You can make an AI professional headshot from one clear selfie: the AI keeps your face and swaps in the suit, the light and the backdrop. The part most guides skip is that a LinkedIn photo, a resume photo and a startup team page each want a different headshot. Pick by where it will go.
Which AI headshot should I use for LinkedIn?
Use a warm, chest-up photo with a soft blurred office or a plain light backdrop. LinkedIn shows your photo as a small circle, so your face needs to fill most of it. A real smile works better here than a serious look, since people are deciding whether to message you.
The LinkedIn Profile Photo style is built for this: chest-up, body turned a little, face to the camera. You can switch the backdrop between Office, Light grey, Dark grey and City view.
What works for a resume or CV photo?
Keep it plain. A resume photo sits next to text and often gets printed, which is why a head-and-shoulders crop on an evenly lit, plain background reads best. Skip the skyline.
The Resume / CV Photo style does exactly that. If a job post or a form asks for a passport style photo instead, use a real, unedited one: forms for IDs and visas reject edited faces.
Which AI professional headshot fits each job?
Here is how the rest of the collection maps to where you will use it:
| Where it goes | Style | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Company website, bank, consulting | Formal Suit Photo or Corporate Portrait Pro | A suit, blazer, saree or Nehru jacket that fits |
| Startup or agency team page | Startup / Creative Headshot | Smart-casual, a bright office behind you |
| Personal site, speaker bio | Studio Grey Headshot | A canvas backdrop and soft side light |
| Teacher, coach, campus role | Outdoor Natural-Light Headshot | Daylight with a street, trees or a campus blurred |
| Clinic or hospital profile | Medical Portrait Pro | A clinic, hospital or lab setting |
| Law firm profile | Legal Portrait Pro | A law office, courtroom or library |
One rule from photographers holds for AI too: dress one level above what you wear on a normal work day. A dark suit reads right in law and finance and stiff on a startup founder.
How do I take a selfie the AI can work with?
Most bad AI headshots start with a bad selfie. Five things fix it:
- Face a window, so daylight falls evenly on your face. No light behind you.
- Hold the phone at eye level, about an arm's length away.
- Take off sunglasses and anything that hides your face.
- Keep your hair the way you wear it to work. The AI keeps it.
- Use a recent photo. It should look like you on a video call next week.
A plain wall behind you is not needed. The style replaces the background anyway.
Can I make one with ChatGPT or Gemini instead?
Yes. Every style in the collection has a free prompt you can copy into ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok or Copilot along with your photo. A short version for LinkedIn looks like this:
Turn the attached selfie into a professional LinkedIn headshot: chest-up, face to the camera, a warm natural smile, a navy blazer over a white shirt, soft window light, a softly blurred modern office behind. Keep my face, skin tone and features exactly as they are.
That last line matters. Without it, chat models tend to smooth skin and slim faces, and a headshot that does not look like you defeats the point.
Frequently asked questions
Will the AI change my face? The styles are written to keep your face, skin tone and features as they are and change only the outfit, light and backdrop. Check the result next to your selfie before you post it.
Can I choose the outfit? Yes. Several styles let you pick the outfit and backdrop, for example a suit, a sweater or a casual shirt.
Is an AI headshot fine for a passport or visa? No. Official ID photos must be real and unedited.
Can I use one headshot everywhere? You can, but a plain studio look is the one that travels best: it suits LinkedIn, a resume and a team page without looking out of place.
Copy a free headshot prompt from the collection, or make it in the Trendy AI Lab app on Android.
Coming soon