From Headshots to Headio: Why I’m Building the Most Realistic AI Headshots You’ve Ever Seen

mike henry
Jun 12
2 min read

So, I have been at this headshot game for quite a few years now. This is where I got my start back in 2000, shot professional headshots until I hit my stride as an advertising photographer, shooting for companies such as Adidas, Reebok, Target, and Xbox, to name a few. During my ad days, I kind of phased out the headshots, focusing on building my advertising portfolio, marketing, and shooting commercial work.

During COVID, with the slowdown of the commercial photo industry and limited availability for travel, I rebranded and opened up a headshot studio - Tiny Space Studio.

This studio has done better than I ever would have imagined. We have quite literally shot tens of thousands of headshots, between 2020 and now. It has been incredible, and I have to say this success has been quite unexpected, if I am being honest. What was meant to be a placeholder during COVID turned into a career pivot, and I have loved every minute of it.

Don’t worry, I think all of that sounds like I am closing my doors. But I’m not. I will continue to shoot professional headshots going forward in both Chicago and now LA for location shoots. But… but I recently have been working on something quietly in the background. For the last few years, I would get myself an AI headshot, just to see where the competition is. For years — really horrible, fake-looking, not even close to a real shot.

Until this year.

I spent around $100 trying out a few of the top-rated AI Headshot Generator, and I was honestly shocked.Some of the results were… actually decent. Not perfect. But close enough to make me pay attention.Close enough to make me worried.

So, instead of fighting it, I have decided to lead it.

I’m building something new: Headio — AI headshots, built by a headshot photographer...because I believe the world deserves the best AI headshots.

We’re aiming for results that are clean, natural, confident — the kind of image you’d actually be proud to use on LinkedIn or your company website.

The beta version of Headio (headio.ai) is set to launch by the end of July, and the early results have honestly blown me away. If I didn’t know they were AI-generated, I might not know at all.

The name? Headio, short, simple, memorable. I combined “headshot” with “I/O” (input/output) - a nod to my inner nerd.

If you want to follow the journey, I’ll be posting updates here and at Headio.ai. Youcan also join the mailing list for early access and launch discounts.

I’m genuinely excited about this. Maybe the most excited I’ve felt about “photography” in a long time.Stay tuned.

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