Its been all over my social media feed. In the photographic industry AI will bring a huge change. As if moving from film to digital in the early 2000’s wasn’t difficult enough for photographers to adapt to, now we have AI to contend with.
AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. In other words it is imitation. In some instances I see this being a powerful tool. Incorporating it for interesting backdrops and product simulation will be incredible, but portraits are another story.
Every day new websites are popping up offering AI headshots.
Professional headshots from the comfort of your own home. Scary for me as Headshots are a big part of my business.
Having recently had my new headshots done I wanted to put AI to the test.
I used a company called studioshot AI for the experiment. It’s pretty straightforward and simple. You pay $29, upload 10-15 photos of yourself and in 48 hours you will have your new headshots. I took selfies all around my house on the same day with different lighting, hair up & down and even changed my shirt for lots of options the software could choose from. I paid the fee, uploaded the photos and waited for my results. This is what I got.
I asked some family & friends what they thought and the reaction was similar to mine. While it looks like me something is off. The smile isn’t right, that’s not my eye color, creepy, a shell of who you are, plastic, resembles you but doesn’t look like you, the eyes are dead. I felt like it looks like an older Kelly after she had extensive plastic surgery. In other words, Cringy!!!
Here are my real headshots….. 
These capture my personality, imperfections and spirit all at once.
Ai is only going to improve but I struggle to think that it can really capture a human being’s true essence. This is where the difference lies. Being a service oriented studio, we take pride in solving all the pain points for our clients. From scheduling, choosing what style works for your business, Helping people feel comfortable in front of the camera, organization of files and quick easy delivery. But all that aside, nothing can replicate that spark of who you are . That’s what a good headshot photographer does. Bringing out your personality, approachability and humanness. I can imagine that for a lot of people this will be a good enough solution. But to truly convey who you are and connect with your intended audience I think you need more than just a copy of your shell.
I intend to embrace it fully and know this will change my industry, we just don’t know by how much
PS. It also reinforced that some haircuts are not meant for me!
