "A tabby cat wearing a faded baseball cap, sitting on a sunlit windowsill, shot on 35mm film with natural window light and a shallow depth of field." That's the difference between a cartoonish mess and something that could pass for a real photo. I've tested this across several tools, and Midjourney tends to handle photographic lighting better out of the box, while DALL-E 3 is easier to steer with natural language. The other thing nobody tells you: hands and text within images are still a weak spot for most generators. If your image includes hands holding something or a sign with words, check those areas carefully. They're often distorted in ways that immediately scream "AI-generated." Sometimes it's easier to crop them out than to fix them. A practical tip: look at real photography portfolios and steal their descriptive language. Terms like "golden hour," "cinematic lighting," or "85mm lens" are signals the AI understands well. **Related**: Which AI image generator is best for beginners? | How do I fix AI-generated hands that look wrong?