VeraLooks

Knowledge Base & Support Guide

app.veralooks.com•veralooks.com

— Section 1 —

Getting Started

Creating Your Account

VeraLooks uses a simple email-based login. There is no password to remember — we send you a secure magic link each time you sign in.

•Go to app.veralooks.com

•Enter your email address and click "Send Magic Link"

•Check your inbox for an email from VeraLooks and click the link

•You are now logged in — the link expires after a short time, so use it promptly

💡 Pro Tip: Bookmark the App

Save app.veralooks.com to your bookmarks or home screen for quick access. On iPhone, tap the Share button in Safari and choose "Add to Home Screen."

Understanding Credits

VeraLooks uses a credit system. Each image you generate costs 1 credit. Editing an existing image also costs 1 credit per edit.

Your credits never expire, so there is no pressure to use them quickly.

How Many Credits Do I Need?

A good rule of thumb: plan for 1.5–2x the number of images you want to keep, since you may want to try variations or make edits.

•Starter Pack — 40 credits — great for trying the app or a single photoshoot

•Professional Pack — 120 credits — ideal for a complete brand image library

•Brand Kit Pack — 300 credits — best value for ongoing content creation

Topping Up Credits

When your credits run low, a Top Up prompt will appear automatically. You can also click the credits button in the top right corner of the app at any time to purchase more. Top-up packs are discounted as a thank-you for returning customers.

💡 Pro Tip: Credits vs. Images

You can generate multiple images from a single design by increasing the "Images for this Look" slider in the Fine-Tune section. Each image still costs 1 credit, but generating 5 at once from the same setup often gives you great variety to choose from.

— Section 2 —

Uploading Your Photos

What Photos Work Best

The quality of your reference photos directly affects the quality of your generated images. VeraLooks uses your photos to understand your face, hair, and features — not your clothing or background.

Best Photo Guidelines

•Use 3–10 photos for best results

•Include a mix of: one straight-on headshot, one or two at a slight angle, and one or two showing different expressions

•Good lighting on your face — avoid heavy shadows or backlit photos

•Recent photos that look like you today

•Clear view of your face — no sunglasses, hats, or heavy filters

•Plain or simple backgrounds work best — busy backgrounds are fine but may add processing time

Photos to Avoid

•Very dark or heavily filtered photos

•Photos where your face is small in the frame

•Group photos

•Photos with extreme angles (looking straight up or down)

•Heavy beauty filters or face-altering effects

💡 Pro Tip: The Sweet Spot

Five well-chosen photos almost always outperform ten mediocre ones. Pick your best, clearest face photos rather than uploading everything you have.

Photo Privacy

Your photos are used only to generate your images. They are stored securely and are never shared, sold, or used to train AI models. You can delete your images from your gallery at any time.

— Section 3 —

Designing Your Photoshoot

The Design page is where you build your "Looks" — each Look is a complete image style that you can generate. You can create up to 5 Looks before generating.

Step 1 — About You

Tell VeraLooks a few basics: your gender presentation, approximate age range, and hair color. This helps the AI match your features accurately in the generated images.

💡 Pro Tip: Wedding Ring Option

If you wear a wedding or engagement ring and want it included in your images, toggle it on in the About You section.

Step 2 — Clothing Style

Choose the category that best matches how you want to present yourself — Corporate Professional, Creative & Modern, Casual & Approachable, or others. Within each category, choose a specific clothing option.

Add Your Own Outfit

Not finding what you need? Click "Add Your Own Outfit" and describe what you want to wear in plain language. For example: "navy blue fitted blazer over a white silk blouse, no tie." The more specific you are, the better the result.

💡 Pro Tip: Clothing Color Matters

If you have brand colors, describe them in your outfit. For example: "cobalt blue blazer" or "forest green sweater." The AI is quite good at matching specific colors when you name them clearly.

Step 3 — Background Scene

Choose the environment where your images will be set. Options range from corporate boardrooms and modern offices to creative studios, outdoor scenes, and lifestyle settings.

Add Your Own Background Scene

Click "Add Your Own Background Scene" to describe a custom environment. Be specific about what you want. Good examples:

•"Rooftop terrace with a city skyline at golden hour, warm ambient light"

•"Modern library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and warm reading lamps"

•"Clean white photography studio with soft directional light"

💡 Pro Tip: Scene Consistency

If you are generating multiple Looks, choosing scenes from the same general family (all indoor, all outdoor, all studio) creates a more cohesive image library for your brand.

Signature Studio Headshot

The Signature Studio Headshot is VeraLooks's premium headshot preset, designed by a professional portrait photographer. It produces a clean, elegant studio headshot using a specific professional lighting setup — no scene selection required.

What Makes It Different

•Professional clamshell lighting setup with a beauty dish and Westcott Eyelighter reflector

•Dimensional, flattering light that sculpts the face without being harsh

•Three backdrop options: Dark Gray, Deep Black, Pure White, or a custom color

•Consistent, high-end result every time

Signature Studio Settings

•Backdrop — choose Dark Gray, Deep Black, Pure White, or pick a custom color

•Aspect Ratio — Square (1:1) for most uses, or Portrait (4:5) for LinkedIn and social media

•Framing — Headshot (chest and up) or Waist Up

•Black & White — toggle on for a classic, timeless look

💡 Pro Tip: When to Use Signature Studio

Use Signature Studio for your primary professional headshot — the one you use on LinkedIn, your website bio, and email signatures. Use the Background Scene options for lifestyle and brand content that shows personality and context.

Step 4 — Fine-Tune Your Look (Optional)

Fine-Tune gives you control over details that affect the final image quality and style.

Retouch Level

•None — no retouching, natural and authentic skin texture

•Natural — light, subtle retouching that keeps you looking like yourself

•Polished — commercial-level smoothing, suitable for professional headshots

•Airbrushed — high-fashion, highly smoothed look

💡 Pro Tip: Less is More

Most people look best at "Natural" retouch. "None" gives the most realistic result and pairs beautifully with the enhanced photorealism built into VeraLooks. Save "Polished" and "Airbrushed" for specific use cases where a more stylized look is needed.

Other Fine-Tune Options

•Variation — controls how different each generated image looks from the others. High gives more creative variety, Low gives more consistent results.

•Glasses — keep them as shown in your reference photos, or remove them.

•Images for this Look — how many images to generate from this design (1–10).

•Brand Colors — add your primary and secondary brand colors to subtly influence clothing and scene accents.

•Body Size — adjust the apparent body size relative to your reference photos. Zero means match the reference exactly.

Step 5 — Camera, Lighting & Composition (Optional)

Advanced settings for customers who want more creative control.

Aspect Ratio

•1:1 Square — great for profile photos and most social media

•4:5 Portrait — ideal for Instagram and LinkedIn feed posts

•9:16 Story — vertical format for Instagram and Facebook Stories

•16:9 Wide — landscape format for website headers and banners

Pose / Framing

•Headshot — tight crop from chest to just above the head

•Waist Up — crop at the hips, shows more of the outfit

•Three-Quarter — from just above the knees up

•Full Body — head to toe

Lighting & Mood

•Polished Professional — clean, bright commercial lighting. Classic headshot look.

•Daylight — natural window or outdoor light. Fresh and approachable.

•Cinematic — dramatic Rembrandt-style lighting. Strong and authoritative.

•Dark & Moody — low-key, high-contrast lighting. Serious and powerful.

💡 Pro Tip: Short Lighting

If your generated image looks flat or the light seems "off," try typing "change to short lighting" in the Edit panel. Short lighting means the key light falls on the far side of the face from the camera. It is more flattering, slimming, and is the preferred style for professional headshots. Broad lighting (the opposite) can make faces appear wider and is less used in professional photography.

Camera Angle

•Eye Level — neutral, direct, most commonly used for professional portraits

•High Angle — camera slightly above eye level, creates an approachable look

•Low Angle (Power) — camera below eye level looking up, creates authority and presence

Saving a Look

Once you have configured your settings, click "Save Look." Your Look appears in the Saved Looks panel on the right side of the Design page. You can save up to 5 Looks before generating.

You can edit a saved Look by clicking it and adjusting the settings, then clicking "Update Look."

The Shot List Generator

Not sure what images to create? The Shot List Generator is an AI-powered tool that creates a personalized photoshoot plan based on your industry, clients, and goals. Click the Shot List banner on the Design page to access it.

Describe what you do and who your clients are, and the AI will suggest a set of specific looks optimized for your brand and business.

— Section 4 —

Generating Your Images

Starting a Generation

Once you have saved at least one Look, a "Generate" button appears at the bottom of the Design page showing the total number of images that will be created and the total credit cost. Review this before clicking — generation uses credits immediately.

Generation Time

Each image takes approximately 30–90 seconds to generate. A batch of 10 images may take 5–10 minutes. Please keep the browser tab open during generation — closing the tab will interrupt the process.

💡 Pro Tip: Plan Your Session

Set up all your Looks before clicking Generate rather than generating one Look at a time. This lets you review and adjust all your settings together before committing credits.

Your Image Gallery

All generated images are saved automatically to your gallery and are accessible across devices. Your images are stored for 90 days from the date of generation.

To return to your gallery at any time, click "Your Images" in the top navigation bar.

— Section 5 —

Editing & Refining Your Images

After generating, you can refine any image using the "Refine This Image" button below the main preview. Each edit uses 1 credit.

Edit / Enhance

Use preset edit options organized by category, or write your own custom instruction in plain language.

Apply Edit vs. Regenerate

•Apply Edit — makes a surface-level change to the existing image. Best for lighting adjustments, background changes, expression tweaks, and color corrections. Fast and precise.

•Regenerate — rebuilds the image from scratch using your original reference photos. Best for body shape changes, posture, or major structural changes. Takes longer but can fix deep issues.

Edit Categories

•Body & Build — adjust body proportions or fix cropping issues

•Face & Expression — adjust smile, expression, skin texture, or remove glasses

•Background & Scene — change atmosphere, blur background, remove distracting objects

•Clothing & Color — adjust outfit formality or color

•Fun & Creative — artistic style transforms (oil painting, watercolor, Ghibli, 3D cartoon, etc.)

•Retouch Options — apply or remove retouching from the generated image

💡 Pro Tip: Writing Good Edit Instructions

Be specific and visual. Instead of "make the lighting better," try "add more light to the shadow side of the face." Instead of "fix my jacket," try "remove the wrinkle on the right shoulder of the jacket." The AI responds much better to specific visual descriptions than general ones.

Photographer's Edit Tips

These are professional photography terms you can type directly into the custom edit field:

Lighting Fixes

•"Change to short lighting" — the key light should fall on the far cheek, away from the camera. More flattering and professional.

•"Add a catchlight to the eyes" — a small bright reflection in the eyes that makes them look alive and engaged.

•"Soften the shadows" — reduce harsh shadow contrast on the face.

•"Add a subtle rim light on the hair" — a thin highlight along the edge of the hair that separates it from the background.

•"Increase the fill light" — brighten the shadow side of the face for a more even, accessible look.

Composition Fixes

•"Apply the rule of thirds" — move the subject slightly off-center for a more dynamic composition.

•"Add more headroom" — increase the space above the subject's head.

•"Zoom out to show more environment" — reveal more of the background scene.

•"Tighten the crop to a headshot" — bring the frame in closer to the face and shoulders.

Portrait Quality

•"Remove the beauty filter — restore natural skin texture" — brings back pore detail and removes the AI's tendency to over-smooth skin.

•"Sharpen the eyes" — increases detail and clarity in the eyes specifically.

•"Apply shallow depth of field" — blur the background more to separate the subject.

•"Make the background more neutral" — reduce distracting elements or busy patterns behind the subject.

💡 Pro Tip: When to Regenerate vs. Edit

If the problem is in the face, expression, lighting, or background — use Apply Edit. If the problem is in body proportions, posture, or overall composition — use Regenerate. Regenerate re-runs the AI from your original photos and often fixes issues that editing cannot.

Magic Eraser

The Magic Eraser lets you paint over specific areas of an image and remove them. It is best for removing background objects like poles, signs, people, furniture, or other distracting elements.

How to Use It

•Click "Refine This Image" and select the Magic Eraser tab

•Use the brush to paint a red mask over the area you want removed

•Adjust the brush size for precision around edges

•Click "Erase & Fill" — the AI removes the masked area and fills it with background

💡 Pro Tip: Keep Masks Small

Magic Eraser works best on discrete, bounded objects. Paint the mask tightly around the object you want to remove. Large, vague masks produce less predictable results. If the first attempt is not perfect, try with a smaller, more precise mask.

Regenerate All

The Regenerate All feature applies a single instruction to all of your original images at once — useful when you want to make a consistent adjustment across your entire set. Each image still costs 1 credit.

— Section 6 —

Downloading Your Images

Single Image Download

Select an image in your gallery and use the Download buttons on the right side of the screen.

•Download Hi-Res PNG — high resolution, best for print, editing, and professional use

•Download Web WebP — smaller file size, optimized for websites and social media

💡 Pro Tip: Which Format Should I Use?

PNG for LinkedIn profile photos, printed materials, and any time you will edit the image further. WebP for your website, social media posts, and email. If in doubt, download PNG — you can always convert it later.

Download All

Click "Download All" to save your entire gallery as a ZIP file. Before downloading, choose your preferred format: PNG, WebP, or Both.

Opening Your ZIP File

•Mac — double-click the ZIP file in Finder

•Windows — right-click the ZIP file and choose "Extract All"

•iPhone — tap the ZIP file in the Files app

•Android — open with the Files app

Commercial License

All images generated by VeraLooks include a standard commercial license. You may use your images for professional profiles, websites, social media, marketing materials, and business purposes.

— Section 7 —

Billing & Credits

Pricing Packages

VeraLooks offers three packages for first-time purchases:

•Starter — 40 credits

•Professional — 120 credits

•Brand Kit — 300 credits

Visit app.veralooks.com or veralooks.com for current pricing.

Top-Up Packs

When you need more credits, top-up packs are available at a discounted rate as a thank-you for returning customers. Click the credits display in the top right corner of the app to purchase a top-up at any time.

Payments, Privacy & Security

Your privacy and the security of your data are both important to us. Here's exactly how we handle your information:

Your uploaded photos: Your uploaded reference photos are used only to generate your images. They are never shared with third parties, never sold, and never used to train AI models. You own your images — full stop.

Your generated images: All generated images are stored securely in your private gallery for 90 days — three times longer than most AI headshot apps, which typically delete images after 30 days. Only you can access your gallery. After 90 days, images are permanently deleted from our servers. We recommend downloading any images you want to keep.

Your payment data: All payments are processed through Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment processors. VeraLooks never sees or stores your credit card information. Apple Pay is also supported for additional security and convenience.

Your account: VeraLooks uses secure email and password authentication managed by Base44, a trusted application platform. Your password is encrypted and never stored in plain text. If you ever forget your password, a secure reset link will be sent to your email.

Your email: Your email address is used to send your login link, purchase receipts, and occasional product updates. We do not sell or share your contact information with anyone.

Refund Policy

Credits are non-refundable once purchased. If you experience a technical issue that causes credits to be lost without generating images, please contact us at [email protected] and we will review your case.

Credits Never Expire

Your credits do not expire. There is no subscription, no monthly fee, and no pressure to use your credits within a time limit.

— Section 8 —

Troubleshooting

My Images Don't Look Like Me

This is the most common issue and is almost always caused by the reference photos. Try:

•Upload clearer, better-lit photos of your face

•Make sure your face is large in the frame — not a distant or full-body shot

•Include a straight-on headshot in your reference set

•Remove photos with sunglasses, hats, or heavy filters

•Use recent photos that reflect your current appearance

The Background Is Wrong

If you selected a specific scene but the generated image shows a different environment:

•Try generating again — occasional variation is normal

•Use the "Apply Edit" function to describe the correct background

•Use the "Describe your own background scene" edit preset and be very specific about what you want

💡 Pro Tip: Describing Backgrounds in Edits

When correcting a background, be concrete. Instead of "change the background," try: "Replace the background with a clean modern office interior — glass walls, warm wood desk, potted plant, natural light from large windows on the left."

The Framing or Crop Is Wrong

If the image is not cropped where you expected:

•Check the Pose / Framing setting in Section 4 of the Design page

•In the Edit panel, type the correction directly: "Crop tighter to show only head and shoulders" or "Show the full body from head to toe with floor visible"

The Lighting Looks Flat or Unnatural

Professional lighting adjustments you can type in the edit box:

•"Change to short lighting — key light on the far cheek"

•"Add more shadow depth and contrast — less flat"

•"Brighten the face — lift the shadows under the eyes and chin"

•"Add a catchlight to the eyes"

The Skin Looks Plastic or Over-Smoothed

Type one of these in the edit box:

•"Remove all beauty filter effects — restore natural skin texture with visible pores"

•"Add natural skin texture — this looks too airbrushed"

Generation Is Taking Very Long

Each image takes 30–90 seconds. A batch of 10 images can take up to 10 minutes. This is normal. Keep the browser tab open and active during generation.

If generation appears completely stuck after 10+ minutes, refresh the page. Any successfully generated images will still appear in Your Images gallery.

My Credits Did Not Update After Purchase

Occasionally there may be a brief delay between payment and credits appearing. Try:

•Refresh the app page

•Log out and log back in

•Wait 2–3 minutes and refresh again

If credits still have not appeared after 5 minutes, contact us at [email protected] with your purchase receipt and we will manually add your credits.

I Cannot Log In

VeraLooks uses magic link login — no password required. If you are not receiving the login email:

•Check your spam or junk folder

•Make sure you are using the same email address you registered with

•Try a different browser if the magic link is not working

•Contact us at [email protected] if you continue to have trouble

An Edit Did Not Work

If Apply Edit returns an image that looks the same or has artifacts:

•Try rephrasing your edit with more specific visual language

•For structural changes (body, posture, composition) use Regenerate instead of Apply Edit

•Break complex edits into smaller steps — one change at a time works better than multiple changes in one instruction

— Section 9 —

Pro Tips from Mark

These are insider techniques from the professional photographer who designed VeraLooks.

Lighting

•— Short lighting places the key light on the far cheek (away from the camera). Broad lighting places it on the near cheek (toward the camera). Short lighting is almost always more flattering — it slims the face and creates depth. If an image looks off, this is often the fix. Type "change to short lighting" in the edit box.Short Lighting vs. Broad Lighting

•— Look at the subject's eyes in the generated image. Do you see a small bright reflection (catchlight)? If not, the lighting feels flat and lifeless. Type "add a catchlight to the eyes" to fix it.The Catchlight Test

•— A completely flat, shadowless face looks like a passport photo. Some shadow under the brow, nose, and chin is what makes a face look three-dimensional and photogenic. If your image looks too flat, try "increase the shadow depth on the face — more contrast, more dimension."Shadows Create Dimension

•— A thin highlight along the edge of the hair and shoulder separates the subject from the background and adds a professional polish. Type "add a subtle rim light on the hair and shoulder edges" to try it.Rim Light for Separation

Composition

•— The most compelling portraits rarely have the subject perfectly centered. Having them slightly off-center creates a more dynamic, professional image. Type "apply the rule of thirds — move the subject slightly off-center" to try it.Rule of Thirds

•— Always leave a small amount of space above the subject's head. Too tight a crop on the top feels uncomfortable. Type "add more headroom above the head" if needed.Headroom

•— For most professional headshots, the camera should be at eye level. A camera slightly below eye level can look heroic but also unflattering depending on the person. A camera slightly above creates an approachable, friendly feel. Use the Camera Angle setting to experiment.Eye Level Matters

Making Images Look Less AI

•— Type "remove all beauty filter effects — restore visible pores and natural skin texture" for a more photographic, authentic look.Natural Skin Texture

•— If clothing looks too perfect or CGI, type "add natural fabric texture — show the weave and drape of the fabric."Real Fabric

•— A small flyaway hair, a subtle clothing wrinkle, a tiny skin variation — these details are what make a photo feel real rather than generated. Type "add subtle natural imperfections — slight flyaway hair, natural skin variation" to push toward photorealism.Imperfection is Realistic

Brand Consistency

•— Before generating, think about the story you want to tell. One headshot, one lifestyle scene, one action shot, one creative scene. A cohesive set tells a better brand story than multiple variations of the same pose.Plan your Looks as a set

•— If your brand has colors, use them in your clothing or background descriptions across multiple Looks. Subtle consistency in color creates a polished, professional brand library.Consistent color palette

•— Use Cinematic or Dark & Moody lighting if your brand is serious and authoritative. Use Daylight or Polished Professional if your brand is warm and approachable. The lighting mood should match how you want clients to feel about working with you.Match your energy to your brand

Need more help?

Email us: [email protected]

App: app.veralooks.com•Website: veralooks.com