Every October the same picture takes over TikTok and Instagram: someone in a cozy fall outfit, sitting on a hay bale or standing in a dark studio, with a carved jack-o-lantern where their head should be. It's called the pumpkin head trend (or pumpkin head photoshoot), it has been around since about 2020, and it comes back every Halloween because it looks great and needs no costume.

We tried it from two directions: the real-pumpkin way, and an AI way that we ended up building into a small tool, Pumpkin Head Studio. Here is what we learned about both, so you can choose.

Option 1: the real pumpkin

Picking and carving

Size matters more than shape. You need a pumpkin your whole head fits inside, with a little room for your shoulders. Look for one around 30–40 cm (12–16 in) across. Bring a measuring tape to the patch. It will feel ridiculous, and you'll still be glad you did.

Cut the hole from the bottom, not the top.…