My husband had wanted us to have a family portrait taken professionally this year. Then the pandemic struck, and that idea fell by the wayside. So for Christmas, I decided to remedy that lack. But I wanted to do it without actually meeting with a photographer. Then I saw an ad for TurnMeRoyal. This company — and, in fact, several others like it — lets you choose an Old World Style portrait and then upload your own photo, so your face or a friend or family member’s face takes the place of the one in the portrait. It’s kind of like playing dress-up, but without having to invest in costumes. I selected a template for each of us, and here are the results.
My husband Bob doesn’t approve of monarchy, so I didn’t think he’d like to be decked out like Henry VIII. But he’s quite into the fraction of his genome that is Scottish, so I thought he’d enjoy going all-out Highlander on us, and made him a Scottish Laird. Farquharson really is his ancestral clan (though he recently learned he’s got ties to Clan Henderson as well). Then I had to choose my own royal persona. I wasn’t sure what I wanted for my portrait — until I saw this fabulous blue gown and knew it was the one. For our son Jon Morgan, I was torn between a knight in armor and what was labeled a Viking but looks like something Jon Snow might wear in Game of Thrones. When I remembered some photos of Jon Morgan with the beard he grew over the summer, I knew the Viking look would be a good fit. Besides, like me, he’s a Game of Thrones fan.
I had these framed and wrapped them up as surprise Christmas gifts.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
The Petrini Page 