Stand der generativen KI-Technologie für Produktfotografie: Lifestyle-Parfümaufnahmen mit KI erstellen

Um gründlich zu testen, wie generative KI-Modelle mit virtuellen Fotoshootings umgehen können, haben wir Parfüms als repräsentatives Beispiel gewählt. Parfümflakons, die transparent und reflektierend mit markanter Markengestaltung sind, stellen KI-Algorithmen vor Herausforderungen bei der korrekten Beleuchtung, der Einbindung in die Umgebung, der Beibehaltung authentischen Brandings und der Beschriftungen. 

Wir haben vier verschiedene Düfte ausgewählt, die jeweils einen unterschiedlichen Stil und eine andere Herausforderung für die Algorithmen darstellen – von metallischen Reflexionen über Transparenz bis hin zu aufwendiger Ornamentik und nicht standardmäßigen Formen.

Obwohl Parfüms als primäres Beispiel dienen, lassen sich die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung allgemein auf andere Produkttypen übertragen. 

Zeit für einen Test: Parfüms

• Just Cavalli (Roberto Cavalli) — ein eleganter Flakon mit metallischem Finish und einem markanten Logo, das seine Umgebung im Licht reflektiert.
  Warum wir diesen gewählt haben: Gut geeignet, um zu testen, wie verschiedene Modelle reflektierende Produkte mit der Umgebung verschmelzen. Zusätzlich zeichnet sich der Flakon durch ein futuristisches Design aus, was ihn ideal für eine CGI-Szene mit Sci-Fi-Ästhetik macht. Wir wollten sofort etwas erstellen, das einem 3D-Rendering ähnelt.

• Qaed Al Fursan (Lattafa) — ein quadratischer Flakon im orientalischen Stil mit aufwendiger Gold- und Schwarzgrafik und arabischen Inschriften.
  Warum wir diesen gewählt haben: Wir wollten testen, wie gut nicht-lateinische Texte und Muster vom KI-Tool reproduziert werden.

• Spicebomb Extreme (Viktor&Rolf) – ein designerischer granatenförmiger Flakon mit mattem schwarzem Finish und einem kupferfarbenen Metallband.
  Warum wir diesen gewählt haben: Ein generisches, einfaches Produkt, das für ein generatives KI-Tool keine Probleme bereiten sollte.

• Devotion (Dolce & Gabbana) – ein klassischer transparenter Flakon mit einer dekorativen goldenen herzförmigen Plakette im Vintage-Stil.
  Warum wir diesen gewählt haben: Ausgewählt wegen seiner Transparenz sowie der komplexen und markanten Ornamentik mit Branding.

Zeit für einen Test: KI-Tools 

Generative Bild-zu-Bild-KI-Technologien erstellen ein neues Bild auf Basis des Eingabebildes und des Prompts. Konstruktionsbedingt „möchte“ ein GenAI-Modell das Eingabebild und insbesondere das darin enthaltene Produkt verändern. Ältere Technologien hatten Schwierigkeiten, die Produkttreue in der neu generierten Szene aufrechtzuerhalten, und das Originalprodukt wurde meist verzerrt. Wenn die Treue erhalten blieb, wirkte das Produkt oft künstlich in die Umgebung eingefügt. Die fortschrittlichsten Tools können dieses Gleichgewicht herstellen, indem sie die Produktauthentizität im neuen Bild bewahren und es gleichzeitig durch realistische Reflexionen, Schatten, angepasste Beleuchtung und Transparenz nahtlos in die neue Umgebung integrieren. 

Es gibt Hunderte von virtuellen Fotoshooting-Tools. Die meisten basieren auf denselben Grundtechnologien bzw. KI-Modellen. Wir haben uns für die populärsten KI-Modelle und -Tools entschieden, die hochwertige Ergebnisse versprechen. 

• Midjourney – ein fortschrittlicher KI-Bildgenerator, bekannt für die Erstellung extrem realistischer, stilisierter und künstlerisch beeindruckender Hintergründe. Sein größter Vorteil ist ein ausgeprägter visueller Stil, der Kreative, Grafikdesigner und Marketer anzieht.
• ChatGPT Modell 5 – ein Bildgenerator, der in ChatGPT integriert ist und auf dem gpt-image-1-Modell basiert. Er erstellt Bilder auf Basis von Textbeschreibungen oder mit Bildeingabe. Er ist einfach zu bedienen, und die Bildtreue der Ausgabe kann bis zu einem gewissen Grad gesteuert werden.
• Flux.1 Kontext Pro – ein Modell zur Szenengenerierung und Bildbearbeitung, das hohe Eingabebild-Treue verspricht. Speziell darauf ausgelegt, hohe Produkttreue (in diesem Kontext) beizubehalten. Es gibt zwei Optionen: Flux.1 Kontext Pro oder Flux.1 Kontext Max. Wir haben uns für die „Pro“-Variante entschieden, die günstiger und angeblich weniger genau ist, aber für unseren Test bessere Ergebnisse lieferte.
• Flair AI – ein Bildhintergrund-Generator und Fotoeditor für Produktfotos. Verspricht „fotorealistische Produktbilder, die von professioneller Fotografie nicht zu unterscheiden sind. Rendert Texturen, Reflexionen und Beleuchtung originalgetreu, um beeindruckende Produktvisualisierungen zu erstellen.“
• Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) – ein intelligentes Bildgenerator- und Editor-Modell von Google, konzipiert für konversationelle Nutzung. Seine Hauptstärken sind die Konsistenz von Charakteren über mehrere Bearbeitungen hinweg, nahtlose Bildverschmelzung und extrem schnelle Leistung („Instant Photoshop“). Alle Ausgaben sind mit Wasserzeichen versehen und mit SynthID für Rückverfolgbarkeit und Sicherheit eingebettet. Perfekt für Kreative, die natürliche, intuitive Bildbearbeitung in einem einzigen Tool wollen.

Zeit für einen Test: Eingabe-Packshots

Alle Packshots wurden in hoher Auflösung im PNG-Format mit transparentem Hintergrund aufgenommen, wobei die Halbtransparenz der Flaschen erhalten blieb. Wir verwendeten unser automatisiertes Fotostudio ALPHASHOT PRO G2 mit Orbitvu Station Software. 

Hochwertige Eingabebilder sind entscheidend für die Präzision bei der Generierung von KI-Hintergründen. Diese Qualität ermöglicht eine genaue Bewertung, wie die Algorithmen mit Details, Kanten und der Integration in die generierte Szene umgehen.

Wir haben also 4 Produkte und 5 populäre KI-Hintergrundgeneratoren. Für jedes Parfüm haben wir einen separaten Prompt vorbereitet, der eine Lifestyle-Szene beschreibt, 2–4 Fotos generiert und das beste ausgewählt. Um die Qualität der KI-Modelle zu messen, haben wir wichtige Merkmale der Lifestyle-Fotografie berücksichtigt und Punkte für jedes vergeben:

• Produkttreue (max. 10 Pkt.): Das ideal generierte Bild sollte die Form, Farben und markanten Merkmale des Produkts präzise beibehalten, wie Transparenz und Reflexion. Die Beibehaltung von Produkt-Branding, Beschriftungen und Ornamenten ist entscheidend. 10 Punkte bedeuten, dass keine zusätzliche Nachbearbeitung erforderlich wäre, um ein mit traditionellen Methoden vergleichbares Ergebnis zu erzielen – was in der Lifestyle-Produktfotografie entscheidend ist.
• Umgebungsintegration (max. 8 Pkt.): Das Produkt sollte sich natürlich in die generierte Umgebung/den Hintergrund einfügen. Reflexionen, Farben, Beleuchtung und Schatten sollten alle zur generierten Umgebung passen. Dies ist wichtig für die wahrgenommene Qualität der Lifestyle-Fotografie, aber nicht so wichtig wie die Produkttreue. 8 Punkte bedeuten Ergebnisse, die mit einem traditionellen Fotoshooting vergleichbar sind.
• Szenenästhetik (max. 7 Pkt.): Dies umfasst Komposition, Kreativität der Szenerie und natürliches Erscheinungsbild der Szene. Dies ist unser subjektives Maß.
• Prompt-Befolgung (max. 5 Pkt.): Die Szene sollte wie beschrieben generiert werden, und die Position des Produkts sollte beibehalten werden. Obwohl wichtig für den Workflow eines Stylisten, ist dies weniger kritisch als die Produkttreue. Max. 5 Punkte für 100%ige Prompt-Befolgung.

Vergleich von D&G

Der Prompt:

“A luxurious Mediterranean terrace overlooking the sea, with a panoramic view of a sunlit coastline and deep blue water. Elegant stone surface in the foreground, surrounded by blooming citrus flowers, green glossy leaves with morning dew, and subtle elements like vanilla pods and candied fruit pieces. Bright, clear sky, a few yachts sailing in the distance. Sophisticated, warm summer atmosphere — perfect backdrop for a high-end fragrance product. Keep the original angle, position, and perspective of the perfume bottle from the uploaded image exactly as it is. Create in resolution 16:9, maintain original identity, and input fidelity to high.”

Midjourney

Unsere Einschätzung: Bottle shape and proportions, logotype, and ornament are only slightly distorted. Overall, product Funktionen are well-preserved. The product doesn’t blend in perfectly with the background: the reflections in the cup are studio-like (like reflections from the environment), the transparency is somehow handled, but in reality, the bottle is less transparent (real transparency was provided in the input image). Also, the shadow is a little too big for a small transparent bottle. The position of the bottle is maintained as requested in the prompt. The scenery, allerdings, is clearly artificial, and the prompt regarding the perfume ingredients hasn’t been fully followed. Gesamtbewertung: 63%

Flux.1 Kontext PRO

Unsere Einschätzung: The product's proportions in the image differ from the real product, appearing wider and bulkier. While the fluid color is slightly altered, this may be an adaptation to the scene lighting. The product nicely blends into the new scene, featuring a pleasing reflection from the light in the bottom left corner. Transparency is well highlighted and aligns with the actual product. Although the reflection in the cup is modified and doesn't match the environment, it still surpasses other models. The shot's perspective was modified from the straight-on Packshot. We tried several other attempts modifying the prompt, but somehow the model “insists” on the angled diagonal shot of the fragrance. Overall, the scene looks natural and pleasing. Gesamtbewertung: 70%

Chat GPT model

Unsere Einschätzung: The fragrance proportions and shape in the image differ significantly from the real product: the cup is longer and thinner, and the bottle is bulkier. The branding and ornament are well-maintained. Fluid color is altered too much, even considering the scene lighting. The product blends well into the new scene, with natural shadow and semi-transparency in the bottle. The reflection in the cup is modified and doesn't match the environment, nor the lighting, which is coming from left, not right. Position is not maintained. Again, this model also tries to “improve” it. Apart from that, the AI model followed all the prompt instructions. When it comes to aesthetics, the scene looks quite artificial, especially the flowers and oversaturated colors. Gesamtbewertung: 57%

Flair AI

Unsere Einschätzung: The bottle cup proportions and shape differ significantly from the real product: the cup is longer and thinner in the original image. The branding and ornament are distorted: the ornament and logotype are “reinvented” by the model. Fluid color is altered too much: oversaturated. The product blends well into the new scene, with natural shadow and semi-transparency in the bottle, which distorts elements behind the bottle. The reflection in the cup is modified; it doesn't match the environment and the lighting, which is coming from the left, not from both sides. Position isn’t maintained. This model also changes the product position, although instructed to maintain the one from the input image. The AI model followed all the prompt instructions. As for aesthetics, the scene looks quite artificial, especially the flowers and oversaturated colors, similar to ChatGPT. Gesamtbewertung: 50%

Nano Banana

Our take: The generated image of the D&G fragrance bottle is a strong and faithful reproduction of the original. The proportions of the cap and bottle are preserved accurately, and the ornate heart-shaped emblem with the DG monogram is well-rendered, maintaining the brand’s recognizable detailing. The liquid color, while slightly richer, is natural and fits the warm tone of the overall composition rather than feeling oversaturated. As for the blending with the background,  the bottle integrates naturally into the bright coastal background, with realistic shadowing and convincing semi-transparency in the glass that distorts the view behind it. The lighting direction is coherent, and reflections on the cap, though stylized, don’t break the visual harmony. The added flowers, sugared fruit, and vanilla sticks enrich the storytelling but look somewhat artificial. Overall, this result balances product fidelity with an aesthetically pleasing scene. Gesamtbewertung: 87%

The prompt:
“A high-end dramatic studio background with large autumn leaves bursting from the center, water splashes surrounding the base, cinematic lighting with a gradient grey-to-white backdrop, hyperrealistic detail, luxury advertising style. Do not modify the original perfume bottle; leave it exactly as it is. Create in resolution 16:9, maintain original identity and input fidelity to high.”

Midjourney

Unsere Einschätzung: Although at first glance, the image looks very appealing, there are many issues. The bottle proportions differ significantly from the real product: the generated perfume is slimmer, when in reality it’s bulkier. The branding is distorted. Zudem, the model added the SKORTEO M5 caption, which doesn’t exist in the real product. The bottle has no transparency, but Midjourney added it to the lower part of the bottle. The product blending with the new scene is ok, but nothing sophisticated. Product position is well maintained. The AI model followed the prompt instructions well (apart from product alteration). Overall, the scene looks appealing, and the model was very creative in generating it. Gesamtbewertung: 53%

Flux.1 Kontext PRO

Unsere Einschätzung: Not as appealing as Midjourney, and without the “wow effect”. The bottle proportions differ only slightly from the real product. The branding is a bit distorted and blurred. The bottle opacity is preserved. The product blends quite well with the new scene, but the product was made darker and lost many details. The reflective surfaces don’t catch reflections from the environment. The position is well maintained. The prompt instructions were well adhered to. Overall, even if the bottle is too dark, the scene doesn’t look that bad and, in our opinion, better than ChatGPT or Flair.AI. Gesamtbewertung: 67%

Chat GPT model 5

Unsere Einschätzung: It’s even less appealing than the Flux model. The bottle proportions differ slightly from the real product: it’s made slimmer by ChatGPT. The branding is distorted: a different font, “O” letter instead of “&” inside “O”. The product blends with the new scene; allerdings, there are no reflections from the environment. The lighting looks good, and the product details are highlighted. The position is well-maintained, and the prompt was followed, except for branding. The scene looks very artificial and AI-generated-like. Gesamtbewertung: 57%

Flair AI

Unsere Einschätzung: The bottle proportions differ from the real product: it’s made bulkier by Flair.ai. There is a collar missing at the spray part. The branding is altered: “&” letter instead of “&” inside “O”. The product blends well with the new scene but lacks authenticity - there are no reflections from the environment. The lighting looks good and natural. The position is well maintained, and the prompt was generally followed. The scene looks unnatural, sort of made in a studio with the floor and background clearly visible. Gesamtbewertung: 53%

Nano Banana

Unsere Einschätzung: The generated version of the Spicebomb Extreme bottle remains faithful to the original in terms of proportions, shape, and detailing, accurately reproducing the grenade-inspired design and metallic band. The logo and typography are oversharpened and well-preserved, with a small mishap: “&” in a circle is replaced with a “$” sign. As for the creative scene setting, the product is surrounded by autumn leaves and dynamic (but somewhat poorly-looking) splashes of water, which add energy and a seasonal context but also create a more stylized, less photorealistic look. The lighting and reflections on the bottle are consistent with the central studio-style illumination, though the added background elements introduce a contrast that feels slightly artificial. Overall, the integration is visually striking and enhances the product’s identity, but it emphasizes aesthetics over realism. Gesamtbewertung: 77%

The prompt:
“Create a cinematic, futuristic background environment with a high-tech, metallic aesthetic. The rendering scene should feature smooth, reflective steel surfaces, glowing blue ambient lights, and layered geometric architecture with concentric rings, panels, and structural depth — evoking a luxurious sci-fi atmosphere. The lighting should be dramatic, with cool-toned reflections that enhance the sleekness of the setting. Avoid clutter — the environment should feel premium, clean, and engineered with symmetry. The color palette should primarily feature shades of metallic silver, chrome, and deep blue. The background must seamlessly accommodate and highlight a central luxury product, without interfering with its position or scale. Create in resolution 16:9, maintain original identity and input fidelity to high.”

Midjourney

Unsere Einschätzung: Once again, Midjourney got very creative with the surroundings. The problem is that it was also creative with the product, which isn’t desirable. The shape and fragrance color were altered, while the branding appears blurred and distorted. Bonus points go to Midjourney for recognizing that the top part of the bottle is mirror-reflective. Allerdings, it didn’t do well in blending the product with the surroundings. The product is disappearing in the new scenery, so overall the aesthetics vibe is poor in our opinion. Gesamtbewertung: 37%

Flux.1 Kontext PRO

Unsere Einschätzung: The product position was slightly modified - fragrance is rotated for a more direct front shot. Original camera position - slightly from the bottom - was not maintained. The branding was also altered and doesn’t look as sharp as in the Packshot. The color of the liquid was modified. As for blending, it’s poor; you can see some reflections from the scene in the bottle, but it feels very artificial and unnatural. The product isn’t highlighted, and disappears in the scene. Having said all that, the image is unattractive and artificial. Gesamtbewertung: 50%.

Chat GPT model 5

Unsere Einschätzung: Again, ChatGPT slightly modified the logotype — using a different font in Just Cavalli and even changing it to Just Cavali (with a single ‘L’). The bottle was also reinvented, with slightly altered proportions. The fragrance liquid color is different. Image blending with the environment is quite good, with nice reflections and lighting. In our opinion, the whole scene looks attractive. Allerdings, the product appears a bit too large in the final image, and its angle was slightly adjusted. Gesamtbewertung: 57%

Flair AI 

Our take: The bottle itself, much like in the case of ChatGPT, has been reinvented. The branding is altered, the bottle shape and details are changed, as well as the color of the fragrance. The product’s position also slightly deviates from the source Packshot. Image blending is quite good and looks natural, with nice reflections and lighting. Overall, it’s quite a good lifestyle, but it isn’t authentic. Gesamtbewertung: 53%

Nano Banana

Unsere Einschätzung: The generated Just Cavalli bottle is reproduced with good fidelity — the embossed “Just” logo and gradient blue liquid are well-preserved, with the chrome finish rendered in a polished way. Zudem, the transparency is well-preserved. Allerdings, the proportions of the bottle were clearly modified - it appears elongated compared to the original. As for the blending with the generated scene, it’s handled mediocre. On the one hand, the lighting direction is coherent with well-handled reflection in the floor and transparency. Andererseits, the reflections on the metallic surface don’t match the environment and overall lighting style. ChatGPT did a better job there. The scene shows the product’s bold identity and creates a visually striking, premium look. Gesamtbewertung: 67%.

The prompt:
“Create a realistic, luxurious background for a Produktfoto. The perfume bottle must stay fixed in place on a rustic wooden fence of a horse stable. In the distance, add blurred silhouettes of horses behind the fence, within a warm golden-hour setting. Include visual themes inspired by these notes: saffron, pineapple, jasmine, fir, oud, cedarwood, amber. Use earthy textures and warm tones. Only generate the background – do not change or move the product in the foreground. Create in resolution 16:9, maintain original identity and input fidelity to high.”

Midjourney

Unsere Einschätzung: Again, if you don’t go into details, the image isn’t bad. Looking closely, though, the branding is mostly changed, and Midjourney added transparency to the bottle, which is opaque. Position isn’t kept: diagonal instead of frontal as in the input image. The product isn’t well separated from the background, which, although blurred, is very saturated, making the whole composition hard to look at, and the product gets “lost” in all that. Gesamtbewertung: 47%

Flux.1 Kontext Pro

Unsere Einschätzung: Very well-maintained product Funktionen, including branding and ornaments. Just as usual, in the case of Flux, the product is slightly blurred. Great work on color coordination - everything blends in smoothly, and the horse on the right is well done. Good reflections and product details. With the one on the left, though, something went wrong as it stands in the middle of the fence. :) As of composition, it looks artificial on an oval bench - probably physics wouldn’t hold it. Allerdings, it’s aesthetically very appealing. Gesamtbewertung: 80%

Chat GPT model 5

Unsere Einschätzung: Very well-maintained product Funktionen, including branding and ornaments. Average blending with the environment - lighting from the back, reflects in the front. Slightly artificial composition with the flowers and a pineapple. Strange horse silhouettes. Maintained position and well adhered to the prompt. Gesamtbewertung: 77%

Flair AI

Unsere Einschätzung: Good composition and high product fidelity, except for slight modifications in gold color on the bottle ornament and proportions of the cup. Well blended in, with very good re-lighting. Changed product position, and part of the prompt was ignored. Generally quite good, naturally looking image. Gesamtbewertung: 73%

Nano Banana

Unsere Einschätzung: The generated image of the fragrance bottle captures the product’s overall form quite accurately, though there are still differences compared to the original. The proportions of the bottle remain consistent, with the square silhouette and cap closely matching the real design. The front label, allerdings, shows slight reinterpretation: while the horse motif and geometric pattern are recognizable, some details are softened or simplified. Additionally, you can notice that the brand name has been modified too extensively. Shot position is “reinvented” - Nano Banana tries to capture a pit at the top of the bottle, thus adding some top view and creating a new bottle shape, which isn’t true to reality.  Zudem, the gold tone appears slightly warmer and more saturated than in the original, but it may be due to warm scene lighting. 

When it comes to scene aesthetic, the product is placed into a rustic outdoor scene with horses in the background, which adds a strong thematic connection to the fragrance’s identity. Shadows and lighting are handled convincingly, aligning well with the warm sunset atmosphere, though reflections on the cap are more generic and less integrated with the environment. The additional props — pineapple, saffron, and flowers — enhance the storytelling but look somewhat staged, reducing naturalism. A large, prominent pineapple takes over the scene, making the fragrance “fight” for its central place. Other AI technologies captured it better. Overall, the generated image succeeds in creating a striking, atmospheric composition that emphasizes brand character, but compromises are visible in label fidelity and the realism of the surrounding elements. Gesamtbewertung: 77%.

Taking everything into consideration, let’s see how they scored in terms of proportion, color, and authenticity: