Hogmanay

The Hogmanay register

This pack draws on Edinburgh's Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year: the torchlight procession down the Royal Mile, the Castle fireworks seen from Princes Street Gardens at midnight, and first-footing at a New Town door with the coal and the bottle. The register runs a kilt in a dark tartan with a Prince Charlie jacket and sporran, a wool coat over the kilt for the procession, and a Fair Isle jumper for the doorstep.

Photographically the register runs torch-fire warmth against the tartan and the crowd's torches behind, a firework-gold key over the lit Castle, and a snow-lit doorway lamp for the first-footing take. Three takes carry the pack: torch in hand on the Royal Mile with the procession behind, a whisky raised under the Castle's fireworks, and a lump of coal and a bottle at a Georgian door in the snow — three real facets of Hogmanay, not one look in three rooms.

The output is photoreal, built from your own uploaded face against this world — a costume-and-setting portrait, not a depiction of any real person, and it does not claim to be a photograph taken at an actual Edinburgh Hogmanay event.

How to photograph yourself for a Hogmanay photoshoot

Better source photos make better portraits. The pack works with an ordinary phone selfie — the free preview tells you in seconds — but a few things sharpen the likeness before the kilt and jacket go on.

1. Even, soft lightStand near a window with indirect daylight on your face. The pack builds the torch and firework light on top of that — a flat, well-lit selfie gives it the clearest face to start from.
2. Front or three-quarter angleCamera at eye level, facing it or turned slightly to three-quarter. No selfie-stick uplook, no shot from below.
3. Face fully clearHair off the face, no hats, sunglasses, or heavy filters in the source photo. A clear, front-facing photo is the best input for an AI Hogmanay portrait.
4. An exultant or warm expressionThe register runs from exultant at the torchlight to warm at the doorstep — a genuine expression in your source photo carries through into both.
5. Plain background is fineDon't worry about your own backdrop — the pack's three settings replace it entirely. A plain wall behind you just helps the model focus on your face.

Frequently asked questions

Will it actually look like a real photograph?

Yes. The output is photoreal — built from your own uploaded face in the kilt and Prince Charlie jacket, across three settings: the Royal Mile torchlight procession, the Castle fireworks, and a first-footing doorstep.

Is this a photo of a real Hogmanay event, or of me?

It's a portrait of you. The pack borrows Edinburgh's Hogmanay traditions — the torchlight procession, the Castle fireworks, first-footing — as costume-and-setting reference; every frame is generated from your own uploaded face.

What's the difference between the free preview and the full pack?

The free preview is one photo from your uploaded face, shown live in seconds so you can judge the likeness before you commit. The full pack is nine photos across the three settings — different crops, expressions, and light.

How is this different from a generic New Year filter?

Most generic filters default to a vague fireworks-and-confetti look. This pack is anchored to specific, documented Hogmanay details — the torchlight procession, the Castle fireworks, first-footing with coal and a bottle — so it reads as the actual Edinburgh tradition, not a costume-store approximation.

Can women use this pack?

The styling and sample set are built for men — the kilt and Prince Charlie jacket read masculine. A women's version isn't shipped in this pack.

What if my source photo isn't great?

One clear phone selfie is usually enough. The free preview shows you the likeness in seconds — if it's off, the prep tips above are the fastest fix, and lighting is the most common culprit.

Can I use this as a profile picture or a New Year card?

Yes — it's a striking, well-composed portrait that reads well on either. Used honestly, as a stylised AI photoshoot rather than a claim of an actual Edinburgh trip, it works well for a profile photo or a printed card.

What happens to the photo I upload?

Your photo is processed on European servers to generate your preview and, if you continue, your full pack. It is not sold or shared with third parties.

Can I use it as a New Year gift or keepsake?

Personal use like this is fine — a printed card, a keepsake, a gift for anyone with Scottish family or heritage. It isn't licensed for commercial resale.

Do I need an actual kilt for this to work?

No — the pack builds the kilt, jacket, and settings entirely around your uploaded face. You don't need any of it in real life; that's what the photoshoot supplies.

When the Hogmanay pack fits

• For an Instagram or social feed marking Scottish New Year with real documented tradition behind it
• For a New Year's profile picture with torchlit, exultant energy
• For a wall print or framed portrait in a full Hogmanay register
• For a gift for anyone with Scottish family or heritage
• For a New Year card that reads like a real Edinburgh trip
• For a dating profile photo that reads festive without reading costume-store
• For a phone or desktop wallpaper with real torchlight colour in it
• For a vision board built around a future Edinburgh Hogmanay
• For a keepsake print for anyone who loves Scottish tradition
• For anyone who returns to the Royal Mile every New Year, in spirit

About narcis

Most AI portrait tools ship every pose, profession, era, and aesthetic in one giant catalog. The output looks like every other AI photo on the internet — a glaze over a stock face. Narcis goes the other way. One tool, one job: turn photos of you into portraits worth keeping. Drop a selfie and your free preview streams in seconds — a quick sketch: close, not you yet. For portraits that are truly you, train your own model on 12 to 20 photos; it trains in the background, and we email you when it is ready. Train once, render everywhere — this pack, every other pack, and the Studio all come out of that one model, about ten seconds a portrait, and it stays yours to retrain or delete. Each pack is hand-curated against actual references — paintings, photographers, registers — and tested on real faces before it ships. See a free preview before you pay, not after. Packs are one-time — no subscription to buy one; Studio, the unlimited composer, is optional at €12/month and every pack includes 30 days of it. No template generator. Built and run by one team, on our own infrastructure.