What each part of the prompt does
- Recognisable, not identical
- A white beard changes the lower face, so the prompt asks to keep the eyes, nose and smile instead of the whole face. That trade is what keeps you recognisable.
- Beard from the face
- "Grow naturally from their own face" avoids the stuck-on costume beard and makes the result read as Santa himself rather than a person in a costume.
- Classic suit details
- Red velvet, white fur trim, a wide black belt and small round gold glasses are the details people look for. Leave one out and it starts to look like a cheap costume.
- Workshop setting
- A workshop full of presents and toy shelves gives the picture a story, and the fireplace adds warm light on the face.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed. These have no example image yet.
Mrs Claus Keep the face from my uploaded photo recognisable, with the same eyes, nose and smile, and dress the person as Mrs Claus. Give them white hair in a soft bun, a red velvet dress with white fur trim, a white apron dusted with flour and small round gold glasses. They sit in a wooden armchair in a workshop full of wrapped presents and toy shelves, with a sack of gifts beside them and a lit fireplace to one side. Warm, cosy light, real photograph, 4:5 frame.
Costume on purpose Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is. Show the person laughing in a cheap Santa costume at a family Christmas party: a red suit that is slightly too big, a fake white beard pulled down under the chin so the whole face shows, and a floppy Santa hat. They hold a sack of presents over one shoulder, and a decorated tree and family members out of focus fill the room behind. Direct flash, candid party snapshot, 4:5 frame.
Santa by the window Keep the face from my uploaded photo recognisable, with the same eyes, nose and smile, and dress the person as Santa Claus. Give them a full white beard and white eyebrows that grow naturally from their own face, a red velvet Santa suit with white fur trim, a wide black belt and small round gold glasses. They stand at a frosted workshop window at night, looking out at a sleigh and reindeer waiting in the snow, with a list in one hand and a lit fireplace behind them. Warm, cosy light, real photograph, 4:5 frame.
If the result isn't right
- If the face disappears under the beard, ask for "shorter beard, cheeks and smile visible".
- When it looks like a shopping centre Santa, add "cinematic film still, rich detail".
- If the face is aged too much, write "same age as in my photo, only the beard and hair are white".
- Glasses can hide the eyes; request "glasses low on the nose, eyes visible above them".