When I first explored AI-driven image creation with Microsoft Designer (click to read), the experience was exciting yet somewhat limited. It required meticulous prompts and often yielded visuals lacking in subtlety or realism.
Fast forward to my recent shift to Sora, and the difference is extraordinary. Sora delivers vivid, hyper-realistic images even with simplified, minimal input. The enhancement isn’t merely aesthetic—it fundamentally changes how we interact with and leverage AI creativity.
By comparing examples side-by-side, the distinction is striking: reduced effort no longer compromises quality but instead enhances authenticity. In this article, I will explore precisely how Sora raises the bar, turning AI-generated imagery from a novelty into a practical, powerful tool that feels genuinely lifelike and even simple steps to go on and generate cinematic video.
Lets start by comparing a prior output I did using Microsoft Designer:
The prompt used for this was: "a 3d illustration of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it"
I will now adjust the prompt for use in Designer: "A hyperrealistic vertical flash photograph in 1080x1350 format, harsh direct flash, gritty fisheye lens, sculptural shadows, cool tones with vibrant highlights.
of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it"
And here is what I got:
Not great, but better than the other options it generated which even included modern day London Taxi's!! I actually prefer the Illustrated option it did previously, asking for a realistic phot did nothing to yield anything remotely accurate.
Now lets the exact same prompt in Sora:
"A hyperrealistic vertical flash photograph in 1080x1350 format, harsh direct flash, gritty fisheye lens, sculptural shadows, cool tones with vibrant highlights.
of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it"
The output is far more appealing and actually does look like a real photo.
Now lets adjust the Sora prompt to see if I can match the context of the prior MS Designer output.
The new prompt:
"A hyperrealistic vertical photograph in 1080x1350 format, sunlight, wide-angle lens, sculptural shadows, cool tones with vibrant highlights and Sepia tones with grain. of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London, with Big Ben, Westminster Parliament and the thames river in view whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it"
Maybe the Sepia overdid it?
A quick tweak....
"A hyperrealistic vertical photograph in 1080x1350 format, sunlight, wide-angle lens, sculptural shadows, cool tones with vibrant highlights.
of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London, with Big Ben, Westminster Parliament and the thames river in view whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it"
This one is starting to deviate from something realistic so lets do one last prompt for real fun:
"A hyperrealistic vertical photograph in 1080x1350 format, sunlight, wide-angle lens, sculptural shadows with vibrant highlights.
of a gorilla riding a horse through 1800's London, with Big Ben, Westminster Parliament and the thames river in view whilst eating a pink doughnut with sprinkles on it. Bring the gorilla and horse into the foreground with focus. Make the horse sweating and tired, hanging its head"
Overall, Sora can use far less detailed prompts to generate even better quality outputs:
"A hyperrealistic vertical flash photograph in 1080x1350 format, harsh direct flash, gritty fisheye lens, sculptural shadows, cool tones with vibrant highlights.
Glamorous old man wearing green field coat over blue checked shirt and orange wayfarer style sunglasses theatrically holding a pin gin drink in a spritz glass at the London Eye amused people, sundowner, exaggerated shadows, scratches, textures"
.....and with a few extra prompts becomes a great video
"the old man is enjoying summer along south bank singing to tunes he hears and generally having fun"
The leap from Microsoft Designer to Sora signifies more than an incremental upgrade—it's a transformation in AI’s creative potential. Sora’s realism and sophistication, achievable with even the simplest of prompts, redefine what's possible in digital imagery. This advancement doesn't merely make visual creation easier; it broadens who can engage meaningfully with AI technology.
With tools like Sora, professional-quality imagery becomes accessible to anyone, reshaping our expectations of digital creativity. The future is undoubtedly one of seamless realism, effortless precision, and limitless imagination, where every brief prompt unlocks astonishing visual narratives, blurring lines between human creativity and artificial ingenuity.
"a pop art picture output in the style of Roy Lichtenstein.
The picture must be of a high-fashion, studio-lit portrait of a woman with a sleek, dark bob haircut and heavy bangs, wearing large yellow sunglasses and blowing a neon pink bubble gum bubble. The background is pure white, the lighting is harsh and dramatic, casting deep shadows on her face. Her skin is smooth and perfectly lit with a warm tone. She wears a black necktie or scarf. The image is centered, symmetrical, and has a futuristic, editorial look reminiscent of a fashion magazine cover. Shot in ultra-high resolution with sharp contrast and minimalistic styling."
[by: Grant Marais]
