How to Make Professional AI Headshots at Home (Step-by-Step)

Want a polished, confident headshot for your website or LinkedIn—without a studio, getting dressed up, or perfect lighting?

In this guide, I’ll walk you through creating professional-looking AI headshots at home using the app Gio (iOS;  $39.99/year), plus pro tips for natural results.

What you’ll need

  • A smartphone (rear camera preferred)

  • A plain wall or simple background

  • Soft, even light (a bright window works great)

  • Geo app installed and logged in

  • Optional: a helper or tripod; otherwise use the phone’s timer

You don’t need to dress up or do full hair/makeup. We’ll handle styling and polish inside the app.

Step-by-step tutorial

1) Prep your space

  • Stand 2–4 feet from a plain wall.
  • Face a window for soft, even light; avoid mixed overhead lighting.
  • Remove wall clutter (hooks, frames) so the background is clean.

2) Frame the photo correctly

  • Composition: chest-up, with a bit of space above your head.

     

  • Camera at eye level, held straight (no tilt).

     

  • Keep the frame not too wide—we don’t want a full-body shot.

     

3) Take your base photo

  • Relax your shoulders; slight smile or neutral expression.

  • Snap several options (different angles: straight on, slight turn).

If solo, use a 10-second timer and prop the phone at eye level.

4) Import into Gio

Open Gio → click styles→ select your best chest-up photo.

5) Crop before styling

  • Use Geo’s crop tool to frame just below the chest to a little above your head.

  • Center your eyes roughly in the upper third of the frame.

6) Choose a style

  • Tap Styles. You’ll see categories (e.g., Office, Doctor, Realtor, etc.).

  • For a classic business look, try Office → Blazer or a button-up.

    • Some styles add clothing only (no background). That’s normal—we’ll add a backdrop next.

Turtlenecks often hide neck artifacts, which can look more natural.

7) Generate & review

  • Let Gio process (typically quick or 1-3 minutes max).

Check hairline, neckline, and edges of clothing. If anything looks off, try a nearby style or let it regenerate.

8) Add a professional background

  • Go to Backgrounds → choose an office or studio look.

Aim for believable depth of field (slight blur behind you). This instantly elevates realism.

9) Retouch lightly (less is more)

  • Open Retouch → Skin:

    • Set skin smoothing ~40–50%. Enough to polish, not plastic.

  • Teeth/Lips:

    • Small amounts of teeth whitening or a slight lip lift can help; avoid extremes.

Rule of thumb: if you can see the edit, it’s probably too much.

10) Match lighting & color

  • Use Adjustments:

    • Tweak brightness/contrast so your face matches the background exposure.

    • Slight warmth can add a healthy tone; avoid orange.

If AI clothing looks overly crisp, add a touch of blur or reduce sharpness to mimic a real photo.

11) Optional: brand-style filters

  • Light filters can add mood or consistency with your website/Instagram.

Keep it subtle; you’re going for timeless, not trendy.

12) Export for each platform

  • Save as a standard image to your camera roll.

  • Crop for platforms:

    • LinkedIn: square (1:1), face centered, shoulders visible.

Website bio: vertical (3:4 or 4:5) with a bit more breathing room.

Working with less-than-perfect photos (mature skin & low light)

If your only photo is slightly blurry, dim, or shows fine lines, you can still get a great result.

  1. Add a clean background first—this often fixes the overall feel.

  2. Fine lines: keep smoothing under 50% to preserve texture.

  3. Eye bag reduction: you can push this higher than other retouches and still look natural.

  4. Chin/angle tools: use sparingly to correct camera distortion (don’t reshape your face).

  5. Makeup: The makeup options are minimal on Gio but offer a touch of color. I go with the natural look at about 50% and it adds light definition to eyes/lips without looking “done.”

If sharpening highlights wrinkles, back it down and rely on gentle blur + contrast balancing instead.

Quick do’s & don’ts

Do

  • Shoot chest-up against a plain wall with window light.

  • Keep edits subtle and consistent across all variations you export.

  • Choose backgrounds that fit your industry (law, tech, healthcare, creative).

Don’t

  • Over-smooth skin or over-whiten teeth.

  • Use busy or trendy backgrounds that will date the image.

Save only one version—export a LinkedIn crop and a website crop.

FAQs

Do I need to dress up?
No. Wear anything—Gio can add a blazer, button-up, or sweater later.

What if my photo is a bit blurry?
You can still get a professional result by pairing gentle retouching with a clean, well-lit background.

How many styles should I try?
Test 2–4. Keep one formal (blazer), one business-casual (button-up), and one relaxed (sweater) for different uses.

Will people be able to tell it’s AI?
If you keep retouching subtle and match lighting/contrast to the background, most viewers will simply see a clean, professional portrait.

Done-for-you option (fast, affordable, hands-off)

If you’d rather skip the tweaking and subscriptions, we offer a Virtual Headshot Service for $79:

  • 3 professionally edited headshots to choose from

  • Custom social media graphic for LinkedIn/website

  • 24-hour turnaround

It’s quick, effortless, and you never have to leave your office.

Get your Virtual Headshots