Can a $10 AI-Generated Headshot Replace A Professional Photographer?
I don’t know if the bias in this article could be any more apparent. Obviously, as someone who regularly spends tens of thousands of dollars on improving my photography, the fact that my google analytics has been showing my ads to people in search of “Free AI headshots” and “AI Headshots for Linkedin” has me a little shook.
AI Is an insanely powerful tool, and I will admit, I use Chat GPT on average, 5-10 times per day in my day job. As a full-time marketer, the damned thing is a godsend. And now with Mijdourney at the level that it's at, generating convincing, photorealistic images in seconds, AI has nestled its cute little head in the lap of the company I work for. Hell, I even used AI to generate the featured image for this blog article.
As a lifelong creative, this shit is bananas. A real threat to creative entrepreneurs. But is it really? Anyone who hangs around me for more than 10 minutes knows how much I am all for AI technology. I preach it to my coworkers, and my girlfriend. Hell, I even tell my mom to use it when I get chaotic text messages requesting I calculate how long she should keep her 4lb roast in the oven and for how long. As impressive as these tools are, I never felt threatened by them, only empowered.
But now it's coming for my niche. Headshots.
So, can a $20 SaaS product disrupt my humble career as a local headshot photographer? I don’t know, but I will let the people decide.
Meet Ai SuitUp
I’m writing this as wait the 40 minutes it takes for the app to process my 15 submitted photos - which was hard btw because I'm not one to take selfies and I really had to dig. More to that, of the photos I do have of myself, we have varying degrees of facial hair, body weight, and age. Anyways, Ai Suitup is $20 US and you get 100 images, but I was able to find a 50% off coupon code. Score!
(The Source Images)
The use case for the service is targeted toward people looking to update their LinkedIn profiles or company directories. And if we thought FaceTune was an issue, some of the examples on the site seem usable for dating sites and the like as well. Environmental portraits, different scenes. It’s hard to deny the scope that something like this could cover when it comes to reinforcing your personal image or brand.
On the flipside - and I'm still only looking at the examples as I wait - something seems off. I can't put my finger on it just yet. You can tell they aren’t real photos, they look convincing, but I’m getting a certain feeling when I look at them. I'm hoping to get that figured out when I see myself.
The Results Are In
I truly wish I recorded my reaction to what I just saw. The first thing to come out of my mouth was a full-volume “What The Fuck” followed by about 90 seconds of certifiably insane laughter. This is not too dissimilar from other reactions I’ve had playing with AI. I still uttered the same response, just in a more awe-struck tone. Think of the first Jurassic Park when Alan Grant sees the dinosaurs for the first time.
No, this time was an emotional salad of horror, disgust, and comedy. Ai SuitUp did me dirty.
I’m not quite sure what algorithm made the accessory choice here. It’s like it decided that a Yeezy Foam Runner would look better on someone's head. And to some degree, I would agree. It’s pretty close, I think, But again. What?
This one is also kind of close to my likeness. The face is almost there. I might pose like that for my own headshot. But the colours are way out of left field. It feels very 90’s boyband with a sprinkle of Bollywood flavour. What is up with the background? What in gods name is that shirt?
This one, I found comical. It has some subtle criminal vibes to it. Almost like I'm some kind of internationally wanted diamond mogul ready to board my private jet to Paris for a quick lunch.
All credit goes to fellow photographer, Jay Costa for this Zinger: “You look like a disposable John Wick enemy in some European setting.”
Here are a handful more for the hell of it
What Was Missing?
I mean, if we overlook the fact that these look nothing at all like me. There are some redeeming aspects. The lighting looks to be rendered correctly and accurately based on the catchlights in the eyes, environmental reflections, and shadows. Technically, these make sense as things I would scrutinize when looking at a professional studio photograph. But there is a soul lacking hollowness to what I’m seeing. There is an expression, yes. But these expressions feel unmotivated, and generic, and don’t really match.
I begrudgingly accepted that there would be a possibility that I’d like maybe 1 or 2 of the 100 shots I was getting. But everything felt completely wrong. It didn't get my hair right or my style. Hell, it didn't even get my race right - though I will admit, like some southern Italians, I do have middle eastern features. What has me most put off was the personality. It’s all over the map. You could have some that the personality was close, but then everything else was out of whack. Some proportions were just straight-up jacked.
If I provided better images, would it have done a better job? In a year or 2 will it get better? I know it will. But in its current state….Let's just say if you did get favorable results, you might be considered a catfish. So, am I worried? No, not really and I’ll explain that further below.
Conclusion
My opinion is that a good headshot isn’t about the jpeg you get after your session. Or the lighting, camera, or lenses your photographer uses. It’s about the experience of collaborating with your photographer, in the moment so they can bring out your true personality.
Again, it’s clearly obvious that I went into this blog hoping to dissuade people from wasting $10 and work with me instead. I won't deny my intentions here. $10 isn't a lot of money to see for yourself and I encourage you to give it a shot. But if you need an authentic headshot and your personal brand is important to you, I truly don't believe that you will find much value other than a quick chuckle and some chatter on social media.
If you read this article, used an AI tool for your headshot, and have instant regret. Send me an email with your worst AI headshot to art@brandsavage.ca. I will personally send you a coupon for 50% off my Studio Headshot Sessions so we can do you right!
