Midjourney Landscape Prompts: Formula and 24 Examples

The landscape prompt formula

A memorable landscape is not just a place. It is a place at a particular moment, seen from a particular spot. Give Midjourney a foreground, a subject in the middle distance, the weather and the time of day, and the image gains depth and mood straight away.

Formula: [landscape type and location feel], [foreground element], [main subject in the distance], [weather and time of day], [light quality], [medium or camera], [composition] --ar [wide ratio]

Describe regions by their qualities ("Nordic fjord", "Mediterranean coastline", "high desert") rather than relying on a famous viewpoint. You get original scenes and fewer images that look like postcards everyone has seen.

Light, weather and lens: the words that matter most

Landscape photographers wait for light, and you can simply describe it. These terms reliably change the mood:

• Golden hour: warm, low sun and long shadows. Blue hour: cool, soft light just after sunset.
• Overcast and mist: soft, muted colour and layered depth. Good for calm, moody scenes.
• Clearing storm and god rays: drama, contrast and visible beams of light.
• Night and astro: "Milky Way", "star trails", "aurora" give night skies.
• Wide-angle lens: big foreground, sweeping scale. Telephoto: compressed layers of hills or mountains.
• Aerial or drone view: patterns, rivers, coastlines and roads from above.

For more on light, see Midjourney lighting prompts, and for focal lengths see lens and depth of field.

24 copy-ready Midjourney landscape prompts

Mountains and highlands

• remote highland valley, wet heather and a winding stream in the foreground, a lone stone cottage beneath a dark mountain, clearing storm in late afternoon, shafts of sunlight through cloud, landscape photography, wide-angle --ar 16:9 --raw
• jagged alpine peaks at sunrise reflected in a still glacial lake, pink alpenglow on snow, mist on the water, symmetrical composition, crisp detail --ar 16:9 --raw
• layers of blue mountain ridges fading into haze, telephoto compression, soft morning light, minimal composition, calm and quiet mood --ar 21:9 --raw
• narrow mountain road with switchbacks seen from above, autumn larches in gold, light dusting of snow on the peaks, aerial drone view --ar 4:5 --raw
• volcanic black sand plateau with steaming vents, moss-covered lava rocks in the foreground, low grey clouds, muted greens and charcoal, moody landscape photography --ar 3:2 --raw
• hiker standing small on a ridge above a sea of clouds, warm sunset light, sense of vast scale, wide-angle lens --ar 16:9 --raw

Coasts, lakes and water

• rugged Atlantic coastline with sea stacks, waves crashing on dark rocks, long exposure turning the sea to silk, stormy blue hour light --ar 16:9 --raw
• Mediterranean cove with turquoise water and white pebbles, pine trees clinging to the cliffs, bright midday sun, high viewpoint looking down --ar 3:2 --raw
• Nordic fjord in winter, red wooden boathouse on the shore, snow-covered mountains, pale pink sky, still water reflections, calm minimal mood --ar 16:9 --raw
• misty lake at dawn with an old wooden jetty leading into the fog, soft muted tones, quiet atmosphere, centred composition --ar 3:2 --raw
• tropical lagoon from above, sandbars swirling in shades of turquoise and jade, tiny boat for scale, aerial photography --ar 4:5 --raw
• waterfall plunging into a fern-lined gorge, spray catching a rainbow, lush green rainforest, soft diffused light --ar 2:3 --raw

Deserts, plains and seasons

• rolling sand dunes at golden hour, sharp ridgelines and deep shadows, single line of footprints, warm orange and violet palette, minimal composition --ar 21:9 --raw
• high desert with tall cacti silhouetted against a fiery sunset, dusty plain, distant mesas, wide-angle landscape photography --ar 16:9 --raw
• endless lavender fields in rows leading to a lone farmhouse, summer evening light, soft purple and gold --ar 16:9 --raw
• autumn beech forest with a carpet of copper leaves, path disappearing into morning fog, soft backlight through the trees --ar 2:3 --raw
• frozen tundra plain under a vivid green aurora, snow drifts in the foreground, starry sky, long exposure night photography --ar 16:9 --raw
• terraced rice fields filled with water reflecting a pastel sunrise sky, gentle mist, layered curves, aerial view --ar 3:2 --raw

Painted, fantasy and stylised landscapes

• romantic-era oil painting of a stormy mountain pass, tiny travellers on the path, dramatic sky, rich earthy palette, visible brushwork --ar 3:2
• loose watercolour landscape of rolling green hills and a village church, soft washes, white paper showing through, spring morning --ar 3:2
• fantasy landscape of floating rock islands linked by rope bridges, waterfalls falling into clouds, warm sunrise, epic scale, digital matte painting --ar 21:9
• alien planet landscape with crystal spires and two moons in a violet sky, glowing pools in the foreground, science fiction concept art --ar 16:9
• minimalist flat vector landscape of layered hills and a big pale sun, five-colour palette of sage, sand, terracotta, cream and dusk blue --ar 16:9
• ink wash painting of misty mountains and a small pavilion among pines, monochrome with soft grey gradients, lots of empty space --ar 2:3

Tips and common mistakes

1. No foreground. Without something close to the camera, landscapes look flat. Add rocks, flowers, a path, a fence or water.
2. Square frames for wide views. Landscapes usually need width. Try --ar 16:9 or --ar 21:9, or --ar 2:3 for tall waterfalls and forests. See aspect ratios.
3. Over-saturated, too-perfect results. Use --raw and a lower stylize value for a photographic look, and name subtle light like overcast or mist.
4. Stacking every weather condition. "Sunset, storm, snow, aurora" creates mush. Pick one moment.
5. Wanting a wallpaper but stopping at the grid. Upscale your favourite and check it at full size. Our wallpaper prompts guide covers screen ratios.

Doing this faster with Dreamdrive

Dreamdrive keeps the full prompt with every capture, --sref code included, so a look you liked is a search away in your Library.