Add northern lights

This prompt adds rippling aurora across the sky in a night photo, reflecting gently on the water or snow below, keeping the scene realistic.

photo-add-northern-lights — gemini — 34 words

Add soft green and purple northern lights rippling across the sky in this night photo, reflecting gently on [WATER / SNOW] below. Keep the scene realistic.

Do not change the foreground, subject or composition.

Edit in the builder Copy & open Gemini ↗Copy & open ChatGPT ↗

Use a dark, clear sky in the photo for the most convincing aurora.

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What you will get

Soft green and purple ribbons of light across your night sky, reflecting on the water or snow below, with the foreground and composition left as they were.

Why it works

Adding an aurora only works if the rest of the photo stays real, so the prompt says what not to change: the foreground, the subject and the composition. Soft green and purple ribbons are the most common aurora colours. Asking for a gentle reflection on water or snow ties the new sky to the ground below, which is what makes it look like it was there when you took the photo.

Common mistake

The aurora looks cartoonish.

Fix: Ask for “faint, realistic, soft edges” and keep the colours gentle instead of vivid neon.

Also watch for

The sky is not dark enough. Start with a clear night photo. A bright or cloudy sky hides the effect and looks fake.
There is no reflection. Name the water or snow and ask for a soft, dimmer echo of the light on it.

Try a variation: make it a single curtain

Ask for one slow curtain of green light rising from the horizon, with fewer colours and a calmer look.

Still not right? Reply with this

Keep the stars visible and keep the foreground dim and natural, lit only faintly by the aurora.