A headshot that reads 'engineer', not 'sales'

The software-engineer headshot register

A generic AI headshot generator gives everyone the same thing: a grey backdrop, a navy blazer, a corporate smile. That photo reads fine for a sales director and slightly wrong for someone who writes software. The software-engineer register is a real headshot — clean, professional, the kind you put on a LinkedIn profile or a company team page — but staged for the way engineers actually present: smart-casual over a suit, a tech-office or studio setting, an expression that reads competent rather than salesy.

The output is a photograph of you, not an illustration and not a filter. Three registers cover where an engineer's headshot actually has to work. The neutral studio is the safe default: a cool-grey seamless backdrop, balanced soft light, a fine-merino crewneck or knit shell — it crops cleanly to a circle and prints well at small sizes, the photo for a LinkedIn profile or a conference-speaker bio. The glass-walled tech office moves you into context: floor-to-ceiling windows, pale concrete, daylight off the glass — a headshot that says 'works in tech' without a logo in frame. The standup corner is the warmest: window light, a planted shelf softly defocused behind, a half-zip pullover — a team-page photo that reads as a real person at a real desk.

Photographically this means half-length and head-and-shoulders framing, soft directional light from a single broad source, a small catchlight in each eye and a specular sheen on the cheekbone so the skin reads alive, and a background graded a shade off the subject so the figure lifts by tone. No harsh fill, no blown-out backdrop, no forced grin. The wardrobe is considered but not corporate — the clothes an engineer wears when they care how they look without pretending to be in finance.

If you want the full corporate-formal headshot — suit, tie, neutral studio for a banking or legal context — the LinkedIn Headshots pack is the better fit. If you want a casual GitHub avatar rather than a headshot, the GitHub Profile Picture pack covers that ground. This pack sits between them: a real professional headshot, calibrated for the tech register.

How to photograph yourself for a software-engineer headshot

Better source photos make better headshots.

1. Soft window light, camera at eye levelIndirect daylight from a window to one side is ideal. Avoid your webcam's built-in light and overhead office bulbs — both flatten the face. Hold the camera at eye level, not angled up from a laptop.
2. Front or three-quarter angleFace the lens straight on or turn a quarter toward it. No selfie-stick uplook, no overhead. The pack renders head-and-shoulders and half-length crops, so fill the frame with your face and upper body.
3. Plain backgroundA plain wall or a softly out-of-focus desk works. The AI anchors on your face and replaces the background with the pack's studio and office settings. A background with other people in it makes the face harder to isolate.
4. A composed, competent expressionLook at the lens with a relaxed, level expression — not a posed sales smile, not a flat stare. Think about how you look when you're explaining a problem you understand well.
5. Smart casual or above in the sourceThe pack renders fine knit, a blazer, a half-zip pullover. A source photo already in that register sharpens the result. Upload two or three photos from slightly different angles if you have them.

Frequently asked questions

Is the output photorealistic or AI-looking?

Photorealistic. The output is a photograph of you, staged in tech-appropriate settings — a cool-grey studio backdrop, a glass-walled office with daylight, or a softly lit standup corner. There are no filters, illustrations, or heavy stylistic treatments. It reads like a photo a good photographer took of you, not an AI render.

Can I use this as my LinkedIn headshot?

Yes — that's the primary use. The neutral-studio register in particular is calibrated for LinkedIn: clean backdrop, balanced light, smart-casual wardrobe, an expression that reads competent and approachable. It crops cleanly to the circular LinkedIn frame and reads well at small sizes.

I want a formal corporate headshot in a suit. Is this the right pack?

Honest answer: not quite. This pack is calibrated for the tech register — fine knit, a blazer at most, tech-office and studio settings. If you need a full business-formal headshot in a suit and tie for a banking, legal, or executive context, the LinkedIn Headshots pack uses that neutral-formal register. If you want a casual GitHub avatar instead of a headshot, the GitHub Profile Picture pack covers that.

Does it work for a whole engineering team or company team page?

Yes. Each person gets nine consistent headshots in the same three registers, so a team page reads as one coherent set rather than a patchwork of photos and old conference crops. The neutral-studio register is the most consistent choice across a team.

Is the output safe to use commercially — on a company site, in press, on a portfolio?

Yes. The output is yours. Company team pages, press coverage, portfolio sites, and speaker bios are all permitted uses. See the terms for the full scope.

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 software-engineer headshot fits

• A LinkedIn profile photo that reads 'works in tech' rather than 'works in banking' — professional without the corporate-formal register.
• A company team page, About page, or org chart where an engineer's headshot has to sit next to designers and product managers.
• A conference-speaker bio, technical-talk slide, or meetup credential where the default corporate headshot looks out of place.
• A startup or tech-company team headshot set, where the whole engineering team needs consistent, photographic portraits.
• A personal site, portfolio, or dev-blog 'About' photo that needs to read as a real, approachable professional.
• A replacement for a cropped group photo or blurry webcam screenshot currently doing duty as a professional headshot.
• A speaker, podcast-guest, or panel bio in a technical context where a clean, contemporary headshot signals credibility.

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.