Keywords

How to use keywords in Qolaba's Image Generation workspace — all keyword categories with examples, negative keywords, and combination recommendations by use case.

Keywords are structured visual modifiers that extend and refine what your prompt describes. Where a prompt sets the scene in natural language, keywords give you precise, reliable control over focus, lighting, shot composition, lens characteristics, and output quality — producing more consistent results across generations.

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How Keywords Work

Keywords are selected from categorized sections in the input controls area and appended to your prompt as structured visual directives. They work alongside your prompt — not instead of it. A strong prompt combined with well-chosen keywords produces significantly more consistent and controlled output than either alone.

Use your prompt to describe what is in the image. Use keywords to control how it looks — the lighting, depth, framing, and quality.

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Focus & Depth Keywords

Control depth of field and subject sharpness.

Keyword	Effect
Shallow Depth of Field	Background blurred, subject sharp — isolates subject from environment
Deep Focus	Full scene in sharp focus — everything is equally clear
Bokeh	Soft, circular background blur — aesthetic and cinematic
Soft Focus	Gentle overall blur — dreamy, romantic quality
Background Blur	Blurs the background while keeping foreground sharp
Sharp Foreground	Ensures foreground elements are crisp and detailed

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Shot Size Keywords

Control how tightly the subject is framed within the image.

Keyword	Effect
Close-Up	Tight framing on subject detail — face, hands, product
Medium Shot	Subject from waist up — standard portrait framing
Wide Angle	Broad view with subject in environmental context
Overhead	Bird's-eye view looking straight down
Low Angle	Camera positioned below subject — adds drama and scale
Macro Shot	Extreme close-up — fine detail and texture

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Lens Keywords

Simulate different camera lens types and their visual characteristics.

Keyword	Effect
35mm Lens	Natural, true-to-life perspective — standard photographic look
85mm Portrait Lens	Flattering compression, shallow depth — classic portrait lens
Fisheye	Extreme wide-angle with barrel distortion — dramatic and surreal
Tilt-Shift	Selective focus with a miniature-like effect
Wide-Angle Distortion	Exaggerated perspective at edges — dynamic and expansive

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Lighting Keywords

Define how the scene is lit — affecting mood, contrast, and visual tone.

Keyword	Effect
Golden Hour	Warm, orange-tinted natural light — sunrise or sunset atmosphere
Studio Lighting	Clean, controlled light — professional and even
Cinematic Lighting	Dramatic, high-contrast — filmic and atmospheric
Soft Ambient	Diffused, gentle light — natural and flattering
Neon Lighting	Vivid artificial colored light — urban and cyberpunk aesthetic
High Contrast	Strong highlights and deep shadows — bold and graphic
Dramatic Shadows	Hard shadows with defined edges — intense and moody
Flat Lighting	Minimal shadows — clean, even, product-photography style

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Artistic Style Keywords

Define the visual medium, aesthetic, or rendering approach.

Keyword	Effect
Photorealistic	Pushes output toward real-world visual accuracy
Oil Painting	Rich texture, visible brushstrokes, painterly quality
Watercolor	Soft edges, translucent washes, textured paper feel
Anime	Japanese animation aesthetic — cel-shaded, expressive
Cyberpunk	Neon-lit, futuristic urban dystopia aesthetic
Minimalist	Clean, simple composition — reduced to essentials
3D Render	Computer-generated three-dimensional aesthetic

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Enhancement Keywords

Improve overall visual quality and production value.

Keyword	Effect
Ultra-Detailed	Maximum surface texture and environmental detail
Hyper-Realistic	Extreme photographic accuracy and fine detail
8K Resolution	Signals highest fidelity and sharpness
High Texture Detail	Emphasizes surface materials and tactile qualities
Sharp Focus	Ensures crisp, clear subject edges and detail
4K	High-resolution, detailed output

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Negative Keywords

Negative keywords tell the model what to exclude from the generation. They are as important as positive keywords for controlling output quality and eliminating unwanted elements.

Enter negative keywords in the dedicated Negative Prompt field — not in the main prompt.

Common negative keywords:

Negative Keyword	What It Removes
No extra fingers	Reduces anatomical errors in hands
No distorted face	Improves facial accuracy
No background clutter	Produces cleaner, more focused compositions
No text	Removes unintended text appearing in the image
No watermark	Removes visible watermarks
No grain	Reduces noise and film grain
No artifacts	Removes rendering glitches and compression artifacts
No blur	Reduces unwanted soft focus or motion blur

Always include negative keywords when generating human subjects — no extra fingers, no distorted face, and no artifacts significantly reduce the most common generation errors for portraits and figure images.

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Combining Keywords Effectively

Keywords work best in coordinated sets. Here are recommended combinations by use case:

1. Professional product photography: Studio Lighting + Sharp Focus + Flat Lighting + 4K + No Background Clutter + No Artifacts

2. Cinematic portrait: 85mm Portrait Lens + Shallow Depth of Field + Cinematic Lighting + Dramatic Shadows + Ultra-Detailed

3. Editorial lifestyle image: Golden Hour + 35mm Lens + Soft Ambient + Wide Angle + Photorealistic + 4K

4. Fantasy concept art: Cinematic Lighting + Deep Focus + Oil Painting + Ultra-Detailed + High Texture Detail + No Artifacts

5. Minimalist brand visual: Flat Lighting + Studio Lighting + Minimalist + Sharp Focus + 4K + No Background Clutter + No Shadows

6. Urban night scene: Neon Lighting + Cinematic Lighting + 35mm Lens + Shallow Depth of Field + Hyper-Realistic