AI headshot or
studio photograph?
Choose a studio session when you need a current photograph of you, direction on expression and a result planned for a particular professional use. A generated headshot can be an option when convenience matters most and your intended use permits a synthetic image.
A profile update.
Or a photograph with a brief?
For a LinkedIn profile, a firm biography or a speaker introduction, the useful question is whether people will recognize you and whether the image fits its intended setting. Check your employer’s or publisher’s requirements before choosing either approach.
I photograph headshots in Midtown Manhattan. This guide explains where a studio session can help and what to check if you are considering an AI-generated image. It is not a ranking of AI services; their prices, features and terms vary.
| Your priority | AI-generated headshot | Studio session with Alex |
|---|---|---|
| How the image is made | A service generates an image using the inputs and options it supports. The result can depict clothes, lighting or a setting that were not photographed together. | You are photographed in the clothes you bring, with the lighting, background and expression directed during the session. |
| Convenience | No studio visit. Check the required uploads, turnaround, revision options and data terms. | A visit to the Midtown studio: 30 minutes for Essential or 60 minutes for Signature. Your exact time is confirmed by email. |
| Expression and likeness | Review the result carefully against how you look now. A polished image is only useful if it still represents you appropriately. | Alex guides posture and expression while photographing you. Natural retouching is part of both packages. |
| Company specifications | Check whether the service can meet the required background, crop and file specifications, and whether generated images are accepted. | Send the brief and examples before booking so Alex can discuss the required setup and deliverables. |
| Price and delivery | Compare the current total price, usable final images, revisions and delivery promise of the service you choose. | Essential: $400, two retouched photos. Signature: $650, five retouched photos. Both individual packages include same-day delivery. |
Direction makes the
decisions easier.
You do not need to arrive knowing your best angle. During a session, small changes in posture, the direction of your face and the expression can be photographed and adjusted. That is particularly useful if you dislike being photographed or are unsure what looks natural.
A brief also changes the way I plan a portrait. A small circular profile needs a clear face; a leadership biography may use a wider crop; a press layout may need room beside the subject. Tell me where the photographs will appear before we shoot.
For a company headshot day, the work includes coordinating people, backgrounds, lighting and framing. An office headshot session has its own quote and agreed deliverables, with delivery within 48 hours.
Review it at the size
people will actually see.
Convenience can be a valid reason to try AI. Before uploading your photos or paying, read the service’s current privacy, retention, deletion and permitted-use terms. Check what happens if the results do not suit you.
- Compare the result with a recent photograph of yourself, including your face shape, hair, skin texture and any glasses.
- Check details such as teeth, ears, jewelry, clothing edges and hands when they appear in the frame.
- Test both a small profile crop and the larger version your company or publisher needs.
- Confirm the image meets the recipient’s rules for generated content and the use you intend.
- Avoid an image that implies a workplace, credential or event that is not real.
The same practical standard applies to a retouched studio photograph: the finished image should still feel like you. Discuss the amount of retouching you want before the session.
Choose around your use,
not the number of images.
If you need one profile update and are comfortable using a generated likeness, evaluate a service against those requirements. If you want a current photographed portrait, guidance through the session or a coordinated set of images for your work, a studio session gives you that process.
At Executive Portraits, Essential is $400 for 30 minutes, one outfit and two retouched photographs. Signature is $650 for 60 minutes, up to three outfits and five retouched photographs. Both include same-day delivery of your selected, retouched images. See the complete package comparison.
Is an AI headshot always unsuitable for a professional profile?
No. Suitability depends on how accurately it represents you, the intended use and the rules of your employer, publisher or platform. Check those requirements rather than assuming that every use has the same standard.
Is retouching the same as generating a new headshot?
For a studio session, the starting point is a photograph captured with you present. Retouching adjusts that photograph. A generated headshot can construct a new depiction from supplied images or other inputs. In either case, agree on a result that represents you accurately.
What if I am uncomfortable in front of the camera?
You do not need posing experience. Alex guides your posture and expression throughout the studio session. Tell him what you find difficult and where you will use the portrait.
Can I discuss my company’s requirements first?
Yes. Send the background, crop, file requirements and a few examples before booking. If a particular date or time is essential, contact Alex before paying your deposit.