Noir silhouette against rain-streaked window

Why this works

This prompt creates a layered noir composition by using the rain-streaked window as both a reflective surface and a narrative device. The layers build from back to front, giving the generator a clear spatial structure.

The window as multi-function prop — The rain-covered glass serves three roles simultaneously: it is the background (blurred city lights behind it), the visual texture layer (rain rivulets), and a reflective surface (the ghostly reflection). Describing all three functions explicitly prevents the generator from rendering a simple flat pane and instead produces rich optical complexity.

Silhouette from behind — Positioning the figure with his back to the camera is a deliberate choice. It avoids the challenge of rendering a detailed face in near-darkness and instead uses the recognizable hat-and-overcoat silhouette as the primary subject. Generators handle strong silhouette shapes very well because the high contrast is unambiguous.

Practical light motivation — The desk lamp “far behind and to the left” is a practical light source — one that exists within the scene itself. This is superior to describing studio lighting in a noir context because it maintains the illusion of a real environment. The “long shadow toward the window” created by this light adds a geometric element to the composition.

Rain as backlit texture — “Rain streaks catching enough backlight to glow” tells the generator to make the rain visible as bright lines against the dark silhouette. Without this instruction, rain on glass can render as invisible or as a flat gray filter. The backlighting transforms rain from an obstacle into a visual feature.

Ghostly reflection — Describing the reflection as “faintly visible” and “ghostly and transparent” with “a partial view of his face” asks for a subtle effect. This is the one point where we glimpse the figure’s identity, and keeping it understated maintains the noir mystery.

What to change if it fails

• No rain visible on the window? Be more explicit: “thick rain droplets and long water rivulets clearly visible running down the window glass, wet glass surface.”
• Getting color instead of B&W? Add “pure monochrome, black and white, desaturated, silver gelatin print” and strengthen the negative prompt.
• Reflection not showing? Add “clear ghostly reflection of the man’s face visible in the window glass, mirror-like reflection on wet surface.”
• City lights too sharp through the glass? Add “city lights heavily blurred and diffused by the wet glass, abstract light shapes only.”
• Figure not recognizable as a silhouette? Strengthen contrast: “pure black silhouette, no detail visible on the figure, completely dark form against the bright window.”