How to make a professional headshot for LinkedIn and your CV with Higgsfield

I made my own LinkedIn profile picture this way. I opened Higgsfield, went to Images, picked GPT Image 2.5 (an image model from OpenAI), gave it a few reference photos of me, pasted one prompt and generated. I got a decent LinkedIn picture from it: a black collared shirt, a softly blurred office background and no text, which is what the prompt asked for. This page turns that into a method you can repeat, with the parts I would be careful about.

A reference photo is a real photo of you that you give the model so it knows what your face looks like. The model then makes a new picture that follows your prompt. That is different from a service that trains on your selfies for several minutes, and different from a tool that only retouches one photo.

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The method in five steps

1. Open the Images tool. On Higgsfield choose Images, not Video. Higgsfield hosts many image models from different companies. Check that the model you pick accepts reference images.
2. Pick an image model. I used GPT Image 2.5, an image model from OpenAI that appears in Higgsfield's image list. Model names and versions change often, so choose a recent one that accepts reference images and check what it costs on the Generate button before you press it.
3. Add a few reference photos of yourself. "A few" is the right size. See the next section for which photos to choose.
4. Paste one prompt. A prompt is the written instruction. Mine is below, with a fill-in version you can adapt.
5. Generate, then review. Make a small batch, pick the best, and run the checks in this page before it goes on a profile.

Which reference photos to use

The model copies what you show it, including bad light and odd angles. Pick photos that are honest about how you look today.

• Recent. Use photos from the last year or two so age, hair and beard match.
• Clear face. Face fully visible, no sunglasses, no hat, no heavy shadow across the eyes.
• Different angles and expressions. One straight on, one slightly turned, one with a relaxed smile. This helps the model understand the shape of your face instead of copying one pose.
• Plain, even light. Window light or an overcast day. Avoid filters and beauty modes, because the model will treat the filter as your real skin.
• Only you. Crop out other people. If a friend is in the frame, the model can mix faces.

Higgsfield's own Headshot Generator page asks for the same kind of input: a clear selfie or portrait with the face fully visible and a front-facing, neutral expression working best. Treat that as the minimum, and add more angles when the model allows several references.

The prompt I used

This is the prompt, written for a man. Change the pronouns and the clothing to fit you.

Create a professional linkedin profile picture for this person. he is a consultant for business success using technology. make it exude reliability and trust. make sure the body proportions are healthy and real and he should not be wearing a blazer or suit, rather a collared black shirt that indicates he is great with technology and makes things happen for businesses with high agency. no text in the background and the background should be out of focus

It works because it answers the questions the model would otherwise guess at.

Part of the prompt	What it does
"for this person"	Tells the model to use the reference photos as the subject.
"a consultant for business success using technology"	Gives the job, so posture and style fit it.
"exude reliability and trust"	Sets the mood: calm face, steady eyes, no dramatic pose.
"body proportions are healthy and real"	Guards against odd shoulders, a long neck or a stretched torso.
"not wearing a blazer or suit, rather a collared black shirt"	Names the exact clothes and what to avoid, so you do not get a default suit.
"no text in the background"	Stops invented signs, logos and lettering.
"background out of focus"	Keeps attention on the face and avoids a busy, fake-looking room.

A fill-in version you can copy

Create a professional [LinkedIn profile picture / CV photo] for this person.
They work as [your job] and help [who you serve] with [what you do].
Mood: [reliable, warm, sharp, approachable]. Natural expression, relaxed shoulders.
Clothing: [exact clothing and colour]. Not wearing [what to avoid].
Keep my real face, age, hair and skin texture. Healthy, realistic body proportions.
Background: [plain / soft office / outdoors], out of focus. No text, logos or signs.
Framing: head and shoulders, eyes at the upper third, square-friendly crop.

The line "keep my real face, age, hair and skin texture" is my addition to the prompt I used. I include it because the main risks with this method are a smoothed, younger or different-looking face, and it costs nothing to ask.

What Higgsfield itself gives you for this

You can do this on one site without exporting files between tools. Higgsfield lists several image models, lets you attach reference images on the ones that support them, and has separate apps for fixes after the fact. Its Apps page lists a Headshot Generator that works from one uploaded selfie, a Skin Enhancer for skin texture, and Relight for moving the light on a photo. The approach on this page uses the Images tool with several references and your own prompt, which gives you more control over clothing, mood and background than a one-click app. See prompts and templates and how to use Higgsfield for the basics.

Review checklist before you post

A headshot that looks great but not like you is worse than a plain phone photo. Run these checks on your best two or three results.

1. The friend test. Show the picture next to a recent real photo to two or three people who know you. Ask "is this clearly me?" If anyone hesitates, discard it.
2. The stranger test. Imagine someone meeting you after seeing the picture. Would they recognise you at the door?
3. Zoom in. Look at ears, teeth, hairline, collar and any jewellery. These are where AI images slip.
4. Skin and age. Pores and small lines should still look like yours. Over-smooth skin and a younger face are the most common problems.
5. Shape. Check shoulders, neck length and head size against your real photos.
6. Background. No text, no strange objects, no warped lines behind you.
7. Small size. View it at thumbnail size. That is how most people will see it.

Common problems and how to fix them

What you see	Try this
Face looks slightly off	Use different or more reference photos, with a clearer front view. Remove any filtered photo.
Skin too smooth or younger	Add "keep my real skin texture and age" to the prompt, and drop smoothing words.
Wrong clothes	Name the exact garment and colour, and name what to avoid.
Odd body proportions	Keep the framing to head and shoulders, and repeat "healthy, realistic proportions".
Busy or fake background	Ask for a plain or softly blurred background and "no text".
Good picture, small flaws	Regenerate a few more, or retouch the one you like. See fixing lighting in a photo.

Using it on LinkedIn and your CV

Be honest with the people who will see it. The picture should look like you now, not like a better version of you. A hiring manager or a client who meets you and feels they were misled has lost trust before the first meeting.

• Platform rules. LinkedIn's Professional Community Policies tell members not to use someone else's image, or "any other image that is not your likeness", as a profile photo. The policy does not name AI. In plain terms, a realistic image of you appears consistent with that rule, while a synthetic face, or someone else's, is not. Read the policy page yourself before posting, and do the same for any job site or employer form.
• Some employers and regions ask for plain photos on a CV. In many countries a photo is not expected at all. Follow the norm for the job and country.
• Disclose when asked. If anyone asks how the picture was made, tell them. Do not claim a photographer took it.
• Keep your originals. Save the reference photos and the final file in one folder so you can swap quickly if the look needs to change.
• Use your own face only. Do not use someone else's photos as references without their clear agreement.

Plans, cost and rights

Image costs depend on the model, and for the model I used I did not find a published price, so check the cost on the Generate button before each run and see the pricing explainer. The free plan has a very small model set and watermarked output, so expect to need a paid plan for a clean headshot. Higgsfield's own pages are not fully consistent about commercial use on the free plan, and its Headshot Generator page words the commercial rights differently in two places. A profile picture is a light use, but check the plan terms you are on. More on that in free versus paid and is Higgsfield safe and legit.

Your reference photos are personal data. Read how Higgsfield handles uploaded images before you upload anything of other people, and do not upload photos of a child or a colleague without permission.

When another route is better

• You need a perfect likeness for a public role. Book a photographer. A real photo is the safest choice for leadership, press and regulated professions.
• You want a whole team to match. See team headshots without a photographer, which covers consent and specialist services. For a shared backdrop on a team page, see team page photos on one backdrop.
• You want one face across many images. A face-consistency feature such as Higgsfield Soul ID (which needs 20 or more photos) is a better fit. See keeping a character consistent.
• A phone photo is already good. Window light and a plain wall are free. Use AI only if it beats that.

How I'd approach this

I would take ten minutes to choose three honest photos, run the prompt above with my own job and clothing, make a small batch, and judge it with the friend test. I would keep the result only if people who know me say it is clearly me. If you need this for a team or on a regular schedule, the part worth building is the process: consent, a shared set of approved photos and a simple sign-off. Blur Studio builds that kind of repeatable workflow, approval portal or asset library. If you want to try the method yourself, start with a Higgsfield account, pick an image model and test the prompt on a few reference photos.