Learn to generate a cinematic, split-frame underwater image. This guide covers how to balance turbulent surface details with deep underwater lighting, utilizing the 10-Part Orchestration Framework to capture dynamic action and dramatic god rays.
The 10-Part Orchestration Framework Image Prompt
Important: For this prompts to work perfectly, you must attach a reference picture of yourself with the AI prompt.
Subject: The person from the attached picture, athletic male swimmer, lean muscular build wearing black swim briefs. (Note: You must attach your own picture to the prompt for this to work).
Composition: Dramatic split-frame composition. Split-water horizon line at approximately 35% from the top. Strong central vertical axis from surface to depth.
Action: Diving forward, body angled at 70–80 degrees, arms outstretched, hands reaching desperately toward a sinking wide-angle camera lens.
Location: Deep ocean void. Clear water column darkening at the bottom. No marine life, no floor—infinite depth implied.
Style: Cinematic, high-stakes, physically intense. Deep focus underwater editorial photography.
Editing Instructions: Cinematic teal-and-white color grade. Mild desaturation above water, rich saturation below. No vignette.
Refining Details: Dramatic splash crown and turbulence above the waterline. Cascading backlit water droplets. Dense field of air bubbles thinning with depth.
Camera, Lighting and Format: Direct overhead sunlight breaking through partial clouds. Volumetric god rays piercing the teal water at 40-60 degree angles. 8K ultra-high detail.
Composition and Aspect Ratio: 2:3 portrait aspect ratio. Top-down-into-bottom-up perspective. 16-20mm wide-angle dome port simulation.
Reference Entries:Zena Holloway, Benjamin Von Wong, David Doubilet, Blade Runner 2049 lighting language.
Dissecting the Prompt
Mastering the Split-Frame
Setting the horizon line precisely ensures both the chaotic surface and the serene depth are captured effectively.
Lighting is Everything
The prompt emphasizes “volumetric god rays.” This creates a strong vertical visual anchor guiding the eye from the sun down to the subject and the sinking lens.
Dynamic Action
Specifying the 70-80 degree body angle and reaching arms injects high-stakes tension into a still image.
JSON Prompt
{
"subject": "Athletic male swimmer captured in a dramatic split-frame composition — upper half above water, lower half submerged — diving forward with arms outstretched, hands reaching toward a sinking camera lens directly below",
"body_angle_and_position": "Body angled at roughly 70–80 degrees relative to the water surface, nearly vertical, torso facing downward toward the lens. The camera is positioned directly beneath the subject at a low upward angle, creating a powerful top-down-into-bottom-up perspective. The extended right arm and open hand are the visual bridge between subject and object, occupying the central axis of the frame",
"key_object": "A wide-angle camera lens (ultra-wide, likely 14–24mm form factor) sinking freely in the water, positioned at the lower third of the frame directly below the reaching hands — the compositional anchor and narrative focus of the image",
"composition": "Vertical portrait orientation. Split-water horizon line at approximately 35% from the top. Above water: turbulent surface, splash crown, dramatic sky. Below water: full-length submerged body, air bubbles trailing upward, deep teal ocean void. Strong central vertical axis from the sun above → body → arms → lens",
"lighting": "Primary: direct overhead sunlight breaking through partial cloud cover, creating a backlit halo effect at the water surface. Below water: god rays / crepuscular rays slicing diagonally through the teal water column at 40–60 degree angles, highly defined and contrasty, backscatter minimal. The light rays are a critical visual element — they must be volumetric, physical, and atmospheric, not painted",
"light_rays_detail": "3 to 5 distinct sun shafts penetrating the water from upper-left to center, fading as depth increases. Cool blue-white at entry, dissolving into deep teal. The rays partially illuminate the swimmer's torso and arms mid-descent, creating dramatic chiaroscuro against the dark water background",
"color_palette": [
"deep ocean teal #0d4f6b",
"surface foam white #e8f0f5",
"sun halo warm white #f0e8d0",
"sky silver-blue #8ab0c8",
"deep void navy #061824",
"bubble highlight #c8e8f8"
],
"atmosphere": "Cinematic, high-stakes, physically intense. The image reads as a moment of desperate retrieval — the body sacrificed to the water to save the tool. Tension between the chaotic turbulence above and the silent, weightless depth below",
"style_references": [
"Zena Holloway underwater editorial photography",
"Benjamin Von Wong conceptual underwater compositions",
"David Doubilet split-frame ocean photography",
"Blade Runner 2049 god-ray lighting language"
],
"technical_specs": {
"aspect_ratio": "2:3 portrait",
"resolution": "8K ultra-high detail",
"lens_simulation": "underwater wide-angle dome port, 16–20mm equivalent, minimal distortion at center",
"depth_of_field": "deep focus — both surface action and submerged body in sharp focus, lens object in soft focus to imply motion/sinking",
"shutter_simulation": "1/2000s — frozen splash above, slight motion blur on fingertips and lens",
"color_grade": "cinematic teal-and-white, mild desaturation above water, rich saturation below, no vignette"
},
"surface_details": "Dramatic splash crown and turbulence immediately above the waterline at point of entry. Cascading water droplets backlit by sunlight. Swimmer wearing black swim briefs. Lean, muscular build with wet skin catching reflected sky light",
"underwater_details": "Dense field of air bubbles clustered around the entry point, thinning with depth. The bubbles catch the god rays and add micro-sparkle. The water column is clear with a gradual darkening toward the bottom of frame. No marine life, no floor — infinite depth implied",
"negative_prompt": "murky water, poor visibility, green tint, flat lighting, missing light rays, distorted anatomy, lens artifacts, watermarks, text overlays, coral or reef visible, wetsuit, goggles, fins, stylized illustration, cartoon",
"watermark": {
"text": "prompt.woetter.com",
"position": "bottom-right",
"opacity": 0.18
}
}
Fluid Text Version of the Image Prompt
Generate a dramatic split-frame underwater portrait (2:3 aspect ratio) featuring the person from the attached picture as an athletic male swimmer. The horizon line sits at 35% from the top. Above water, show a dramatic splash crown and backlit droplets. Below, the diver reaches downward at a 70-degree angle toward a sinking wide-angle lens. Use cinematic teal-and-white grading. Illuminate the deep ocean void with sharp, volumetric god rays slicing through the water. Incorporate dense air bubbles. Inspired by David Doubilet and Benjamin Von Wong. 8k resolution, 16mm lens simulation.
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