Professional headshot from a selfie, for LinkedIn and work profiles
Your LinkedIn picture is a cropped holiday photo and booking a photographer keeps getting pushed back. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn a few good selfies into a polished headshot with studio-style light and a clean background, while keeping your face, hair and features recognisably yours.
The prompt
- I attached [NUMBER] selfies of me. Make a professional headshot for [WHERE I WILL USE IT]. Keep my face, features, skin tone, hairstyle and age exactly as they are: no slimming, smoothing or beautifying. Change only the setting: [CLOTHING], soft studio light from the front, and [BACKGROUND]. Head and shoulders, looking at the camera, natural expression. Deliver 3 options as square JPGs at 1200 x 1200 px, plus one 4:5 crop. Tell me which selfie you used and point out anything that differs from my real face.
What to change
- [NUMBER]: Send 3 to 5 sharp, front-facing selfies in daylight, e.g. "4".
- [WHERE I WILL USE IT]: E.g. "LinkedIn", "my real estate agent website", "a conference speaker page", "a company Slack profile".
- [CLOTHING]: E.g. "a navy blazer over a white shirt", "keep my own sweater", "smart casual, dark green knit".
- [BACKGROUND]: E.g. "a plain soft grey studio backdrop", "a softly blurred modern office", "our brand colour #0F766E".
Example result
- Headshots for LinkedIn: Maya Okafor, product designer
- From 4 selfies · navy blazer over a white T-shirt · soft grey studio backdrop
- Files delivered
- • headshot_option_1.jpg: grey studio backdrop, soft front light, slight smile (based on selfie 2)
- • headshot_option_2.jpg: softly blurred bright office behind, same outfit
- • headshot_option_3.jpg: outdoor look, blurred green trees, warmer light
- • headshot_option_1_4x5.jpg: option 1 cropped for portrait slots on websites and speaker pages
- • All square ones are 1200 x 1200 px, good for LinkedIn, Google Workspace and Slack
- Checked against your selfies
- • Face shape, eye colour, skin tone, freckles and hairline kept
- • Glasses kept, glare on the left lens reduced
- • In option 3 the earrings came out slightly different; option 1 matches best
- What makes a headshot look professional
- • Framing: top of the head near the top edge, shoulders visible, eyes about one third down
- • Light: soft and even from the front, no hard shadows under the eyes
- • Background: plain or softly blurred so nothing competes with your face
- • Expression: a relaxed, small smile reads as approachable on LinkedIn
- Taking selfies that work
- • Face a window in daylight, phone at eye level, arm's length or on a timer
- • Use the back camera if you can; it is sharper than the front one
- • No filters or beauty mode, and include one photo with a natural smile
- • Hair and clothes as you usually wear them to work
- Be honest with it
- A headshot should look like the person who walks into the meeting. If anyone you know says "that does not look like you", go back to option 1 or ask for a lighter edit.
How to do it with todo.is
- Take 3 to 5 selfies facing a window and attach them in todo.is.
- Copy the prompt and fill in where you will use the photo, your clothing and the background.
- Send it and download the three options and the 4:5 crop.
- Reply with changes like "warmer light" or "less retouching" and pick your favourite.
Tips for a better result
- Several selfies give the agent a truer idea of your face than one, so likeness improves.
- Ask for "no beautifying". A headshot that looks too perfect hurts trust more than it helps.
- Match the background to your field: grey studio for law or finance, a warm office for design or coaching.
- Your agent remembers your chosen look, so a matching team or website version later stays consistent.
professional headshot from a selfie: FAQ
- Can I use an AI headshot on LinkedIn? Yes, as long as it clearly looks like you. Keep it close to your real appearance, since people will compare it with you in calls and meetings.
- What selfies give the best AI headshot? Sharp, front-facing photos in soft daylight, at eye level, without filters. Include a few angles and one with a natural smile.
- Why does my AI headshot not look like me? Heavy edits can drift away from your real face. Ask to keep your features exactly, use only your best-lit selfie, and reduce retouching.
- What size should a LinkedIn profile photo be? A square image of at least 400 x 400 px works; 1200 x 1200 px gives a sharp result everywhere.
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