Harnessing Collective Nouns for Creative AI Imagery
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Understanding the Role of Collective Nouns in AI Art
When it comes to using collective nouns in Midjourney, discussions are often sparse. While these terms are occasionally noted in the Midjourney User Guide, their potential is frequently overlooked. A collective noun refers to a single term that encapsulates a group of individuals, animals, or objects. For instance, "herd" denotes a group of animals, "flock" refers to birds, and "team" signifies people.
But are collective nouns merely a way to specify quantities, or do they offer deeper insights? Let's explore this further. I've compiled extensive lists of collective nouns from two sources: (1) Wiktionary and (2) Mental Floss.
Let's examine the collective nouns for Guinea Pigs and Crows. To illustrate the difference, I compared the impact of using collective nouns versus the term "many." To ensure a consistent comparison, I prompted Midjourney V5.2 multiple times, aiming to minimize randomness in the results (goodbye, precious hours!).
The prompts I used are as follows:
- Guinea Pigs
/imagine prompt: a photo of a group of guinea pigs
/imagine prompt: a photo of many guinea pigs
According to Wiktionary, the collective noun for guinea pigs is "a group of." The comparison reveals an intriguing result: the guinea pigs organized themselves nicely within the default aspect ratio (1:1) when referred to as a group, while "many" led to an overflow, resulting in some being cropped out of the frame. Similarly, using terms like "few" or "several" kept the guinea pigs comfortably within the image, and even specifying a number, such as "5," yielded good results despite the bot's inability to count accurately.
(And don’t worry if you’re unsure about collective nouns; even I, as a veterinarian, discovered many new terms while researching for this piece!)
- Crows
/imagine prompt: a photo of a murder of crows
/imagine prompt: a photo of many crows
When I input "murder," I anticipated a dramatic scene, possibly involving a crime investigation. However, the Midjourney bot recognized the term's context, and the crows remained unharmed. While the /shorten command isn't perfect for analyzing prompts, it does show that the bot comprehends "murder" in this instance. As with guinea pigs, using "many" resulted in an excess of crows, some of which were cropped out.
Fish & Aquatic Creatures
Next, I wondered if collective nouns could apply to other subjects or entities.
/imagine prompt: a photo of a company of angel fish
/imagine prompt: a photo of many angel fishes
/imagine prompt: a fictional photo of a company of small aquatic aliens
/imagine prompt: a fictional photo of many small aquatic aliens
In this scenario, "many" produced images with a higher quantity of subjects, while collective nouns resulted in fewer subjects, all comfortably within the frame. If your goal is to depict numerous tiny creatures in the background, "many" is the better choice. Conversely, collective nouns are ideal for focusing on a smaller number of subjects.
When to Use Collective Nouns Over "Many"
/imagine prompt: a photo of a swarm of ants
/imagine prompt: a photo of many ants
/imagine prompt: a photo of a swarm of red ants in a kitchen, far-angle --ar 3:2
/imagine prompt: a photo of many red ants in a kitchen, far-angle --ar 3:2
Using a collective noun like "swarm" proves advantageous compared to "many," as it often highlights more subjects in the image. The outcomes are quite close, though "swarm" tends to yield images with a more distinct "swarm effect."
Do the results above make you feel uneasy?
Cats & Extraterrestrial Dwellings
/imagine prompt: a photo of a mews of cat houses
/imagine prompt: a photo of many cat houses
/imagine prompt: a photo of a mews of alien houses
The term "mew" refers to a collective of cat houses. This prompt produced an image showcasing neatly arranged cat houses, akin to a narrow-angle shot, with a few cats included. On the other hand, "many cat houses" led to an overwhelming number of tiny houses and cats, all facing the camera. Given my suspicion of my cat's alien lineage, I applied the same collective noun to alien houses, with surprisingly good results.
Adjusting Collective Noun Issues
/imagine prompt: a photo of a belt of asteroids (problematic)
/imagine prompt: a photo of an asteroid belt (fixed)
If a collective noun yields unexpected results, try rearranging the words to see if it improves the outcome. However, be aware that collective nouns can occasionally lead to blending issues.
Final Thoughts
Collective nouns play a significant role in shaping image composition. Opt for "many" if you want a multitude of small creatures in the background, while collective nouns are better for focusing on fewer subjects. Terms like "a mews of" can even influence the camera angle of your images. If a collective noun results in an undesired image, consider rearranging the wording. While they may not always produce expected results, collective nouns are essential tools for artists, capable of evoking specific visual effects.
I hope you found this exploration insightful!
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The first video titled "Midjourney Tutorial For Beginners" provides an excellent introduction to creating impressive AI-generated images.
The second video, "Midjourney Beginner Questions Answered," addresses common queries regarding prompts, settings, and more to help enhance your experience.