Maboneng Portraits
Nine photos of you in one setting
How your model is created from your photos
Every pack on Narcis, made with your face
Nine photographs of you in one setting: one pack of the Narcis catalogue.
Nine photographs of you, styled as a Johannesburg creative professional in Maboneng and Braamfontein — strong silhouettes before a five-storey mural, in a warehouse design studio, and on a rooftop over the Hillbrow tower, in portrait format. The nine vary in crop, expression and light, so there are real choices, not nine identical files.
/maboneng · professional · 3 scenes
Maboneng Portraits
More of the belt at work
one model wears them all →
all 9 photos in this pack ↓
How it works
Three steps.
1
Add your photos
Add photos of yourself. We check each one when you add it.
2
We create your model
We create your AI model from your photos. Your photos are ready in a few hours.
3
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 Maboneng register
This pack draws on Joburg's creative precincts — strong silhouettes, a leather jacket over a printed dress, boots, statement earrings. The palette runs mural color, brick red, mine-dump ochre, and highveld sky: the vocabulary of Maboneng and Braamfontein, where warehouse studios and five-storey murals replaced the old inner city's mine-era blocks.
Three situations carry the register: standing against a wall painted five storeys high, jacket open, bright angled light; leaning on a workbench in a warehouse studio, samples and prints under steel windows; and at the parapet of a rooftop bar at golden hour, wind in the hair, the Hillbrow tower behind. The output is photoreal — a real-looking johannesburg photoshoot portrait of you, not a painting.
How to photograph yourself for a Maboneng photoshoot
Better source photos make better portraits.
- Even, soft lightStand near a window with indirect daylight. Avoid overhead bulbs and flash.
- Front or three-quarter angleEye level, facing forward or turned slightly. No selfie-stick uplook.
- Face fully clearHair off the forehead, no sunglasses — a clear face gives the model the most to match.
- An urban, unbothered expressionThis register runs graphic and confident rather than stiff — hands in pockets, a direct look suits the mural wall.
- Plain background is fineThe mural, the warehouse, and the rooftop replace whatever's behind you — a plain wall just helps the model focus on your face.
Frequently asked questions
- Will it actually look like a real Maboneng photoshoot?
- Yes. The output is photoreal — a real-looking photograph of you against a mural, in a warehouse studio, or on a rooftop with the Hillbrow tower behind. Not a painting, not a cartoon.
- Which scenes does the pack cover?
- Three that trace Maboneng and Braamfontein: a mural wall at morning, a warehouse studio at midday, and a rooftop at golden hour. Nine portraits, three per scene.
- Can men use this pack?
- The leather jacket and printed dress render as a female sitter by default. Sandton covers Johannesburg's male corporate register separately.
- Can I use it commercially?
- It's for personal use — a profile picture, prints, a portfolio header — not licensed stock photography for resale or ad campaigns.
- Who is this pack for?
- Designers, curators, and art directors working Joburg's inner city — and anyone who wants a portfolio photo with the real murals in it.
- 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 Maboneng pack fits
- A LinkedIn photo that reads Joburg creative, not generic office
- A portfolio header for a designer or curator
- A gift for someone from Johannesburg, or with South African heritage
- A framed portrait for a studio or home office
- A press photo for an art, design, or street-culture feature
- A diaspora keepsake — the mural and the skyline
- A dating profile photo used honestly as styled AI portraiture
- A creative writing or game character reference for a Joburg creative
- Anyone who's watched a Maboneng mural go up and wanted to see themselves standing in front of it
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