What to Type for AI

Headshot Prompt Anatomy

Stop burning 20 iterations guessing which word changed the lighting.

Headshot Prompt Anatomy reverse-engineers exactly why professional AI headshots work—then gives you the reusable formulas to replicate those results for every client, in your own style.

Inside: 12 headshot prompts deconstructed layer by layer (subject, lighting, expression, camera, style modifier, background)—with annotation explaining what each phrase controls and what happens when you change it. Three fill-in-the-blank master templates for Corporate, LinkedIn, and Creative/Editorial headshots, each with a worked example ready to populate. A quick-reference card for the 6 micro-decisions that drive consistency across a client shoot. An 8-failure troubleshooting guide with word-for-word fixes. A photographer-to-AI glossary that translates Rembrandt lighting, frequency separation, and f/2.8 into the exact prompt phrases that produce those results.

This guide is built for photographers who already know what good portraits look like—and want AI to produce them reliably, not randomly.

Who It Is For

Portrait photographers (wedding, corporate, LinkedIn) who want to generate consistent, on-brand AI headshots without learning prompt engineering from scratch.

What Is Inside

• 12 fully anatomy-broken-down headshot prompts—each with 6 labeled layers (subject, lighting, expression, camera, style, background) and 2–3 line edit notes explaining what changed and why
• 3 fill-in-the-blank master prompt templates: Corporate Neutral, LinkedIn Vibrant, and Creative/Editorial—each with a worked example showing a completed, client-ready prompt
• Quick-reference card: the 6 micro-decisions that control headshot consistency (skin diffusion, eye catchlight, jaw angle, smile warmth, background blur, crop ratio)—each with a full spectrum of prompt phrases to choose from
• 5-iteration workflow system for going from first generation to locked signature style in 2–3 rounds
• 8 common AI headshot failures with exact diagnostic phrases and word-for-word fixes
• Photographer-to-AI translation glossary: studio lighting setups, camera settings, retouching terms, posing directions, and color grades—all converted to prompt language you can paste immediately

Use It When

• A corporate photographer wants to offer AI-assisted headshot previews to clients before the studio session—use the Corporate Neutral template and 5-iteration workflow to produce presentation-ready samples in under 30 minutes
• A LinkedIn branding photographer needs to show a client three distinct style options (warm/vibrant, editorial/cool, clean/neutral) before booking—use Formula 3, Formula 6, and the Baseline side by side to demonstrate the range
• A photographer already using Midjourney keeps getting inconsistent results between client shoots—use the 6 Micro-Decision Quick-Reference Card to lock the same 6 variables across every session

Related

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