I’m a professional portrait and headshot photographer, and I did the viral AI headshots.
I just saw post after post about it and i’m sure some of it is paid placement… but consider me influenced.
I threw down the ~$17, because I had to really find out if I could be replaced by a robot?
Here are my personal photos for context, these are real – not AI generated.
Can AI create a headshot?
And then let’s go through some of the AI generated ones…
Some of these do have the Uncanny Valley Effect:
“The uncanny valley phenomenon can be described as eerie or negative emotion that some people experience in response to not-quite-human figures like humanoid robots and lifelike computer-generated characters.”
Now, don’t get me wrong. I think there’s a place in the market for this. And I personally don’t think this effects my business all too much, but that’s a topic for another discussion.
I mean it’s $20, most decent headshot photographers are going to be at least $200+, depending on the market.
I’m very parsimonious with a lot of things, so if some people just want to spend $20 for a fake headshot, by all means go for it. You could probably even go cheaper and just have someone Photoshop your face onto a body for $5-10 on Fiverr.
What is the AI that creates headshots?
I personally don’t even want to mention the company I used because I am in no way affiliated with them, and I think most of their success came from the natural virality on social media.
A simple search on Google or TikTok and you’ll find plenty of options if you do go that route. There are some differences however, for example, Canva AI Headshots takes a single existing photo and uses AI to generate a headshot that you want (eg. you can swap a tank top for a professional white blouse).
Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing AI incorporated into photography…
You’re starting to see it incorporated in Lightroom and Photoshop, even some of the new cameras like the Sony ZV-E1 are starting to incorporate AI. I think Chat GPT is amazing.
My only personal issue, and this is just me, but as a recently single photographer, who is on the dating apps (which good photos will help you out btw)
It’s one thing to use these on your LinkedIn, but nowadays, every third profile I see is the “bold glamour” filter or some other filter, excessive use of Face Tune and now maybe AI generated photos.
Jean Luc Godard said, “When you photograph a face, you photograph the soul behind it.”
And now today we’re reduced to using AI modeling software to photoshop your face onto another person’s body.
So where do we draw the line?
I mean how is it different from photoshopping your face onto Zac Efron’s Body?
Or let’s say you’ve never been to Hawaii… well no need, we’ll just photoshop you there. Then you can flex it on Instagram.
In a digital age, your photos are your first impression – do you really want to put up images that aren’t you?
Photos tell a story. I loved my self-portrait describing my breakup…
To me, it was more than just a picture, but also a reflection of who I was at that moment in time.
And I don’t think you elicit that same emotional response from an AI generated portrait…
AI. There is a place for it – but not photography!
It was a nice exeriment you tried but I think there is enough fake out there that sometimes the pictures you post on your wall should be memories – not someone else’s inventions.