Reference image workflow
Use style, subject and composition references deliberately so the model copies what you want from an image and ignores the rest.
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1Decide what the reference is for
A reference image carries style (palette, texture, lighting), subject (a person, product or character) and composition (layout, pose, camera angle) all at once. Decide which one you want, because most tools have separate controls: Midjourney has style references and character/object references (parameter names differ by model version; check the current docs). ChatGPT and Gemini accept uploaded images with instructions on what to keep. Flux variants and other tools offer image-to-image strength or editing models. Weaker reference strength = more freedom.
2Describe the reference in words
Even when you attach an image, describing what to take from it improves results. Use this prompt with any multimodal chat model, uploading the reference.
I'm using the attached image as a reference for a new image. What I see in the reference: {{reference_description}} Keep from the reference: {{keep}} Change: {{change}} Final use: {{target_use}} Write: (1) a short analysis of the reference's style, composition and subject in image-prompt vocabulary, (2) a prompt for the new image that explicitly carries over only the "keep" elements and describes the "change" elements in detail, and (3) a suggested reference strength or weight (low / medium / high) and why.3Test and calibrate strength
Generate at low, medium and high reference strength with the same prompt. Pick the lowest strength that keeps what you need; high strength tends to copy unwanted details, including composition.
4Respect rights
Only use references you own, have licensed or that are clearly licensed for this use. Using another artist's work as a style reference for commercial output is legally and ethically risky; build your own reference images instead.
Example input
Reference: our candle photo. Keep: warm side light and beige palette. Change: reed diffuser on a bathroom shelf.
Example output
Analysis: soft directional window light from camera left, warm white balance, beige and cream palette with low saturation, 50mm-ish perspective, f/2-like shallow depth of field. Prompt: Lifestyle product photo of a reed diffuser in a frosted glass bottle with six natural rattan reeds on a pale stone bathroom shelf, soft warm window light from the left, muted beige and cream palette, shallow depth of field, calm and minimal, 4:5. Strength: medium. Low may lose the palette; high may copy the candle and linen.
Troubleshooting
- The output copies the reference subject: lower the reference strength, or use a style-only reference control.
- The style doesn't transfer: add the style analysis words to the prompt as well as attaching the image.
Known limitations
- Reference features and parameter names change between model versions; check the current documentation.
- Reference strength behaves differently across tools; the low/medium/high advice is approximate.