A Librarian Headshot in the Reading Room

The The Reading Room register

The Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, in the Jefferson Building, is a round room under a gilded dome, its mahogany desks set in concentric circles and the marble Great Hall at its door. It is the nation's reading room, and the librarian's or scholar's portrait is taken at its centre.

Three photographs. At the central desk, the rings of reading desks and marble columns soft behind in gold and ochre. On the marble staircase of the Great Hall, one hand on the carved balustrade, the gilded ceiling and mosaics soft above. And at half-length on the reading room floor among the circles of desks, the round room rising through its arches and galleries to the dome.

The palette is gilt: ochre marble, warm wood, old-gold wool and cream silk. The light falls warm from the dome, with a sheen on the brow and a catchlight in each eye.

How to take source photos for the The Reading Room pack

Better source photos make better portraits. A few things sharpen the likeness before the wardrobe and the setting go on top.

1. Even, soft lightStand near a window with indirect daylight on your face. Avoid overhead bulbs and phone flash; both flatten the face.
2. Front or three-quarter angleCamera at eye level, facing it or turned slightly. No shot from below, no wide-angle close-up.
3. Face fully clearHair off the face, no hats or sunglasses. A clear, front-facing photo gives the most of you to work with.
4. Thoughtful, with a little amusementA scholar looks like someone who has found the book. A quiet, interested expression in your source photos suits the room.
5. Plain background is fineDo not worry about your own backdrop. The pack's three settings replace it entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Is this taken in the Library of Congress?

The setting is built from it: the round room, the mahogany desks, the marble Great Hall and the gilded dome.

Do I need to be a librarian?

No. The pack suits any scholar, writer or researcher who wants a portrait with books and gilt behind it.

Why gold?

The dome, the marble and the wood share a warm gilt. The pack dresses you in the same colour.

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 The Reading Room pack fits

• A librarian headshot for a library's staff page, a conference or a professional association
• An academic headshot for women for a faculty page, a grant application or a book jacket
• A researcher or archivist portrait for a history project, a podcast or a lecture series
• An author photo for a writer of history, biography or literary criticism
• A gift for a reader who has spent a good part of her life in libraries

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.