How to create a headshot for LinkedIn for free

March 25, 2026

Who am I

I tried to create my own AI headshots website because I saw many of them are overpriced, require many reference selfies, and take too long. I stopped because I lost interest. As to not make it a total waste, I am creating a blog on how to create your own for free.

Common misunderstanding

You may think you can just upload a selfie into a large language model and get a good enough headshot. In reality, this rarely works and usually their images do not look like you. Using the steps below improve your chance for a good headshot from 25% to 90%.

Step 1: Take one good selfie

This is the most important step. Your selfie must have proper facial proportions, so take it at least a full arm's length away from your face. Avoid extreme angles, bad lighting, or anything that distorts your face.

Step 2: Use Gemini image generation

Go to Google AI Studio, select the nano banana model (not pro), set temperature to 0.1 and top p to 0.5, then upload your image and use one of the following prompts:

For men

Using the provided selfie, generate a professional corporate headshot.
Preserve the person's identity with precise facial structure, skin tone, and distinguishing features.
Do not change their hairstyle.
Use neutral, soft studio lighting and a gray seamless studio background.
Dress the subject in a suit jacket, dress shirt, and tie to match a business-formal look.
Capture the image in a chest-up portrait framing, shot at eye level for natural, flattering proportions.
Keep the expression natural and confident.
Avoid beautification, reshaping the face, altering age, or adding accessories.

For women

Using the provided selfie, generate a professional corporate headshot.
Preserve the person's identity with precise facial structure, skin tone, and distinguishing features.
Do not change their hairstyle.
Use neutral, soft studio lighting and a gray seamless studio background.
Dress the subject in a tailored blazer over a solid-color blouse or a dressy top suited for business-formal settings.
Capture the image in a chest-up portrait framing, shot at eye level for natural, flattering proportions.
Keep the expression natural and confident.
Avoid beautification, reshaping the face, altering age, or adding accessories.

You can continue editing the image after.