What each part of the prompt does
- Costume in parts
- Tunic, collar, tights, hat with a bell and pointed ears: listing each part stops the model from falling back on a generic green costume.
- A task for the hands
- Painting a wooden toy train gives the hands something real to do and fills the frame with a story instead of an empty pose.
- Name badge
- "[NAME], Head Elf" in quotes puts your name in the picture. Keep the name short; badges are small and long names come out garbled.
- Real photograph
- "Real photograph" stops the elf look from sliding into an animated film style, which happens often with fantasy costumes.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed. These have no example image yet.
Wrapping station Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is. Dress the person as one of Santa's elves: a green felt tunic with a red collar, striped red and white tights, a pointed green hat with a small bell and slightly pointed ears. They stand at a wrapping station in Santa's workshop, tying a red ribbon on a large present, surrounded by stacks of wrapped boxes, with a name badge on the tunic that reads "[NAME], Head Elf". Shelves of toys, rolls of wrapping paper and warm lamp light behind them. Playful, detailed, real photograph, 4:5 frame.
Up on the shelf Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is. Dress the person as one of Santa's elves: a green felt tunic with a red collar, striped red and white tights, a pointed green hat with a small bell and slightly pointed ears. They sit on top of a tall bookshelf in a family living room, legs dangling, looking down at the camera with a cheeky grin, with a name badge on the tunic that reads "[NAME], Head Elf". A decorated tree and warm lamp light below them. Playful, detailed, real photograph, 4:5 frame.
Christmas Eve loading Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is. Dress the person as one of Santa's elves: a green felt tunic with a red collar, striped red and white tights, a pointed green hat with a small bell and slightly pointed ears. They carry a stack of presents towards a sleigh in the snowy workshop yard at night, reindeer waiting, with a name badge on the tunic that reads "[NAME], Head Elf". Shelves of toys, rolls of wrapping paper and warm lamp light behind them. Playful, detailed, real photograph, 4:5 frame.
If the result isn't right
- If the ears look like a fantasy character's, ask for "only slightly pointed ears, subtle".
- When the result turns cartoonish, add "photorealistic, real fabric and skin".
- If the badge text is wrong, reply with "the badge reads exactly" followed by your text in quotes.
- For a group of elves, upload a group photo and change the first line to "keep every face exactly the same".