The lighting patterns that matter
Rembrandt lighting (a triangle of light on the shadow-side cheek) reads as painterly and serious. Butterfly lighting (light directly above, small shadow under the nose) is the classic beauty look. Rim or backlight separates hair from the background for drama. Naming the pattern in your prompt is far more reliable than saying 'dramatic lighting' — the model has seen millions of examples labeled with these exact terms.
Nidhogg ships these as one-click aesthetic presets too: REMBRANDT LIGHT, BACKLIT GLOW, WINDOW LIGHT, and STUDIO SOFTBOX each append tested prompt fragments so you don't have to memorize the vocabulary.
Lens and framing choices
For flattering headshot proportions, prompt for an 85mm or 105mm lens — wide lenses distort faces at close range. Specify framing explicitly: 'tight head-and-shoulders crop', 'waist-up', or 'environmental portrait with visible background'. Adding 'shallow depth of field' keeps eyes sharp while melting the backdrop.
From dating profiles to editorial spreads
People use the portrait generator for profile photos, character portraits for novels and games, memorial and gift portraits, and editorial-style imagery for personal brands. Because you can rerun the same face description across different lighting presets, it's also the fastest way to build a varied portrait set with one consistent mood board.