A Scientist Headshot in Bay Blue

The Genomics Building register

Above the Berkeley campus in May stands a glass-and-steel genomics institute, eucalyptus on the slope and the bay a pale blue beyond. The pack portrays the biochemist inside the building her work raised: a cobalt silk blouse under a blue-grey blazer, the atrium glass, the blue-grey panels, the long clean corridors, and the water in the windows. Everything is held to blues.

She stands head and shoulders before the atrium glass with the bay a soft blue plane behind the face and the blouse's cobalt at the collar. She is chest-up in a blue-grey corridor with the panels receding, and half-length on the terrace with the bay and the Golden Gate's far towers soft in the distance. The light is clear Californian light through the glass.

What comes out is photographic: nine photos of you, three in each of three settings, in the look of a Berkeley genomics institute. The place and the wardrobe are borrowed as a setting; the photos are portraits of you, not pictures taken there.

How to photograph yourself for a scientist headshot

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. A calm, direct lookA scientist's portrait should read as someone who listens before she answers. A level, attentive expression in your source photo carries over best.
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 a Berkeley genomics institute?

No. It is a portrait of you set in the look of a Berkeley genomics institute. 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 Berkeley genomics institute, not a painting or a cartoon.

Is it only for biochemists?

No. It suits any scientist, researcher, professor or lab director: chemists, biologists, engineers and clinicians who want a modern, clean portrait.

Why so much blue?

The glass, the steel panels and the bay are all blue, so a cobalt blouse and a blue-grey blazer let her sit inside the building rather than against it.

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 scientist headshot for a lab or department page
• A blue outfit professional portrait for a profile picture
• A researcher headshot for a conference programme
• An author photo for a popular science book
• A grant application or fellowship page
• A university faculty directory
• A gift for a scientist who has never had a good photo

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.