AI headshots: to use or not to use, that is the question

Using artificial intelligence in business is a hot topic at this moment in time. From employing programs like ChatGPT to write copy for marketing?to processing automations, AI can be extraordinarily useful in business?and will definitely grow and evolve over time.

One area that is gaining popularity is AI headshots. There are definitely fun ways in which you can use AI generated headshots in your marketing; however, using AI photos?exclusively as your main profile /website photos actually?does a huge?disservice to both yourself and the viewers of your images. Here are a few reasons why:

1. AI headshots are not REAL; they do not show the REAL you.?For research, I ordered?my own AI headshots to see what they would look like. As you can see from the images above, they aren't bad. The thing is, I KNOW they aren't really me. My smile wasn't captured. My eyes aren't right. I wouldn't wear some of those clothes. In this day and age where we literally don't know what is real and what is fake anymore, clients are craving authenticity from the businesses they choose to work with. According to frontify.com, "ninety percent of consumers said they’re?looking for authenticity?when deciding what brands they’ll support." If a customer's?first introduction to you is a photo that is not even real, that is doing an extreme disservice right from the start?to building the authentic connection they are looking for.?

2. AI headshots don't help us love our bodies and our faces just as they are.?I recently saw an AI headshot that a friend on posted on FB. While the headshot in general was very beautiful, the image that was?generated made her look much younger than the person she is today. In these AI headshots of me, my double chin has been reduced, my face slimmed considerably in some, the blue of my eyes drastically enhanced, and I look younger than I am. Using photos that don't show our faces as they are is doing such a huge disservice to ourselves!?Our faces and our bodies are worthy of existing in photos and existing in this world JUST AS THEY ARE. It is time to own and be proud of the roundness, dark circles, age spots, and wrinkles of our faces...we earned them and they make us who we are! How can I ever get used to seeing and loving my natural face when the face that I look at every time I open my social app has been altered and no longer truly looks like me??

3. AI headshots do not provide an?experience to help us build our confidence. Purchase a package, take a few selfies, and submit your photos...that is the full experience you receive when ordering AI headshots. Now compare that to the incredible experience clients receive when coming to my studio for photos: they get hair and makeup done, we laugh and hug and when I take their photo, I honestly and loudly exclaim how amazing they look. When they are reviewing their photos, they can hardly believe that that photo is them (yes, it is...together we brought that out in you!), (you mean that's just me, you didn't do any retouching yet?!), and they leave the studio with their head held so much higher than when they came in. That is the power of a PHOTO EXPERIENCE! The experience of in-person photos can help us build our confidence in a way that computer-generated photos can never do.???

So AI headshots...should we use them? I am personally not a proponent of ever using these realistic looking AI headshots in our businesses.??However, there IS a place to use creative AI headshots in your marketing! Next week we'll talk more about that.?

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And if the reasons above resonated with you, if you are looking for REAL photos that celebrate the incredible person you are and help you build your confidence, here are a few ways to work with me in September and beyond.

1. Need an updated headshot? We have three more opening at our Headshot Mini Marathon on September 22. We only offer our headshot sessions once a month, and with the holidays approaching, there are only a few more opportunities this year. Message me and I'll send you the details.

2. Want more than headshots? Do you want to show more of WHO YOU ARE, use props, and create a full collection of images to use for your website, social media, and more? Then I invite you to chat more about a BRANDING PORTRAIT SESSION. These take place either in studio, on location, or a combination of both. Schedule a time to chat more about a BRANDING SESSION HERE.?