Keep Your Face While Fixing Your Photo

Start With the Right AI-Generated Photo

You wouldn't build a house on a cracked foundation. Your starting photo is that foundation. Look for the image where your face looks most like you on a good Tuesday, not a surreal Saturday. I tell my clients to ignore the flashiest option. The one where your smile is a bit too wide or your hair is impossibly perfect is usually wrong.

Instead, find the photo where your eyes look alive. Your expression should be neutral-to-friendly, not a forced grin. I had a client, a software engineer, who almost picked a shot where he looked like a charismatic game show host. It was compelling, but it wasn't him. We chose a simpler one where his thoughtful, calm demeanor came through. That's the keeper.

The Three Sliders You Can Safely Adjust

Editing software can be a maze. You only need three tools. First, brightness. AI photos can sometimes feel a bit flat or dim. Nudge the brightness up just until the whites of your eyes look clear, but stop before your forehead starts to glow. A 5 to 10% increase is often the sweet spot.

Second, warmth. Cool, blue light feels sterile, like a hospital. Adding a hint of warmth makes you look approachable. Slide the "temperature" or "warmth" control slightly to the right. Think of adding the golden light of a late afternoon, not the orange haze of a pumpkin spice latte.

Third, sharpness. This is your secret weapon. AI images can have a very slight softness. Boosting sharpness by 15-20% adds crispness to your eyes, eyebrows, and the texture of your hair. It makes you look defined and present. But go any further, and you'll start to see harsh lines and unnatural pores.

The One Retouch That Always Goes Too Far

It's the skin smoothing tool. Everyone reaches for it. I get it. You see a pore and you want it gone. But I've seen more headshots ruined by this than any other edit. When you erase every texture and shadow, you create a plastic, mannequin-like face. It tells people you're hiding something.

Here's a better rule: you can soften, but you must not erase. Use a healing brush on a single, glaring blemish that wasn't there yesterday. Leave your laugh lines, your freckles, the tiny shadows that give your face dimension. Your skin should look like skin, not like polished marble. Authenticity builds trust; a wax figure does not.

Compare Your Edit to the Original Photo

This is the moment of truth. After you make your adjustments, put the edited version side-by-side with the original. Flip back and forth quickly. Ask yourself one question: "Do I just look like a better version of myself, or do I look like a different person?"

If your cousin wouldn't recognize you at a family reunion, you've gone too far. Look specifically at the character around your eyes and mouth. That's where your personality lives. If those areas are now generic and blank, roll your edits back by half. The goal is polish, not a personality transplant.

Save Your Authentic, Polished Headshot

You've done the work. Now, save two files. Save one as a high-resolution PNG or maximum-quality JPEG for your LinkedIn profile, your company website, your professional portfolio. Name it something you'll remember, like "Smith_Headshot_Final."

Save a second, smaller version for social media platforms that compress large files into blurry messes. Resize this copy to 1500 pixels on the long edge. This ensures it stays crisp everywhere it's viewed. Having both files ready means you're prepared for any platform without last-minute panic.

The best headshot doesn't scream "look how perfect I am." It quietly says, "Here I am, competent and ready to talk." By starting with the right photo and using a light, thoughtful touch, you keep your face—the one people know and want to work with—while fixing the photo. That's the balance that works every single time.