As of 13 August 2026, AI can create a professional headshot from your selfie.
Most people should do this themselves; the prompt is on this page.
Can you do it?
5 minutesto a draft.
15 minutesto something you’d act on.
Cost, all in£0
Skill needednone
Who has to check ityou
What the alternative costsA professional photographer is the human alternative, but the supplied sources give no price for that service.
If this goes wrong: the image looks artificial or unlike you, so you replace it with another generation or use the original selfie.
What to actually do
Do it yourself
The route this page recommends
A chat interface, no skill needed, and roughly 15 minutes until you can act on the result.
How to actually do it
- Choose a clear, recent selfie with your face unobstructed, even lighting and no heavy filter, then save the original file.
- Open an image editor such as Fotor and upload the selfie.
- Paste the prompt and replace the bracketed sections with the role, industry and intended use.
- Generate the headshot and compare it with the original selfie for identity, facial features, skin tone, expression and realistic details.
- Check the crop, background, clothing and lighting against the professional setting where you will use it.
- Save the version that still looks like you, then upload it to the relevant LinkedIn, CV or profile page.
Prompt
Create a professional headshot from the attached selfie. Preserve my identity, facial structure, skin tone, age and natural expression. Do not change my face, make me look like another person, smooth away distinctive features, add unrealistic skin, or invent jewellery or accessories. Use a simple, well-lit composition from the shoulders up, with a neutral uncluttered background, natural-looking lighting and a smart outfit suitable for [industry or role]. The intended use is [LinkedIn / CV / company profile / other]. Keep the result realistic and approachable, with accurate eyes, teeth, hair, ears and clothing. Do not add text, logos or dramatic effects. Produce one polished version and explain any substantial changes made.
Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.
Use a tool built for this
Second choiceHand it to a person
The distant thirdA person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.
What it gets wrong
- AI cannot know the exact dress code or visual expectations of your industry, employer or professional body.
- It may change recognisable facial details while making the image look polished, so resemblance needs your approval.
- It cannot recreate the natural interaction, posing and lighting judgement of a photographer directing you in person.
- It cannot decide whether using an enhanced image would feel misleading for the particular role or audience.
Even on a YES, the friction has a name: taste and context depth.
How we scored this
Five axes, each scored nought to two by hand: ten means AI carries the task cleanly, and the thresholds that turn a total into YES, PARTLY or NO are published in the methodology. Each axis name links to its definition.
| Axis | Score (0–2) |
|---|---|
| Output | 2 |
| Inputs | 2 |
| Verification | 1 |
| Liability | 2 |
| Effort delta | 2 |
| Total | 9 / 10 |
The methodology and its thresholds are published in full.
FAQ
- Can AI make a professional headshot from a selfie?
- Yes. Image tools can retouch a selfie and create a cleaner background, crop, outfit style and lighting, but you need to check that the finished face still looks like you.
- What kind of selfie do I need for an AI headshot?
- Use a recent, clear image with your face unobstructed, natural lighting and no heavy filter. A front-facing or slightly angled photo with enough detail gives the tool more to work with.
- Will an AI headshot still look like me?
- It can, if you explicitly tell the tool to preserve your identity and distinctive features. Check the eyes, teeth, skin tone, hair, face shape and expression against the original before using it.
- Can I use an AI headshot on my CV or LinkedIn?
- You can use one if it is an accurate and recognisable representation of you and suits the context. Avoid versions that change your face substantially or make the image look noticeably artificial.
Nearby answers
Assessed by gpt-5.6-luna (gpt-5.6-luna) on 2026-08-13, second-checked by an independent model. Wrong somewhere? Email [email protected] and it gets re-checked.
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