A Maximalist Older Woman Photoshoot in Colour

The Rare Bird register

An apartment on the Upper East Side stuffed with colour: a red lacquer screen, an emerald sofa under a leopard throw, piles of bangles, a sculpted parrot. A style icon of her nineties lived in that nest, in enormous round black glasses and a stack of bangles to the elbow. The pack takes five colours at stated weights, with emerald as the ground, fuchsia in the lining, turquoise and coral in the bangles and beads, red in the lacquer and gold as a glint.

Three settings: a portrait before the red screen with the round glasses and a many-stranded necklace at an emerald collar; seated on the emerald sofa, both forearms raised to show the stacked bangles and the fuchsia lining at the cuff; and the apartment at half-length, red screen, emerald sofa and piled colour behind you as you stand at the centre of the room. The light is warm lamplight, open.

What comes out is photographic: nine photos of you in three settings. The room and the wardrobe are borrowed as a setting, and the photos are portraits of you, not pictures taken in New York.

How to photograph yourself for iris apfel style photoshoot

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

1. Even, soft lightStand near a window with daylight on your face. Avoid overhead bulbs and phone flash, which flatten a face.
2. Front or three-quarter angleCamera at eye level, facing it or turned slightly. No shot from below, no stretched arm.
3. Face fully clearHair off the face, no sunglasses and no filters. A clear, front-facing phone photo is the best starting point.
4. Keep it simpleKeep your glasses off and your arms free in the source photo; the pack adds its own round frames and bangles.
5. 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 at an Upper East Side apartment?

No. It is a portrait of you set in the look of a New York apartment full of colour. It is not a picture taken there.

Will it look like a real photograph?

Yes. Every photo is photoreal: a real-looking photograph of you in the look of a New York apartment full of colour, not a painting or a cartoon.

Is it right for gifts and milestone portraits?

Yes. It suits a milestone-birthday portrait, a style blog profile, a gallery opening picture or a framed print for someone fearless with colour.

Is the pack only for older women?

No. The style belongs to anyone who loves colour and jewellery, whatever the age.

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.

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 this pack fits

• A maximalist older woman photoshoot for a milestone birthday
• An Iris Apfel style photoshoot for a style blog
• A colourful statement jewellery portrait for a boutique
• A gallery opening profile picture
• A framed print in emerald and fuchsia
• A gift for a woman who loves colour

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.