I hosted a social experiment on my Photography page by posting these two pictures on my Facebook & Instagram story with generic personal captions about missing my long hair. I recently chopped all of my hair off so these two photos were not too far fetched. The responses (results) were about 50/50. Half of the comments were requesting to know if the photos were AI and the other half were full of compliments. Now whether the complimenters knew these images were AI, I suppose we will never know. For the sake of the experiment we will just say that they didn't.
First Impressions
Snappr's process was a really simple, you upload 20+ photos of your face from different angles and then in 12 hours or so, you have your photos. Behind the scenes, AI generates the photos and then they are checked and "perfected" by Snappr editors. That is it!
Personally Tested
Using the simple steps above, I uploaded my photos and waited anxiously for the completed images. One of personal NON-AI images are below that I used as part of my initial upload, so you have an idea of what I actually look like.
Headshots are not just for models and aspiring actors anymore - they play an integral role for any profession by making you stand out from the crowd!
Headshot images can be used for social media profiles, job networking sites, business cards, email accounts/signatures, "About Us" pages on your company website, etc. The possibilities for your headshot placement are are truly endless in our digital world.
A high-quality photo provides your audience with a visual tool to remember you by. Strategically displaying your headshot in areas of your field will do a lot of your work for you by creating a professional brand that is memorable.
Pros and Cons
I may be a photographer but I am also a consumer, just like anyone else.
The thought of coordinating an outfit, doing my make up, getting my camera gear all ready and then timing each photograph with poses (when I can't see myself) sounds exhausting.
The idea of getting a professional headshot without all of those things for like $20 is a pro in my book.
However, when dealing with AI, the results can vary and be pretty inconsistent. Below are two galleries (two seperate purcheses) of photos that were produced from the same 20 photos I uploaded of myself. The results are impressive and then REALLY awful, so try not to laugh.
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
From what could maybe pass off as professional makeup to aging 40 years, gaining 50 pounds, half images and growing buck teeth... inconsistent. At least one of these could pass off a mugshot, Amirite?!
If you are in a pickle and in need of a headshot fast and are unable to prepare for one yourself or don't have the time/money to hire a photographer, just know the odds can vary. I made a very conscious choice not to change my photo uploads from one purchase to the next to ensure that I would get an accurate read of the AI product. The results are night and day.
Customer Service Experience
Curious of how the Customer Service for this AI product worked, I inquired with their "Chat Support" about the second Gallery. I requested for them to "re-do" them like the first round of photos but with a different background on 3 separate occasions and Snappr never delivered them. I gave up after 3 weeks.
It appeared that their support chat were real people, so that was surprising to me honestly.
The Final Score
As a photographer and a consumer, my gut (these pictures) tell me that AI will not be replacing photographers any time soon, there are still a lot of algorithm tweaking that needs to be addressed.
Have you used AI to create a Headshot before? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear your experience.