How to Use AI Headshot Generator API to Build Photo Apps (2026)

How to Use AI Headshot Generator API

AI headshot generators can transform casual selfies into professional-quality portraits — perfect for LinkedIn profiles, corporate directories, and ID photos. Building a headshot app is one of the most popular (and profitable) use cases for AI image APIs.

This guide shows you how to build an AI headshot generator using APIs, from choosing models to shipping a production app.

How AI Headshots Work

The pipeline typically involves:

1. Face detection & alignment — crop and align the input face
2. Style transfer / generation — apply professional lighting, background, and styling
3. Face preservation — ensure the output looks like the same person
4. Enhancement — upscale, remove blemishes, improve skin texture

Step-by-Step: Build an AI Headshot Generator

Step 1: Accept User Upload

import hypereal

client = hypereal.Client(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

# User uploads a selfie
user_photo = "https://your-app.com/uploads/user-selfie.jpg"

Step 2: Remove Background

clean = client.remove_background(
    image_url=user_photo,
    output_format="png"
)

Step 3: Generate Professional Headshots

Use image-to-image generation with a professional portrait prompt:

headshots = []
styles = [
    {
        "name": "corporate",
        "prompt": "professional corporate headshot, person wearing a navy suit, "
                  "neutral gray background, soft studio lighting, sharp focus, "
                  "LinkedIn profile photo style"
    },
    {
        "name": "creative",
        "prompt": "professional headshot, person in smart casual outfit, "
                  "blurred modern office background, natural window light, "
                  "warm color grading, friendly expression"
    },
    {
        "name": "outdoor",
        "prompt": "professional outdoor portrait, person in business casual, "
                  "blurred park background with bokeh, golden hour lighting, "
                  "natural and approachable"
    },
    {
        "name": "studio",
        "prompt": "classic studio portrait, person in dark clothing, "
                  "black background, Rembrandt lighting, high contrast, "
                  "dramatic and professional"
    }
]

for style in styles:
    result = client.generate_image(
        model="seedream-4",
        prompt=style["prompt"],
        reference_image=clean.output_url,
        face_preservation=True,  # Keep the person's identity
        width=1024,
        height=1024,
        num_images=3  # Generate 3 variations per style
    )
    headshots.append({
        "style": style["name"],
        "images": [img.url for img in result.images]
    })

Step 4: Upscale the Selected Headshot

# User picks their favorite
selected = headshots[0]["images"][0]

upscaled = client.upscale_image(
    image_url=selected,
    scale=2,  # 2x upscale: 1024x1024 -> 2048x2048
    model="real-esrgan"
)

Step 5: Deliver Multiple Formats

# Generate crops for different platforms
formats = {
    "linkedin": {"width": 400, "height": 400},
    "twitter": {"width": 400, "height": 400},
    "email_signature": {"width": 200, "height": 200},
    "company_directory": {"width": 300, "height": 400},
    "id_badge": {"width": 300, "height": 400}
}

Business Model for AI Headshot Apps

AI headshot generators are a proven business. Here's the typical economics:

Tips for High-Quality AI Headshots

1. Face preservation is key — use models with identity-preserving features (SeeDream, Flux with IP-Adapter)
2. Generate multiple options — 8-12 variations per style gives users good choices
3. Guide the upload — face centered, well-lit, front-facing photos produce the best results
4. Diverse styles — offer corporate, creative, casual, and artistic options
5. Include outfits — let users choose different clothing styles
6. Batch processing — generate all styles in parallel for faster delivery

Common Mistakes

• Ignoring face similarity — the headshot must look like the person; test with face similarity scoring
• One-size-fits-all prompts — different genders, ages, and skin tones need tailored prompts
• Low resolution — always generate at 1024x1024+ and offer upscaling
• No preview — let users see low-res previews before paying
• Missing diversity — your default backgrounds and lighting should work for all skin tones

Why Hypereal AI for Headshot Generation

• SeeDream 4.0 + Flux 2: Best models for face-preserving image generation
• Background removal built in: No need for a separate API
• Image upscaling included: Go from 1024px to 4096px in one call
• $0.001-0.003 per image: Generate 40 headshots for under $0.12
• No content restrictions: Handle all types of portrait requests
• 50+ models: Experiment with different styles using different models

Conclusion

AI headshot generators are one of the most straightforward AI apps to build and monetize. With modern APIs, you can ship a production-quality headshot app in a weekend.

Start building today. Sign up for Hypereal AI — 35 free credits, no credit card required.