How can I add realistic dust or particles to my product photos using AI?

Most people think adding particles to a photo means dropping in a texture layer. But that's not how particles actually work.

Real particles have depth. They catch light differently depending on where they are in space. Some glow in the highlights, others disappear into shadows. They have scale—dust motes are tiny specks, while flower petals have weight and follow gravity. They respond to air currents. And most importantly, they need to look like they belong in your scene, not like someone pasted them on top in Photoshop.

When you add particles in Photoshop, you're essentially painting a texture. But that doesn't account for how particles actually behave. Real particles exist in three dimensions. They interact with the lighting in your scene. They cast subtle shadows. They follow the physics of how they would actually move or settle. Without understanding these details, your particles look like a graphic design element, not a natural part of the photograph.

The difference is understanding vs. applying. When you use a tool like Nightjar, it understands how particles work in commercial photography. It models particle size, how they interact with light, and how they would actually appear in three-dimensional space. You upload your product photo and describe what you want—"add dust particles floating in the air" or "add flower petals around the product"—and the system calculates how the particles should look based on the actual physics of the scene.

Your product stays exactly as it is. Same colors, same materials, same details. Only the particles are added. And because Nightjar is trained on professional product photography, the particles look realistic and natural, not like they were added in post-production. You can refine them in plain English: "more particles," "larger particles," or "remove the particles."

For certain product categories—cosmetics, luxury items, seasonal products—particles can add that premium, editorial feel. Nightjar's "Editorial/Magazine" style can include appropriate particle effects, so you can achieve that high-end look without needing to understand the technical details of particle physics and lighting interactions.