An Investor Headshot on Sand Hill Road

The Sand Hill Road register

Sand Hill Road runs above Palo Alto between low cedar offices and valley oaks, and in late summer the foothills turn the colour of straw. The investor there has a uniform: a fleece vest over an oxford shirt, the least ostentatious thing in the most expensive county in the country.

Three photographs. On the cedar deck of a low office, the golden hills soft behind you and the camel vest over an open collar. At the office's glass and cedar wall, a valley oak's shadow falling across the boards, one hand in the vest pocket. And at half-length on a ridge path above the road, the whole slope gold in the late sun with one dark oak standing in it.

The palette is the dry hills: straw gold, camel and oak shade. High dry sun softened by haze gives a warm bounce, a small sheen on the brow, and texture in the fleece's nap and the cotton's weave.

How to take source photos for the Sand Hill Road 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. A relaxed, unshowy lookThe valley's style is understated. An easy expression and a slight turn of the head in your source photos fit.
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 on Sand Hill Road?

The setting is built from it: low cedar offices, valley oaks and the dry hills above Palo Alto.

Why a fleece vest?

It is the valley's own uniform. It marks the world at a glance and sits over the oxford as a quilted line.

Is it too casual for a professional headshot?

It is business casual in the Silicon Valley sense: collar open, vest on. For a more formal picture, other packs in the catalogue go further.

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 Sand Hill Road pack fits

• An investor headshot for a fund's site, a deck or a founders' directory
• An executive portrait for a board page, a speaker bio or an annual letter
• A founder headshot for men for a seed round or a startup's about page
• A LinkedIn picture for a venture, angel or operator profile
• A gift for a friend who raised their first round

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.