What Photos to Upload for AI Headshots (Best Results Guide)

Your input photos determine 80% of your AI headshot quality. Here's exactly what to upload for the best possible results.

5 minutes to read
Easy

What You'll Need

  • Smartphone or camera
  • Good lighting

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Lighting is everything

Natural daylight is best - face a window for soft, even lighting. Avoid harsh overhead lights, direct sunlight causing shadows, or dim indoor lighting. The AI needs to see your features clearly to recreate them accurately.

Pro Tip: The golden hours (early morning or late afternoon) provide the most flattering natural light.
2

Include variety in angles and expressions

Upload 10-20 photos with different angles: straight on, slight left turn, slight right turn. Include various expressions: natural smile, slight smile, serious. This gives the AI more data to work with.

Pro Tip: Don't upload 20 nearly identical selfies - variety produces better results than quantity.
3

Show your natural appearance

Avoid heavy makeup, filters, or sunglasses in your source photos. The AI needs to see your actual skin texture, eye color, and features. What you put in is what you get out.

Pro Tip: Recent photos work best - if you've changed your hairstyle or appearance, use current photos.
4

Technical quality matters

Use photos that are in focus, not blurry or pixelated. Modern smartphone cameras are perfect. Avoid heavily compressed images from messaging apps - use original files when possible.

Pro Tip: Photos should be at least 512x512 pixels, ideally 1024x1024 or larger.
5

What NOT to upload

Avoid: group photos where your face is small, photos with hats/sunglasses covering features, heavily filtered Instagram photos, very old photos that don't look like current you, and photos with extreme angles or expressions.

Pro Tip: The AI will recreate what it sees - if your source photos have issues, the output will too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many photos should I upload?

10-20 photos is ideal. More isn't always better - 15 high-quality varied photos beats 50 similar selfies. Focus on quality and variety over quantity.

Can I use old photos?

Use photos from the last 1-2 years that accurately represent your current appearance. Using photos from 10 years ago will create headshots that don't look like current you.

Do selfies work for AI headshots?

Yes! Modern smartphone selfies are excellent for AI headshots. Just ensure good lighting and include some photos at arm's length, not just close-up selfies.

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