Introduction: Why Image-Making Matters in the Digital Age

In the world of digital content, image-making has become the backbone of creativity. Whether you’re a solopreneur, coach, author, or designer, the visuals you share online tell your story before a single word is read.

We’ve entered an era where image-making is no longer restricted to photographers and graphic designers. Thanks to AI tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT-powered prompt engineering, and free resources like Unsplash and Pixabay, anyone can create high-quality visuals for websites, social media, and book covers.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

  • My personal image-making workflow using Midjourney on Discord (subscription: ~£30/month).

  • Midjourney.io for style inspiration and the new animation feature.

  • Photoshop and Cover Action Pro for polishing and book cover mock-ups.

  • The best free stock image sites (Unsplash, Pixabay, and more).

  • AI image tools compared by cost, features, and benefits.

  • SEO insights and a Midjourney prompt example you can copy.

By the end, you’ll have a complete playbook for creating professional, unique, and scalable images in 2025.

Midjourney: The Heart of Modern AI Image-Making

If you’ve explored AI-generated art, chances are you’ve encountered Midjourney. It’s one of the most advanced platforms for producing jaw-dropping visuals from simple text prompts.

How Midjourney Works

  • Platform: Accessible via Discord (subscription required).

  • Cost: ~£30 per month (basic plan), higher tiers for heavy users.

  • Process: You enter a prompt (a text description), and Midjourney generates four variations.

  • New Feature: At the bottom of each generated image, you can now animate with low or high motion settings — perfect for bringing still images to life.

  • Style Reference: Midjourney.io provides style libraries, making it easy to experiment with aesthetics like watercolor, cyberpunk, minimalism, or cinematic realism.

Why I Use It: Midjourney allows me to transform vague ideas into polished artwork, ready for social media, websites, or creative projects like book covers.

Photoshop & Cover Action Pro: Professional Finishing

While Midjourney delivers incredible raw images, refinement is key. This is where Adobe Photoshop steps in:

  • Photoshop is the gold standard for editing, layering, retouching, and adjusting image composition.

  • Cost: ~£19.97/month for the Photography Plan (Photoshop + Lightroom).

  • Use Case: I use Photoshop to enhance lighting, remove artifacts, or blend AI outputs into cohesive designs.

For authors and publishers, Cover Action Pro is a must-have:

  • Function: A Photoshop plugin that creates realistic book mock-ups (hardcover, paperback, eBook).

  • Benefit: Instantly transforms a flat cover into a professional 3D product shot.

  • Cost: One-time purchase (~$197 USD).

This workflow — Midjourney → Photoshop → Cover Action Pro — lets me go from concept to finished book marketing assets in hours, not weeks.

Free Stock Image Websites: Unsplash, Pixabay & Beyond

Not everything needs to be AI-generated. Sometimes, the best option is to source free, high-quality stock photos.

Best Free Resources

  1. Unsplash

    • Huge library of artistic, high-resolution images.

    • Free for personal and commercial use.

    • Great for lifestyle, travel, and creative backdrops.

  2. Pixabay

    • 2.7 million+ free images, illustrations, and vector graphics.

    • Includes free video clips.

    • Easy to use with no attribution required.

  3. Pexels

    • Curated, modern, and creative stock photos.

    • Also offers short stock videos.

  4. StockSnap.io

    • Weekly updated with thousands of free stock photos.

    • Searchable by tags and categories.

Pro Tip: Even when using free sites, always double-check the license for commercial use if you’re selling products.

ChatGPT + AI Image Generation: Writing Better Prompts

While Midjourney handles the visuals, ChatGPT is the secret weapon for writing powerful prompts.

For example:

  • Instead of typing “a forest at sunset”, you can have ChatGPT expand it into:
    “A mystical forest bathed in golden sunset light, trees glowing with bioluminescent moss, cinematic composition, ultra-detailed 8K.”

This leads to far richer results.

Comparing AI Image Tools: Costs, Features, Benefits

Here’s a quick comparison of the most popular AI image-generation tools in 2025:

Tool Cost Strengths Weaknesses
Midjourney ~£30/month Best artistic quality, stylized outputs, new animation feature Discord-only interface, learning curve
DALL·E 3 (via ChatGPT Plus) $20/month (ChatGPT Plus) Integrated in ChatGPT, great at text-in-image (logos, posters) Less creative than Midjourney
Stable Diffusion (via Stable Diffusion XL) Free (local) or ~£10–£30/month (cloud apps) Open-source, customizable, great for developers Requires technical knowledge
Adobe Firefly Included with Adobe subscription (~£19.97+/month) Seamless with Photoshop, text-to-image and text effects Still improving in style variety
Canva AI Image Generator Free + Pro (£10.99/month) Easy for beginners, built-in templates Lower realism compared to Midjourney
Runway ML $12–$28/month Excellent for video + image AI Less control over fine detail

Ranking (for creators, 2025):

  1. Midjourney (best for creative & unique art)

  2. DALL·E 3 in ChatGPT (best for integrated workflow)

  3. Stable Diffusion (best for advanced users & open-source freedom)

  4. Adobe Firefly (best for professional editors/designers)

  5. Canva AI (best for non-designers)

  6. Runway ML (best for video/image crossovers)

SEO Tips for Image-Making

  • Use descriptive file names (e.g., midjourney-butterfly-dreamscape.jpg).

  • Always add alt-text with keywords for accessibility + SEO.

  • Resize images for web speed (1200px width is usually ideal).

  • Create image-rich blog posts — Google prioritizes mixed media.

Example Midjourney Prompt

Here’s a working Midjourney prompt for creators:

“An ethereal butterfly emerging from a glowing book, wings shimmering with galaxies, cinematic lighting, ultra-detailed, photorealistic, 8K, surreal atmosphere –ar 16:9 –v 6.0 –q 2 –style raw”

This creates a fantasy-inspired, high-resolution cover-ready image.

The Future of Image-Making

We’re entering a golden age where human creativity + AI assistance + free resources converge. With Midjourney’s animated images, Photoshop’s editing power, and free stock sites for support, anyone can create professional-level visuals.

The biggest shift is accessibility: what once required a professional design team can now be done by one person with a laptop and ~£30/month subscription.

As AI evolves, image-making will only become more immersive — moving beyond stills into interactive and dynamic media.

Conclusion

If you’re a creator, author, or digital entrepreneur, now is the time to master image-making. The blend of Midjourney, Photoshop, Cover Action Pro, and free stock resources gives you a creative toolkit unmatched in history.

Whether you’re building a brand, launching a book, or simply exploring your creativity, remember:

Every image tells a story — and with the right tools, you get to be the author of that story.