Introduction
The human eye is often called the window to the soul, and in digital creativity, it becomes a powerful symbol of vision, clarity, and imagination. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how I created this ultra photo-realistic close-up of an eyeusing Runway ML.
The goal is to help students understand how to replicate such work – from prompt design to fine-tuning details – so they can explore AI-powered art creation confidently
Tools Used
- Runway ML(Text-to-Image generation model)
- High-resolution prompt engineering techniques
- Creative adjustments for realism
Step 1: Understanding the Image Concept
The key idea here was to create a macro photograph of an eye – detailed, sharp, and photo-realistic. A macro shot captures the tiny details (like iris fibers, eyelashes, reflections), so our prompt had to include camera and lens specifications to guide the AI model.
Step 2: Writing the Prompt
Here’s the exact detailed prompt I used (and refined):
Prompt:
“An ultra photo-realistic extreme close-up (macro) shot of a human eye. The iris is vibrant with shades of blue, green, and amber radiating outward, with visible fiber-like textures and intricate reflections. Long, sharp eyelashes frame the eye, with skin pores and tiny details around the eyelid visible in natural tones. The cornea reflects subtle natural light, creating a luminous effect. Captured with a Canon EOS R5 + 100mm f/2.8L Macro Lens, aperture f/4, focal length 100mm, ISO 200, shutter speed 1/200 sec. Depth of field is shallow, focusing only on the iris and eyelashes, background softly blurred (bokeh). Hyper-realistic detailing, 8K resolution, cinematic lighting with soft highlights and shadows.”
Step 3: Refining in Runway ML
- I generated multiple outputs using this prompt.
- Out of 6–7 variations, I picked the one with the most natural textures in the iris and eyelashes.
- To refine realism, I slightly adjusted brightness and contrast inside Runway’s image editing tools.
Step 4: Why It Works
- Camera & Lens details in the prompt tell the AI exactly how to simulate a real photo.
- Lighting cues ensure cinematic highlights.
- Depth of field (bokeh)makes it look like a DSLR capture.
- Multiple prompt iterations help achieve the best result.
Tips for Students
- Always visualize like a photographer— think about lens, lighting, angle.
- Runway ML works best when you give very detailed prompts(not just “close-up of an eye”).
- Generate multiple variations — don’t stop at the first output.
- Use slight post-editing to push realism further.
- Keep experimenting with surreal twists — e.g., iris as a galaxy, digital circuits, or AI network patterns.
Conclusion
Creating photo-realistic images in Runway ML is all about precision in prompting and patience in iteration. With practice, students can learn to simulate not just eyes, but also portraits, landscapes, or even cinematic fantasy concepts with the same workflow.
This macro eye image is a perfect example of how AI + creativity can produce results almost indistinguishable from real photography.