Why you shouldn’t let AI create your executive headshot.

AI can code. AI can write (sort of). AI can even whip up a picture of an executive with a Superman physique riding a bull down Wall Street. But authentic executive headshots? Yeah… No. AI is not built for that. Not yet. 

Here’s the thing: Humans have nuance. To AI, that's a dreade prompt. Nuance is the little spark in your eye that says, “I’m confident but not arrogant.” It’s the way you lean just slightly forward to look approachable while still exuding authority. AI doesn't get nuance. It get pixels. You smile, it makes it bigger. You want to look "fresher," it make you look like a plastic figurine. 

I've heard countless stories of people paying $29 for an AI headshot, hoping to look like a CEO, and suddenly they’re rocking an extra thumb and a "smile" that looks both manic AND psychotic. 

On a serious note, the human eye is more nuanced than the "AI eye," and quickly recognizes and pulls away from artifice. And consider this, while your short-term ego may be appeased, you will fall flat if you look radically different in your executive portrait than you do in person. People will perceive you as inauthentic, or insecure, or untrustworthy. 

AI also struggles with racial and ethnic bias. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, while adept at recognizing objects, AI struggles with accurately representing diverse individuals. People of color have reported unsettling alterations to their appearances, particularly in hairstyles and facial features.    

An algorithm is still incapable of feeling. I think it will always be incapable of real feeling. But if it could feel, I think it would resent photographers. We get to talk to people, makes them laugh, ease their nerves, form connections, and then—bam—capture a photo that makes you look like the best version of yourself. Confident, real, and polished without being plastic. While AI is sitting, alone, in the cloud, spitting out images that look like Madame Tussauds meets Photoshop on a sugar rush.

And remember, that while we all want to look out best, vanity can be the enemy when creating professional images. Yes, we all wish we had no lines, perfectly smooth skin, a stronger jaw line, whiter and straighter teeth, thicker and shiner hair, contoured features and a cure for any dysmorphic feelings, presenting an inaccurate and stylized version of ourselves fails in two ways: Firstly it exacerbates a lack of self acceptance, and secondly, it makes you seem like a phony to potential clients. 

So, get off of that cheesy AI headshot generator and …get real. 

At Dolin Photo, there is one goal, which is to make you look beautifully, wonderfully, compellingly HUMAN.  AI can't do that. Although I do strongly recommend using it if you're looking to create an image of dachshund with a lightsaber. 

www.dolinphoto.com

AI render of hands. Very Artificial. Not so much Intelligence.

What Do I Do With My Hands? (The Executive Edition)

There you are—dressed in your sharpest suit, tie perfectly centered, hair obeying gravity—and suddenly you’re struck by the eternal question: what do I do with my hands? Do I cross them? Do I let them dangle like unused software updates? Or do I go full Superman power pose and hope the boardroom doesn’t notice? Relax. Hands don’t have to be awkward props—they’re one of the easiest ways to project confidence and presence in your executive portrait.

Think of hands as punctuation. Folded lightly in front says “thoughtful.” One hand in pocket says “I know what I’m doing, and I’m not threatened by quarterly reports.” Resting on a desk says “I’m approachable, but also I run things.” What doesn’t work? Clenched fists (you’re not in a boxing promo), finger guns (HR will not approve), or the dreaded “T-Rex hover” where your arms float with no clear destination. The key is intention: where your hands go, your confidence follows.

The best part? You don’t have to overthink any of this. At Dolin Photo, we guide you through every pose, from the classic CEO power stance to the modern “relaxed but brilliant” vibe. Our job is to make you look sharp, confident, and yes—like the kind of leader people want to follow. Which is exactly why Dolin Photo is the top executive photographer in Los Angeles. Hands down.

What Makes a Great Executive Headshot? …Location Helps.

By Dolin Photo Los Angeles

A great executive portrait is not about perfect teeth, power suits, or the magical tilt of the chin. It’s about credibility. Nobody hires a leader because they can smolder like a super model under studio lights. A strong portrait communicates competence, confidence, warmth, intelligence, and because I do it right—a strong dose of actual humanity. 

Too often, executives lean on clichés: the crossed arms, the fake smirk, the mistaking of looking mean for looking competent, or being so dry that they look like they are pondering the next fiscal quarter or the minutia of a balance sheet. A great portrait skips the bad theater and instead lands somewhere in that sweet spot between polish and authenticity. Your best TRUE you.

Location is the underrated accomplice in this endeavor. A boardroom might scream “corporate,” but does it scream “your brand”? For some it's a luxury estate, for some it's a writers office, and for others it IS a boardroom. But the location must match and enhance your brand. 

Place someone in a context that reflects their industry, their personality, or even their ambition, and suddenly the photo says something bigger than “I own a suit.” A venture capitalist photographed in an urban high-rise suggests reach and scale; a creative director shot against street art implies edge and innovation. The right setting functions like a visual shorthand, adding layers of story before anyone even notices the subject’s choice of tie. A sterile studio image is a blank page; location gives you prose.

And let’s be honest—in business first impressions make lasting impressions, and every headshot is a ad for your brand. Executives know this, which is why they get very specific about their LinkedIn photo, with more urgency than their quarterly filings. The choice is simple: look like another generic figure with a LinkedIn Premium subscription, or use portraiture and location to make your personal brand feel like it has actual weight. After all, people remember the leader who looked like they belonged exactly where they were standing.

Shot in my client’s home office.