Photographer vs. AI for Your Freelance Headshot: Which is Better?

You can get a great freelance headshot—a key marketing tool—by hiring a professional photographer or using an AI headshot generator. Learn about the pros and cons of each option and how to choose what’s best for you.

Make a great first impression, show clients that you’re a professional, and build trust with a great freelance headshot. Hiring a professional photographer or using an AI headshot generator are both great ways to get your headshot.

While a professional photographer will almost always create a better headshot than AI, AI headshot generators (what I used for my most recent headshot) can also create great headshots and are an easier option for most freelancers.

Pros and Cons of a Freelance Headshot by a Photographer

Professional photographers have the skills, knowledge, and equipment to create high-quality headshots that are crisper and clearer than photos taken with a smartphone or an automated tool.

Access to Professional Equipment

Photographers use high-resolution cameras, high-end lenses, lighting setups, and backdrops, which enable them to create high-quality images.

The right lighting makes you look better and more professional. Photographers use soft, diffused light from multiple light sources positioned strategically. They use their technical expertise to adjust lenses, lighting, and your position to avoid shadows or unflattering angles.

Most people can’t do these things at home with a smartphone or with AI tools.

Expert Guidance and Direction

Professional photographers know how to make you feel comfortable during your photoshoot and how to highlight your best features. Small adjustments in posture, angle, or even facial expression can make a big difference in how you look. For example, in my first freelance headshot, the photographer told me to angle my chin down and to put my feet on the stool with my toes angled down. This made my photo much more flattering.

Even if you have someone who can take good photos of you, you’ll probably feel awkward when they’re doing this. And this will show in your photos.

Your photographer can also make sure you’re projecting the right image, wearing the right outfits, and look neat and polished. Tiny details that most people don’t see with the human eye make a big difference on camera.

Get Simple Tips to Look Great in Professional Headshots
Freelancers: Here’s Why a Great Headshot Matters More Than You Think (And How to Get One)

Post-Production Editing

After the photoshoot, your photographer uses editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom to enhance your headshot. Photographers focus on subtle adjustments—like brightening the eyes, evening out skin tones, or enhancing the background—to make you shine and project the right image. AI filters can over-edit or make you look unnatural.

Why You Make Not Want to Hire a Photographers for Your Freelance Headshot

While professional photographers deliver impressive results, there are some cons to hiring one.

Higher Costs

Professional photographers are expensive. Many charge hundreds of dollars for a photoshoot, with prices varying based on experience, location, and demand.

Also, photographers usually charge more for extra edits or access to more images. They may even charge you more for “styling” (professional grooming or clothing).

A Time-Consuming Process

Working with a professional photographer takes time, before, during, and after your photoshoot. You need to schedule the shoot and get ready before the shoot. The photoshoot can last from 30 minutes to a few hours. You’ll probably have to wait days or even weeks for your final images.

The Need to Travel

If you hire a photographer, you’ll need to travel to their studio. Some photographers may come to you, but they’ll charge you for this. And the cost is likely to be high.

Pros and Cons of a Freelance Headshot by an AI Headshot Generator

If you upload high-quality images, the difference between a freelance headshot by a professional photographer and one by an AI headshot generator probably won’t matter much.

Also, since most headshots are small (e.g., on your LinkedIn profile), the difference in quality won’t be very noticeable. But if you are using a larger headshot, for example, on your website (where a small headshot also works), an AI-generated headshot won’t be as crisp and clear as one taken and edited by a photographer.

Cost-Effectiveness

One of the biggest perks of AI-generated headshots is their budget-friendly price tag. My AI-generated headshot, by Aragon AI, cost just $39 (in 2024). And I got 40 different headshots in 20+ different styles, a lot more than a photographer would provide.

Also, there are no hidden fees with AI-generated headshots.

My previous headshot, done by a professional photographer in 2014, cost $100. That was less than usual, because the photographer took the headshots at a workshop, where she was able to do a lot of business in one day.

Speed and Accessibility

Instead of waiting to schedule your photoshoot and then waiting weeks (usually) for the photographer to send you your freelance headshots, you get AI -generated headshots in hours, or sometimes faster. And you can create your AI headshot 24/7.

Unlimited Options and Variability

AI tools let you experiment with different styles and formats. Doing this with a photographer would take multiple photoshoots and cost you a lot of money.

Convenient

You can create your freelance headshot using AI at any time from anywhere there’s an internet connection. There’s not need to make—and wait for—an appointment.

Why You Make Not Want to Use an AI Image Generator for Your Freelance Headshot

Like hiring a professional photographer, there are cons to AI-generated headshots.

Quality Issues

Since AI-generated headshots rely on the photos you upload, they won’t be as polished or professional as headshots taken by a photographer.

While AI can produce good headshots, the quality is lower than headshots by a photographer. Resolution (quality) is usually lower and your images may look less sharp.

AI can’t mimic the high-quality lighting used in professional photography studios. And the right lighting is crucial to looking polished and professional.

Looking Unrealistic

AI-generated freelance headshots take the photos and information you input and use algorithms to generate your headshots. Sometimes AI overedits, producing headshots that don’t look entirely real. Your skin may look too smooth or the photos may just not look right. Some of my AI-generated headshots were terrific. But others didn’t look like me at all.

No or Limited Guidance

When you upload photos to an AI service, you don’t get feedback on your poses, smile, hair, or outfits. And AI won’t tell you to tilt your head slightly or relax your shoulders. This type of guidance from a photographer can transform a mediocre freelance headshot into one that stands out.

Learn more about AI-Generated Headshots
AI-Powered Perfection: The Magic Behind AI-Generated Headshots

Making the Right Choice for Your Freelance Headshot

An AI-generated headshot works for most freelancers—as long as you upload good images. But if you want to use your headshot in a larger size than say, a LinkedIn profile photo (or slightly larger for your website) and you can afford it, a professional photographer is a better option for you. If you need your freelance headshot fast or at a low cost, choose an AI-generated headshot.

Learn More About Your Freelance Headshot

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