by Midjurney v5 arrived this week with the latest model of the acclaimed AI image generator with stunning photo-realistic images and people with five fingers per hand.
Enthusiasts have already shown how good the text-to-image generators are. However, it is currently only available to paying customers.
Graphic designer Julie Wieland shared with PetaPixel some of her stunning photography-like creations generated from Midjourney v5.
“The latest Midjourney v5 model is both extremely overwhelming/scary and extremely fascinating,” says Wieland. “The ability to recreate intricate details and textures, such as realistic skin texture/facial features and lighting, is unparalleled.”
“This emergence of post photography (and its level of detail), or as I prefer to call it: “synthography”, does not mean the end of traditional photography, but rather an extension and new tool in the toolbox for artists and photographers,” adds Wieland please.
“It can generate new ideas and expand the imagination to what was previously possible. In the end, the end result and the emotional impact are most important in both media.”
AI image creator Nick St. Pierre has posted a series of extraordinary images from v5 that are getting closer and closer to passing for real photos.
Midjourney v5 is here! (this time for real, lol)
Here are some side-by-side of my prompts, v4 vs. v5, as well as some new prompts and audience photos. I’ll add more to this as I experiment.
— Nick St. Pierre (@nickfloats) March 15, 2023
A photo of a group of women appears to have been taken by a photographer at first glance. However, there are still strange AI artifacts, such as floating hands and faces that are out of proportion.
St. Pierre went on to compare Midjourney v4 and v5. Using the same prompts for each model clearly shows the incremental benefits of the latest model.
Editorial Style Photo, Eye Level, Modern, Living Room, Fireplace, Leather and Wood, Built-in Shelves, Neutral with Blue Accents, West Elm, Natural Light, New York City, Afternoon, Cozy, Art Deco –ar 16:9
v4 (left) v5 (right) pic.twitter.com/yPHdsNnBsw
— Nick St. Pierre (@nickfloats) March 15, 2023
“This is unreal and my god, photographers are really, really screwed,” writes artist and photographer Jeremy Corward about the creations of St. Pierre. “I know this is a hot take and I have a gazillion other thoughts, but hell, this isn’t bueno. V5 is unreal.”
‘Greater range’
Speaking about the Midjourney discord, company founder David Holz says the latest version has a “much wider stylistic range” and is “more responsive to clues.” He also says users will get higher image quality and improved dynamic range.
“It’s much more ‘unbiased’ than v3 and v4,” Holz writes. “And is tuned to provide a wide diversity of outputs and be very responsive to your inputs.”
Apparently, the trade-off for this new version is that “short prompts may not work very well” and “you should try writing longer, more explicit text about what you want.”
Holz warns that the new Midjourney “can generate far more realistic images than anything we’ve released before.” That’s why the company has increased the number of moderators and “will enforce our community standards more rigorously and accurately.”
Yesterday, PetaPixel reported on Midjourney which released a monthly print magazine.
Visit her to see more of Wieland’s AI work TwitterInstagram and website.
Image Credits: Thanks to Julie Wieland.
