Headshot AI

I am always thrilled whenever at a water conference someone I’ve never met before tells me that they love my LinkedIn newsletter To Know Water Is To Love Water or they appreciate what Adam Tank and I are doing telling water’s story through our podcast Water We Talking About.?

In the past year at each event at least one person who has only seen my virtual self has said to me “I didn’t realize you were so ah, ah, ah…tall.”

I know what they really meant to say was “old”.

I take it as a real compliment that my voice resonates with younger water professionals, but it made me think that maybe it was time to update my ten year old profile photo.

So before I scheduled an appointment with a professional photographer, I decided to give artificial intelligence a shot at my headshot. So I searched around on the internet for various options and settled on a $29.00 package.

I am sure for the best results you should provide photos of your most recent self, but I wanted this headshot to be my most authentic self. So I uploaded photos throughout my life…as a Cub Scout, basketball player, temporary drug enforcement agent, bridegroom, football fan, CEO.

Some of the AI photos gave me movie star looks, others made me look completely jacked. All gave me more hair and less lbs. than I deserve.

So here is one of the forty choices AI provided that my family and friends think looks most like me…

In the end though I’m going with the headshot that professional photographer Kathy Kellebrew took in her Napa studio…

After all, if I am going to pride myself as a writer with an authentic voice, I need an authentic headshot.