21 ChatGPT Prompts for Amateur and Realistic Photos
We often see too many perfect, polished photos. But there’s something honest and refreshing about amateur-style photography—those authentic snapshots that capture real life with all its imperfections.
I’ve put together 21 prompt examples that you can use with ChatGPT to create images that look like they were taken by regular people, not professional photographers. These prompts help create photos with that genuine, unpolished quality we see in our camera rolls.
How to Craft an Amateur Photo Prompt
When writing prompts for amateur-looking photos, focus on the details that make casual photography unique. Include keywords like “snapshot,” “phone photo,” “candid,” “point-and-shoot,” “natural lighting,” “harsh flash,” “slightly blurry,” or “awkward angle.”
Also, describe the everyday context—mention ordinary locations, common situations, and normal activities. This grounds the image in reality and avoids that overly perfect, stock-photo feel.
Here are some specific elements to include in your prompts:
- Lighting inconsistencies: Mention harsh shadows, overly bright areas, or dim lighting
- Focus issues: Specify that parts of the image are slightly blurry or soft-focused
- Framing problems: Request awkward angles, too-tight framing, or slightly tilted horizons
- Realistic settings: Describe cluttered backgrounds, everyday locations, or ordinary situations
- Camera limitations: Request “phone camera quality” or “point-and-shoot camera” aesthetics
- Natural expressions: Ask for candid, unprepared, or mid-action expressions rather than perfect poses
For ChatGPT users: If you have ChatGPT Plus, Sora offers more control for photo generation. Free users can visit chatgpt.com and use the ChatGPT-4o model to generate images directly in chat.
21 Amateur Photo Prompts to Try
1. Backyard BBQ Moment
Prompt: A man laughing heartily while cooking at a barbecue, slightly out of focus. Smoke rising from the grill. Taken on a sunny afternoon with harsh shadows. Phone photo quality.
The mention of being “slightly out of focus” and “harsh shadows” creates that spontaneous feel of a quick snap at a family gathering, rather than a posed portrait.
2. Dinner Table Flash
Prompt: A young woman squinting slightly, caught mid-sentence at a cluttered dinner table at night. Direct camera flash creates strong highlights on her face and dark shadows behind her. Point-and-shoot look.
What makes it work: The “direct camera flash” and “cluttered dinner table” details create that authentic family dinner photo feel. The subject being “caught mid-sentence” adds to the candid nature.
3. Friends Trying to Pose
Prompt: A slightly blurry photo of three friends trying to pose together outdoors. One person is half-blinking, another is looking slightly away. Framed a bit too tightly, cutting off feet. Taken with a phone.
The imperfect timing (half-blinking) and framing issues (cutting off feet) are classic amateur photography mistakes that make the image feel genuine.
4. Laundry Day Reality
Prompt: Snapshot of someone loading laundry into a washing machine in a cramped laundry room. Lit by a single overhead bare bulb. Slightly grainy. Mundane, realistic scene.
The mundane activity combined with poor lighting conditions (single overhead bare bulb) creates that “quick documentation of everyday life” feel.
5. Child With Toys
Prompt: A child sitting on a living room floor surrounded by scattered toys, looking up at the camera with a neutral expression. Natural window light from the side. Looks like a quick snap by a parent.
The natural, unposed expression and authentic messy environment (scattered toys) create that genuine “parent documenting a moment” aesthetic.
6. Public Transit Candid
Prompt: Photo taken discreetly on a bus or train, showing a fellow passenger reading a book or looking at their phone, unaware. Focus might be slightly soft. Mixed, often unflattering, interior lighting.
The “slightly soft” focus and “unflattering interior lighting” create that quick, discreet photo taken in a public space. The subject being unaware adds authenticity.
7. Tourist Without the Enthusiasm
Prompt: A person standing in front of a landmark, but looking tired or slightly bored, holding a water bottle. Other tourists visible in the background. Bright, slightly washed-out midday sun.
The contrast between the typical tourist photo setup and the subject’s tired expression creates a relatable reality of tourism. The “washed-out midday sun” is a common lighting issue in amateur vacation photos.
8. Home Office Reality
Prompt: Photo taken from a seated perspective, showing someone’s hands typing on a laptop on a messy desk. Part of their face might be visible. Lit by the screen glow and a desk lamp.
The partial framing (just hands and part of face) and the messy environment create that impromptu documentation of work life. The mixed lighting sources add realism.
9. Casual Beach Shot
Prompt: A person wading in the shallow ocean water, seen from behind. The horizon line is slightly tilted. Taken with a basic phone camera, colors perhaps a bit oversaturated.
The tilted horizon and oversaturated colors are common in amateur beach photography. The from-behind perspective feels like a quick snap rather than a posed photo.
10. Night Out With Flash
Prompt: A candid photo of someone talking animatedly in a dimly lit bar or restaurant. Direct flash illuminates them starkly against the darker background. Potential for red-eye effect.
The direct flash in a dark environment creating stark lighting contrasts perfectly mimics the look of spontaneous night-out photos. The mention of potential red-eye is a nice touch of realism.
11. Furniture Assembly Struggles
Prompt: Snapshot of someone looking frustrated while trying to assemble flat-pack furniture. Tools and parts scattered on the floor around them. Indoor home lighting.
The emotional authenticity (frustration) combined with the messy environment creates that “documenting a real moment” feel rather than something staged.
12. Couch Potato Moment
Prompt: Grainy photo taken from across the room of someone lounging on a sofa, illuminated only by the flickering light of a television screen off-camera. Details are indistinct.
The graininess and poor lighting create that authentic late-night snap. The composition described (taken from across the room) feels casual and unplanned.
13. Everyday Mirror Selfie
Prompt: A quick phone photo taken in a slightly dirty bathroom mirror. The phone itself is visible, harsh overhead lighting. Casual clothes, maybe messy hair.
The “slightly dirty mirror” and visible phone create that authentic mirror selfie feel. The harsh overhead lighting is typical of bathroom photos.
14. Supermarket Scene
Prompt: A person pushing a shopping cart down a brightly lit supermarket aisle, looking at shelves. Taken from slightly behind and to the side. Fluorescent lighting.
The mundane activity and unflattering fluorescent lighting create that documentary-style snapshot of everyday life. The composition suggests a quick, possibly secretive photo.
15. The Wait
Prompt: Photo of someone sitting on a bench at a bus stop or train station, looking down at their phone or off into the distance. Cloudy day, muted colors.
The everyday scenario combined with flat lighting from the cloudy day creates that moment of documentation during daily routines. The subject’s distracted state adds authenticity.
16. Morning Yawn
Prompt: A quick snapshot capturing someone mid-yawn while sitting at a kitchen table with a coffee mug. Morning light, slightly awkward but relatable moment.
Catching someone in an unflattering but honest moment (mid-yawn) creates that feel of a photo taken without preparation or posing.
17. Simple Backyard Relaxation
Prompt: A person sitting in a cheap plastic lawn chair in a simple backyard, reading a book or just looking thoughtful. Taken from a distance. Late afternoon light.
The ordinary furniture (cheap plastic chair) and simple setting create that backyard casual snap feel. The distance suggests a candid capture.
18. Dog Walker’s View
Prompt: Photo taken from the owner’s perspective, looking down at their dog on a leash walking ahead on a sidewalk. Only the person’s legs and feet are visible.
The first-person perspective creates that authentic “documenting my walk” feel that’s common in amateur photography.
19. Zoom Call Screenshot
Prompt: A slightly pixelated photo capturing someone’s face on a laptop screen during a video call, showing their home background behind them. Screen glare might be visible.
The technical limitations (pixelation, screen glare) create that authentic “screenshot of real life” feel that’s become common in our digital interactions.
20. Casual Porch Portrait
Prompt: A straightforward photo of someone sitting on their front steps, looking directly at the camera but not posed perfectly. Maybe slightly squinting if it’s sunny. Taken with a phone.
The simple setting combined with the imperfect pose (squinting in sunlight) creates that quick, casual portrait feel without professional consideration of lighting.
21. After the Workout
Prompt: A slightly sweaty person catching their breath, leaning against a wall or sitting down after exercise. Maybe holding a water bottle. Lit by gym lighting or outdoor light. Looks tired but real.
The authentic physical state (sweaty, tired) creates that unfiltered documentation of real life. The lighting specified adds to the impromptu feel.
The best amateur-style photos feel genuine because they capture everyday moments without trying to be perfect. These prompts help create images that feel like slices of real life, with all the imperfections that make photography relatable.
In many ways, these “imperfect” photos can be more valuable than professionally shot images because they capture authenticity—the real smiles, the actual mess of daily life, the true lighting conditions we live in day to day.
Try these prompts yourself, and feel free to tweak them to capture the specific kind of authentic moment you’re looking for. Sometimes the most compelling images are the ones that look like they could have come straight from your own camera roll!
