AI portraits look fake when you chase perfection instead of realism — and the fix starts in your prompt. Most creators try to “airbrush” with an AI image generator, but realism comes from texture and variance. Prompt for natural imperfections: matte skin, visible pores, soft wrinkles, subtle asymmetry. These details anchor the face in physical light and lens behavior, not cartoon sheen. That’s how generative AI reads as photographic, not plastic. Then take control of the shot like a photographer. Specify camera language and intent: Canon body, 100mm lens, ISO grain, controlled highlights, shallow depth of field. State what you don’t want — plastic skin, poreless surfaces, over-smoothed cheeks — and reinforce with negative prompts to push the model away from synthetic gloss. This is creative direction applied to AI workflow, not generic “make it realistic.” If you’re building AI content at scale, treat this as part of a system. Tools like Sora 2, Veo 3.1, Midjourney, Kling, and Seedr...