Dateframe editorial · 3 September 2026
The source photos are the reference for your face. If they hide important details, show different versions of your appearance or rely on strong filters, the generator has more to infer. You do not need a photoshoot to create a useful set, but you do need to choose deliberately.
Choose one current version of you
Use recent pictures with roughly consistent hair, facial hair and appearance. Mixing a clean-shaven portrait from years ago with a current beard is not extra variety; it is conflicting information. Leave out old photographs even if you like their lighting.
- Clear detail. Your eyes and face should be in focus when you view the photograph at a normal size.
- Simple lighting. Soft daylight makes it easier to see your features without a colour cast or deep shadow.
- Useful variation. Include a straightforward front view and some gentle changes of angle.
- One person. Use photographs of yourself alone so there is no ambiguity about the subject.
Leave the confusing pictures out
Avoid beauty filters, heavy sunglasses, faces covered by a phone and extreme wide-angle close-ups. A screenshot of a photograph can also reduce detail unnecessarily. Use the original image file where possible.
More files are not always more helpful. Follow the studio’s upload requirements and give each photo a reason to be there. Several images from the same burst may add very little new information.
Take a simple new set if you need to
Stand near a window, clean the lens and hold the phone far enough away that your nose and forehead do not dominate. Take a front view, turn slightly each way and review the results for focus. Stop if the phone is applying a face filter automatically.
Clear references improve the input, but they do not guarantee a faithful result. Inspect generated images using the AI photo checklist before keeping them.
Can I upload someone else’s selfies?
Use your own photographs. You must have the rights and consent needed for anything you upload; do not generate a dating profile for another person without permission.
Do I need a professional camera?
No. Clear, well-lit phone pictures are a practical starting point. Focus and an unobstructed face matter more than equipment.