How to Get Perfect AI Headshots: The Complete Guide
The photos you upload make or break your AI headshots. Here's exactly what to upload — and what to avoid.
The quality of your AI headshots depends almost entirely on the photos you upload to train the model. A great training set produces stunning headshots. A poor one produces results that miss the mark. Here's everything you need to know.
How many photos do you need?
Upload between 15 and 25 photos. Fewer than 10 and the model won't have enough data to capture your features accurately. More than 30 adds diminishing returns without meaningfully improving quality.
What makes a good training photo
- Sharp focus on your face. If your face is blurry, the model can't learn your features.
- Good, even lighting. Natural light from a window is perfect. Avoid harsh shadows across your face.
- Variety of angles. Include frontal, 3/4 profile, and slight side views. This teaches the model your face from multiple perspectives.
- Variety of expressions. Smiling, neutral, and slight smile all help. Avoid extreme expressions.
- Variety of backgrounds. Different backgrounds prevent the model from associating specific backgrounds with you.
- Different lighting conditions. Indoor, outdoor, morning, evening — variety here improves flexibility in outputs.
What to avoid
- Group photos. The model will get confused about which face to train on.
- Sunglasses or hats that obscure your face. Your features need to be visible.
- Very old photos. Use recent photos that reflect how you look now.
- Heavy filters. Instagram filters alter your skin tone and features in ways that confuse the model.
- The same photo cropped differently. Duplicates don't add information — diversity does.
The 20-photo formula
Here's our recommended breakdown for 20 training photos:
- 5 frontal photos, different lighting/outfits
- 5 slight left/right angle photos
- 4 outdoor photos in natural light
- 4 indoor photos in varied lighting
- 2 close-up face photos with excellent clarity
After training: writing good prompts
Once your model is trained, your prompts determine the output style. Be specific: instead of "professional headshot," try "professional LinkedIn headshot, navy blue blazer, white background, soft studio lighting, sharp focus." The more detail you give, the better the result.
PhotosAI includes prompt packs — curated professional prompts across dozens of styles. These are a great starting point before you experiment with your own.