Prompt templates

Turn a selfie into a professional headshot with ChatGPT or Gemini: 6 prompts, and what to check first

ChatGPT and Gemini can now turn an ordinary selfie into a clean, professional-looking headshot on their free plans. The trick is a prompt that changes the lighting, clothes and background but not your face. Here are six that work, and the privacy steps to take before you upload a photo of yourself.

By Chris · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · Facts checked Oct 11, 2026

Short answer

Upload a sharp, front-facing selfie to ChatGPT or Gemini (both free) and use a prompt that says what may change (background, lighting, clothes) and what must not (your face, features, skin tone, hair). Before uploading, switch off model training or use a Temporary Chat, and crop out anything private.

Before you upload your face: 3 privacy steps

Stop training on it. In ChatGPT, use a Temporary Chat (not used for training, deleted after 30 days) or turn off Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone. In Gemini, turn off Keep Activity; chats are then kept 72 hours and not used for training. Full guide to these settings.
Crop the photo. Remove other people (especially children), ID badges, documents, screens, house numbers and anything showing where you live.
Strip the location. Phone photos can contain GPS data. Taking a screenshot of the photo and uploading that removes it.

Only upload photos of yourself, or of someone who has agreed. Microsoft and Google both ask users not to edit other people’s faces without consent.

The selfie that works best

Face the camera, eyes level with the lens, shoulders visible.
Soft daylight from a window in front of you; no hard shadows, no filters.
Sharp focus and the highest resolution you have.

1. A LinkedIn headshot

Turn this photo into a professional headshot for LinkedIn. Keep my face, facial features, skin tone, eye color, hairstyle and expression exactly as they are in the photo. Do not slim, smooth or reshape anything. Change only: a plain soft gray background, soft studio lighting from the front left, and a navy blazer over a white shirt. Square 1:1 crop, head and shoulders, face centered, natural colors, realistic photo style.

2. A CV or resume photo

Make a passport-style professional photo for my CV from this picture. Keep my face and hair exactly the same; this must still clearly look like me. Plain white background, even lighting, neutral friendly expression as in the original, simple dark top. Portrait format 3:4, head and shoulders, no accessories added, no retouching of skin texture.

Pair it with our resume prompts to fix the text too.

3. A team or company website photo

Edit this photo into a relaxed professional portrait for a company "About us" page. Do not change my face, body shape, skin tone or hair. Background: a softly blurred modern office with warm light. Clothing: smart casual, a plain sweater in a muted color. Natural smile as in the original, 4:5 portrait, realistic photography, slight depth of field.

4. Fix just one thing

Often the photo is fine except for one problem. Asking for one change keeps the rest untouched.

Change only the background of this photo to a plain light gray. Leave everything else in the image exactly as it is, including my face, hair, clothes and lighting.

Swap the last part for the fix you need: “remove the glare on my glasses”, “make the lighting even, without changing my face”, or “replace my T-shirt with a white collared shirt”.

5. An outdoor portrait

Place me in a natural outdoor portrait: golden-hour light in a park, background softly out of focus. Keep my face, features, skin tone and hairstyle identical to the photo. Casual professional clothing. Head and shoulders, 4:5, realistic photo, no filters or painterly effects.

6. A matching set for a whole team

I'll send several photos of my colleagues, one at a time, with their permission. For each, create a headshot in exactly the same style: plain warm beige background, soft front lighting, head and shoulders, 1:1, natural colors. Never change anyone's face, skin tone or hair. Only background, light and crop should change. Confirm the style back to me before the first one.

Which free tool to use

Tool	Free?	Watermark	Your photo
ChatGPT	Yes, a few images per day	Invisible (C2PA and SynthID)	May train on it unless you opt out or use Temporary Chat
Gemini	Yes, within usage limits that refill every 5 hours	Small visible sparkle plus invisible SynthID	May train on it, with human review, if Keep Activity is on
Copilot / Bing Image Creator	Yes, 15 fast images a day	Optional visible mark, content credentials	Not used for training; photos with faces deleted after 30 days

From each company’s help and privacy pages, checked Oct 11, 2026. Free limits change often.

If the face drifts, start a new chat and paste the prompt again rather than asking for fixes over and over: each round can move further from the original. And keep it honest: a headshot that doesn’t look like you can backfire in an interview.

Sources: OpenAI: images in ChatGPT · OpenAI: how your data improves model performance · Google: Gemini image generation · Google: Gemini Apps privacy hub · Google: Gemini watermarks · Bing Image Creator FAQ · Forbes: privacy warning on selfie trends

Quick answers

Can ChatGPT make a professional headshot from my photo for free?

Yes. ChatGPT’s image tools are available on the free plan, and you can upload a photo and describe the changes you want. Free accounts get a limited number of images; ChatGPT tells you when you reach the limit.

Which is better for AI headshots, ChatGPT or Gemini?

Both can do it free. Gemini’s free image model adds a small visible watermark plus an invisible one; ChatGPT adds only invisible provenance data. Try the same prompt in both and keep the result that still looks like you.

Is it safe to upload my selfie to ChatGPT?

It’s reasonably safe if you switch off model training first or use a Temporary Chat, which isn’t used for training. Crop out other people, documents and anything showing where you live, and remember the photo is stored with the chat until you delete it.

Can I use an AI headshot on LinkedIn or my resume?

Yes, as long as it still looks like you. A headshot that makes you look noticeably different can backfire in an interview. Some employers and job sites ask for real photos, so check their rules.

Why doesn’t the AI headshot look like me?

The prompt probably let it redraw your face. Add “keep my face, features, skin tone and hairstyle exactly as in the photo” and ask it to change only lighting, background and clothes. Start from a sharp, front-facing photo in daylight.

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