Architect Headshot Chicago — Mies on Lake Shore Drive

The Mies register

This pack borrows Mies van der Rohe's own Lake Shore Drive in January — the black steel towers, the lake ice, the wind that cuts along the mullions — photographed today in a single held steel hue. Overcoat, mullion and ice sit in the same value, so the homburg's broad brim carries the silhouette.

Photographically the register is flat, glass-reflected light — the towers' mullions rising behind, the ice reflected in the lobby glass — a steel camaïeu across three settings: the tower's plinth, the lobby against the glass, and the lakeshore half-length.

The output is photoreal, a real-looking photograph of you in that world, not a painting. It's a costume portrait built from your own uploaded face; it borrows Mies's homburg and broad frame as the reference, not his likeness — every frame is generated from your face and doesn't depict Mies van der Rohe himself.

How to photograph yourself for a Mies-style architect headshot

Better source photos make better portraits. The pack works from one ordinary phone selfie — the free preview tells you in seconds — but a few things sharpen the likeness before the overcoat goes on.

1. Even, soft lightStand near a window with indirect daylight on your face. The pack builds its own flat, glass-reflected light on top — a well-lit selfie gives it the clearest face to work 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 portrait.
4. A composed, level expressionThe Mies register favors quiet authority over a grin — a level, natural expression blends more naturally into the frames.
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 — a real-looking photograph, not a painting or illustration — built from Mies's documented register: a dark grey overcoat, a homburg, and the black steel towers of Lake Shore Drive.

Is this a real photo of Mies van der Rohe, or of me?

It's a portrait of you. The pack borrows Mies's wardrobe and setting as a costume and visual reference; every frame is generated from your own uploaded face and doesn't depict Mies himself.

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. The full pack is nine photos across the tower's plinth, the lobby, and the lakeshore — different crops, expressions and light.

Can women use this pack?

The styling and sample set are built for men — the homburg and overcoat among them — so it reads 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, lighting is the most common fix.

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.

When the Mies architect headshot fits

• A LinkedIn photo for an architect or structural engineer that reads authoritative rather than generic corporate
• A firm bio or press kit headshot with a genuine Chicago steel-and-glass register
• A speaker bio photo for a conference or lecture
• A profile picture that signals rigor and restraint over approachability
• A gift for anyone who reveres Mies specifically, not architecture generally
• A wall print in a steel-grey palette for a studio or office
• A dating profile photo for someone who wants composed over casual

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.