There is a specific look Midjourney defaults to when left alone: too smooth, too symmetrical, too perfectly lit. A few deliberate choices push against it.
Lower the stylize value
A high --stylize value pushes toward the glossy, dramatic default look. Pulling it down toward 50 to 150 produces something closer to an ordinary photograph.
Add texture words directly: skin texture, film grain, natural imperfections. Left unstated, the model defaults to smooth and clean.
Avoid stacking too many mood adjectives. Three or four specific details beat ten vague ones every time.
Fix lighting and anatomy issues directly
Overly dramatic lighting is a common tell. Ask for soft natural light or overcast lighting instead of anything described as epic or cinematic.
For hands and faces, keep the composition simpler. Wider shots and partial crops hide the anatomy issues that close-ups expose.
Use --no to explicitly rule out what keeps showing up uninvited, like --no text, extra fingers, or oversaturation.
The AI look is not a limitation of the model. It is what happens by default when nothing pushes back against it.