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Grain Diary key visual
Photography · grain-diary

Grain Diary

Documentary photography under a layer of film grain, exposure imperfect, its gaze unhurried.

SubjectsCharacter · Architecture
ModelsGPT Image · Midjourney · Flux
Cases4
Use this style →Remix

Style × subject matrix

4 contexts
Grain Diary · Character
Character · case image
Grain Diary · Scene
Scene · case image
Grain Diary · Architecture
Architecture · case image
Grain Diary · Product
Product · case image

Visual DNA

7 axes · 0–100

Seven adjustable axes set the character of the image: line rigorous or organic, colour muted or rich.

Line
TechnicalOrganic
45
Color
MutedVibrant
38
Lighting
DramaticSoft
62
Texture
CleanMaterial
80
Detail
MinimalDense
72
Depth
FlatCinematic
60
Mood
QuietEnergetic
38

Acceptance criteria

3 bans · 3 fail conditions

Check each frame against these: bans must not appear at all, and any fail condition voids the result.

Anchor

The key visual is the only anchor: grain strength, exposure tolerance, and handheld framing are set by it; image quality is never corrected because the subject changed.

Bans · prepended to the prompt by priority

  1. 01
    no studio lighting, no fill lightOnce the scene is lit evenly, the looseness of the documentary is gone
  2. 02
    no skin retouching, no sharpeningSkin must keep its grain and its imperfect texture
  3. 03
    no posing, the subject must not look at the cameraOnce the gaze meets the camera, a lecturing note appears

Fail conditions

  • ✗
    no visible grain or vignetting
  • ✗
    exposure is technically perfect across the frame
  • ✗
    the frame is perfectly level with a centered subject
Pass threshold

It should look like a frame casually shot on a roll of expired film, not a made photograph.

Style recipe

11 reusable elements

The recipe is the wording this style carries into every prompt, so you don't rewrite it.

Identity

Film documentary, everyday and unposed

Composition

Handheld framing, slight tilt and cropping

Line

The sharpness of the lens itself, no interference

Color

Low-saturation warm gray, a slight green cast

Lighting

Natural light, overexposure and underexposure allowed

Material

135 film, expired rolls

Texture

Pronounced grain and vignetting

Character

Real, relaxed, imperfect

Atmosphere

Everyday, private, strong sense of time

Negative

studio lighting, retouched skin, hdr

Reference

Daido Moriyama / family albums

Style object

YAML

The style object is the recipe, criteria and DNA as machine-readable text: download it, or feed it to any model.

Download .yaml
style: id: grain-diary name: 颗粒日记 name_en: Grain Diary category: [摄影, 人物, 建筑] visual_dna: line: {organic: 45, precision: 55} color: {saturation: 38, warmth: 62} lighting: {softness: 62, contrast: 38} texture: {material: 80, clean: 20} detail: {density: 72} depth: {cinematic: 60} mood: {energy: 38} composition: depth: cinematic framing: 手持取景，轻微倾斜与裁切 subjects: [人物, 建筑] models: [GPT Image, Midjourney, Flux] recipe: identity: 胶片纪实，日常而不摆拍 line: 镜头本身的锐度，不做干预 color: 低饱和暖灰，轻微偏绿 lighting: 自然光，允许过曝与欠曝 material: 135 胶片、过期卷 texture: 明显颗粒与暗角 character: 真实、松弛、不完美 atmosphere: 日常、私密、时间感强 negative: [studio lighting, retouched skin, hdr] reference_notes: 森山大道 / 家庭相册 constraints: anchor: 主视觉即唯一锚点：颗粒强度、曝光容差与手持取景以它为准；不因主体变更而修正画质。 bans: # 按优先级，前置到提示词 - no studio lighting, no fill light - no skin retouching, no sharpening - no posing, the subject must not look at the camera fail_if: - no visible grain or vignetting - exposure is technically perfect across the frame - the frame is perfectly level with a centered subject pass: 应像一卷过期胶片上顺手拍下的一格，而不是一张作品。