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Tugelbay Konabayev
Tugelbay Konabayev

Posted on • Originally published at about-kazakhstan.com

AI Image Generation for Blog Covers: FLUX vs Pexels API for Travel Content

#webdev #ai #design #tutorial

For about-kazakhstan.com I needed cover images for 83 articles. Some topics work with AI generation, others absolutely dont. Here is what I learned.

When to Use AI (FLUX/Runware)

  • Landscapes, abstract scenes, atmospheric shots
  • Historical illustrations (Kazakh Khanate, Silk Road)
  • Nature scenes (mountains, steppes, canyons)

I use Runware API with FLUX.1 Dev (Nano Banana 2 model) at 1344x768px.

# generate-covers.py
response = runware.generate(
    model="google:4@3",  # Nano Banana 2
    prompt="Vast Kazakh steppe at golden hour, mountains in distance",
    width=1344, height=768
)
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When to Use Real Photos (Pexels API)

  • Cities, buildings, streets
  • Food and cuisine
  • People and clothing
  • Anything where accuracy matters

AI generates plausible but wrong food. Kazakh beshbarmak from AI looks nothing like real beshbarmak. For Kazakh food articles, always use real photos.

// Pexels API for real photos
const photos = await pexels.photos.search({
  query: "kazakh traditional food",
  per_page: 5
});
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The Rule

AI for vibes. Real photos for facts. Never use AI for cities, food, people, or cultural items. Your readers will notice.

Cost

  • Runware: ~$0.01 per image
  • Pexels: free (with attribution)
  • Total for 83 covers: under $5

How do you handle blog imagery? Pure AI or mixed approach?

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