AI professional headshots: which pack should you choose in 2026?

A LinkedIn profile photo doesn't look like a passport-style application photo, which has nothing in common with an "About" photo on a company website. Picking an AI headshot pack without thinking about the end use is throwing money away. Here's how to match your need to the right pack in 2026.

What the photo should signal per channel

Before picking a pack, ask yourself who's looking at the photo and with what goal.

LinkedIn: a visitor scans your photo in 0.3 seconds. They're looking for a signal of credibility and approachability. Sharp face, soft smile or confident neutral expression, slightly blurred or plain background, attire matching your sector.
CV / Resume note for US and UK markets: don't include a photo on a CV submitted to a US or UK recruiter. Anti-discrimination practices (EEOC in the US, Equality Act in the UK) make recruiters discard CVs with photos. The headshot stays for LinkedIn, email signature, About pages — not the CV file itself.
Continental Europe applications: photo optional, sometimes expected (France, Germany, parts of Italy). More formal than LinkedIn, plain background, tight framing, composed expression.
Company team / About / email signature: align with the company's brand. Often a worked background, sometimes in-context, tone consistent with colleagues already online.

The same source selfie can fuel all these uses, but the rendering needs to vary.

The Gemini revolution: 1 selfie instead of 100

Until 2024, generating AI pro headshots required LoRA training: you uploaded 15-25 selfies from every angle, the model trained for 20-30 minutes, then you waited several minutes per inference. Cost: high. Patience needed: significant. Many tools (Aragon, BetterPic) still work this way.

The arrival of Gemini Nano Banana 2 (Google) changed the game: a single reference selfie is enough to faithfully preserve your face while generating varied pro photos in seconds. No more 25 angles, no more training wait.

Concretely:

You can test a first photo in a few minutes instead of half a day.
The cost drops, making affordable starter packs possible.
You can rerun a variation without starting from scratch.

LoRA-only tools remain valid for bulk-generating 100+ photos, but for the majority of candidates who want 1 to 10 polished photos, Gemini single-shot is simpler, faster, cheaper.

Which pack for which use

ShotCV offers four levels of photo packs, from trial to full career suite.

Trial (€3.99)

For those who aren't sure AI can deliver on their own face yet. 2 photos generated from 1 selfie, styles to choose from between LinkedIn casual and CV-formal. Useful to validate the likeness before investing in a larger pack.

Solo LinkedIn (€9.99)

For those who want only to refresh their LinkedIn photo. 5 to 8 variations, corporate office backgrounds, outdoor professional, grey studio, options to test smile vs neutral. This is the most common use case — a fresh LinkedIn profile photo roughly doubles average profile views.

Formal / Public Sector

For those preparing formal applications (legal, accounting, conservative banking) or — for French candidates — civil service competition files. ID-style photos, plain light background, dark blazer, neutral expression. Compliant with formal application requirements.

Career (€24.99)

For those who want to cover all uses at once: LinkedIn, About pages, email signature, and bonus formal-style photos. Around 20 photos generated with variations in framing, background and attire.

Full pack details and pricing on the pricing page.

The source selfie: what makes the difference

Whatever the pack, the source selfie quality determines 80% of the result. A few simple rules:

Natural front-facing light, in front of a window. Avoid ceiling lighting that hollows out the eyes.
Neutral background: light wall, no clutter behind you that could confuse the model.
Full sharp face, taken at eye level (not high or low angle).
Natural expression. If you want a smile, smile genuinely; if you want serious, stay relaxed, not stiff.
No sunglasses, no cap, no filter.
Attire similar to the final photo. The model can dress you differently, but starting close gives better consistency.

A 30-second phone photo in front of a window is enough. No need for a pro camera.

Quick comparison with alternatives

Aragon and BetterPic remain US-market references with large style libraries, primarily LoRA-based. Strengths: volume (100+ photos in bulk), highly worked styles. Limits for European candidates: English-only UI, US-hosted (data leaves the EU), pricing in USD.

ShotCV plays on three different axes: Gemini single-shot (speed), packs adapted to European markets (notably formal/civil-service style), Hetzner Germany hosting (GDPR sovereign, selfies deleted within 24h).

In practice with ShotCV

The flow is simple: pick your pack on the pricing page, upload 1 selfie, and receive your photos by email within minutes (Gemini single-shot) or within 25 minutes (LoRA packs for large volumes). Files are high-resolution, ready to upload to LinkedIn or integrate into your CV via the builder.

Conclusion

The right AI headshot pack is the one matching your real use. LinkedIn-only for a quick refresh, Formal for a strict application, Career if you want to cover every channel. And with single-shot generation, no more waiting 30 minutes to see the result: you know within a few minutes whether your source selfie produces what you want.