Is this a real photo taken in Hollywood?

No. It is a portrait of you set in the look of Franklin Avenue. It is not a picture taken there.

Does it make me look like Joan Didion?

No. Didion's Hollywood is the setting and her signs are borrowed as a nod. The portrait is of you, as a writer of today.

Can I use it as a book jacket photo?

Yes. It is made for a book jacket, an author website, a newsletter or a festival bio.

Will it look like a real photograph?

Yes. Every photo is photoreal: a real-looking photograph of you in Joan Didion's Hollywood on Franklin Avenue, not a painting or a cartoon.

Is this pack for women?

The wardrobe and styling are cut for women, so the pack reads that way. Other packs on Narcis suit other looks.

What if my photo is not great?

A clear, well-lit phone photo of your face is enough to start. Even daylight, a straight angle and hair off the face fix most poor matches.

Do I have to write anything?

No. You pick the pack and it is ready in seconds. If a photo is nearly right, say what to change, in your own words.

Can I use the photos commercially?

Yes. The photos are yours to use anywhere, personal or commercial: a website, a profile, a business card or a press page.

Will the photos look like me?

Every photo looks like you, well photographed. If one is nearly right, say what to change, in your own words.

Do I have to write a prompt?

No. There is nothing to write: you pick a pack, and it is ready in seconds.

How many photos of myself do I add?

Between six and twenty, from different days and in different light, with your face clear. We check each one when you add it.

What happens to the photos I add?

They are used only to create your model, on our own servers in the European Union. They are not shared and not sold.

Narcis

/didion-franklin-avenue-yellow · professional · 3 scenes

An Author Headshot on Didion's Franklin Avenue

Example portrait from the AI Didion Franklin Avenue Yellow

Get this photo of me

More actors, artists and writers

one model wears them all →

Hemingway Key West Shutter Green9 photos · professional

Okeeffe Ghost Ranch Ochre9 photos · professional

Silver Lake Actress Jacaranda9 photos · professional

all 9 photos in this pack ↓

01 Look 1

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, head-and-shoulders portrait of an Ameri

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, chest-up portrait of an English woman i

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, half-length portrait of a Mexican-Ameri

02 Look 2

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, head-and-shoulders portrait of a French

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, chest-up portrait of an African-America

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, half-length portrait of an Irish-Americ

03 Look 3

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, head-and-shoulders portrait of an Itali

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, chest-up portrait of a Swedish-American

AI didion franklin avenue yellow sample — portrait of a woman, half-length portrait of a Spanish woman

How it works

Three steps.

Add your photos

Add photos of yourself. We check each one when you add it.

We create your model

We create your AI model from your photos. Your photos are ready in a few hours.

Every pack, with your face

This pack and every other pack on Narcis can then be made with your face, and single photos too.

The author headshot register

Joan Didion's Hollywood is the big shabby house on Franklin Avenue, sun-bleached stucco, and the rest of a life that went with it: a long dress, oversized dark glasses, a sports car at the curb. The pack takes those signs as a setting for the writer's book-jacket portrait. She is a writer of today, never a copy of anyone.

She stands in front of the pale stucco in the flat light of a Los Angeles noon, leans on the car with the glasses in her hand, or sits on the front step. The palette is faded yellow, white and sun. The mood is dry and watchful, as Didion's essays were, with a face that notices more than it says.

What comes out is photographic: nine photos of you, three in each of three settings, set in Joan Didion's Hollywood on Franklin Avenue. The place and the wardrobe are borrowed as a setting; the photos are portraits of you, ready in seconds, not pictures taken on location.

How to photograph yourself for a author headshot

Better source photos make better portraits. An ordinary phone photo is enough, and a few habits sharpen the likeness.

Even, soft lightStand near a window with daylight on your face. Avoid overhead bulbs and phone flash, which flatten a face.
Front or three-quarter angleCamera at eye level, facing it or turned slightly. No shot from below, no stretched arm.
Face fully clearHair off the face, no sunglasses and no filters. A clear, front-facing phone photo is the best starting point.
A direct, thoughtful lookA level gaze in your source photo gives the portrait the watchful quality of the setting.
A plain background is fineDo not worry about your own backdrop. The pack replaces it entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real photo taken in Hollywood?: No. It is a portrait of you set in the look of Franklin Avenue. It is not a picture taken there.
Does it make me look like Joan Didion?: No. Didion's Hollywood is the setting and her signs are borrowed as a nod. The portrait is of you, as a writer of today.
Can I use it as a book jacket photo?: Yes. It is made for a book jacket, an author website, a newsletter or a festival bio.
Will it look like a real photograph?: Yes. Every photo is photoreal: a real-looking photograph of you in Joan Didion's Hollywood on Franklin Avenue, not a painting or a cartoon.
Is this pack for women?: The wardrobe and styling are cut for women, so the pack reads that way. Other packs on Narcis suit other looks.
What if my photo is not great?: A clear, well-lit phone photo of your face is enough to start. Even daylight, a straight angle and hair off the face fix most poor matches.
Do I have to write anything?: No. You pick the pack and it is ready in seconds. If a photo is nearly right, say what to change, in your own words.
Can I use the photos commercially?: Yes. The photos are yours to use anywhere, personal or commercial: a website, a profile, a business card or a press page.
Will the photos look like me?: Every photo looks like you, well photographed. If one is nearly right, say what to change, in your own words.
Do I have to write a prompt?: No. There is nothing to write: you pick a pack, and it is ready in seconds.
How many photos of myself do I add?: Between six and twenty, from different days and in different light, with your face clear. We check each one when you add it.
What happens to the photos I add?: They are used only to create your model, on our own servers in the European Union. They are not shared and not sold.

When the author headshot pack fits

An author photo for a memoir or essay collection
A writer's newsletter or Substack
A literary festival bio
A journalist's byline photo
A profile picture with a clear sense of place and trade
A framed print or phone wallpaper in a fixed palette
A gift for someone who loves the place or the work

About narcis

Most AI photo tools put every pose, job, era, and style in one giant catalog. The photos all look like every other AI photo on the internet — a glaze over a stock face. Narcis goes the other way. One job: photos of you that look like photographs. You add at least 6 photos of yourself, and we create your AI model from them. Your photos are ready in a few hours, and we email you when they are. Then this pack and every other pack on Narcis can be made with your face. Each pack is curated against real references — paintings, photographers, places — and tested on real faces before it goes live. Built and run by one small team, on our own servers.

All images are AI-generated. By using this service, you confirm you are 18+, that any face photo you upload is your own or used with explicit consent. Full Terms