# DIY Headshots / HeadshotDB

> DIY Headshots sells $1 professional headshots taken with guided phone capture and retouched without changing the person's face. HeadshotDB is its free reference data on photo requirements, licensed CC BY 4.0. Official requirements are quoted only from the organization that sets them.

## Key facts
- Profile photos (checked 2026-10-18): a square image 512-1024 px, JPG or PNG, under 1 MB meets the published limits of all 13 platforms in the registry that publish any (Slack profile photo sets the size range; GitHub profile picture sets the file limit).
- ERAS residency photo, 2027 season (checked 2026-10-18): the AAMC 2027 MyERAS Applicant User Guide lists exactly three rules. File type: JPG/JPEG or PNG; Maximum file size: 150 KB; Composition: Face centered. Pixel size, background and attire are not AAMC rules. Safe export: 375 × 525 px (portrait, 5:7), JPEG, under 100 KB.

- Search trends (US Google, Oct 2018 to 2026-09): "ai headshot generator" peaked 2023-07 at 74000 searches/month and ran -45% year over year (same months), vs -16% for "professional headshot". Five-year movers (2021 vs 2026, same months): LinkedIn +69%, Therapists +56%; Real estate -61%, Realtors -67%. Peak months: Pageant contestants Jan; Actors Jan; Real estate agents Jan; Corporate teams Jan; Nurses Mar; Dancers Mar; Therapists Mar; Graduates Apr; Lawyers Jul; High school seniors Aug; Teachers Aug; Residency applicants (ERAS) Sep; School picture day Sep; LinkedIn users Sep.

- AI headshot likeness test (2026-10-19, 8 image models, 12 fictional selfies, same prompt): FLUX 3 0.89, Nano Banana 2 0.82, Nano Banana Pro 0.81 mean face-recognition likeness (different people score below 0.38). FLUX.2 [klein] 9B added glasses to 8 of 12 people.

- Headshot Census, therapists (2026-10-20, 989 profile photos from Psychology Today): 40% plain backdrop; 15% suit or blazer, 63% business casual; 68% smile with teeth; 40% are snapshots or selfies.
- Headshot Census, lawyers (2026-10-20, 1171 profile photos from the State Bar of Texas directory): 61% plain backdrop; 79% suit or blazer, 18% business casual; 51% smile with teeth; 13% are snapshots or selfies.
- Headshot Census, realtors (2026-10-20, 762 profile photos from Coldwell Banker’s agent directory): 55% plain backdrop; 50% suit or blazer, 45% business casual; 69% smile with teeth; 12% are snapshots or selfies.
- Headshot Census, doctors (2026-10-20, 865 profile photos from medical school faculty directories): 85% plain backdrop; 50% suit or blazer, 46% business casual; 61% smile with teeth; 4% are snapshots or selfies.
- Headshot Census, nursing faculty (2026-10-20, 372 profile photos from nursing school faculty directories): 65% plain backdrop; 40% suit or blazer, 56% business casual; 77% smile with teeth; 4% are snapshots or selfies.

## Pages
- [Headshot Census](https://diyheadshots.com/headshot-census): what each profession wears and uses in its profile photos
- [Therapist headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/therapist-headshots): what 989 therapists wear and use in their profile photos (backdrop, clothing, colour, smile, framing)
- [Lawyer headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/lawyer-headshots): what 1171 lawyers wear and use in their profile photos (backdrop, clothing, colour, smile, framing)
- [Realtor headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/realtor-headshots): what 762 realtors wear and use in their profile photos (backdrop, clothing, colour, smile, framing)
- [Doctor headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/doctor-headshots): what 865 doctors wear and use in their profile photos (backdrop, clothing, colour, smile, framing)
- [Nurse educator headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/nursing-faculty-headshots): what 372 nursing faculty wear and use in their profile photos (backdrop, clothing, colour, smile, framing)
- [AI headshot likeness test](https://diyheadshots.com/ai-headshot-likeness-test): which image models (Nano Banana, FLUX and others) keep your face in a headshot, with scores, skin colour shift and cost
- [Headshot search trends](https://diyheadshots.com/headshot-search-trends): seasonal calendar by profession, AI headshot boom and bust, five-year movers
- [Photo spec registry](https://diyheadshots.com/photo-specs): official profile photo sizes, file limits and formats by platform, with source quotes
- [ERAS photo requirements](https://diyheadshots.com/photo-specs/eras): 2027 ERAS official rules vs convention, key dates, studio prices
- [Methodology](https://diyheadshots.com/methodology)

## DIY guides
- [How to Take a Professional Headshot at Home](https://diyheadshots.com/how-to-take-a-professional-headshot-at-home): Light, camera height and background, tested: what matters in the photo you take and what retouching can fix.
- [What to Wear for Headshots](https://diyheadshots.com/what-to-wear-for-headshots): Six outfits on the same two people: which colours, necklines and patterns work, and which pull focus.
- [Headshot Backgrounds: Grey, White, Navy, Office or Outdoor](https://diyheadshots.com/headshot-backgrounds): The same headshot on six backgrounds, and which one suits LinkedIn, a résumé or a company page.
- [Headshot Poses That Look Natural](https://diyheadshots.com/headshot-poses): Angled shoulders, chin forward, the ‘squinch’: six poses side by side on the same people.
- [Professional Headshot Examples, Before and After](https://diyheadshots.com/professional-headshot-examples): Twelve everyday selfies and the headshots made from them, with what made each work.

## Data
- [photo-specs.json](https://diyheadshots.com/data/photo-specs.json)
- [photo-specs.csv](https://diyheadshots.com/data/photo-specs.csv)
- [headshot-search-trends.json](https://diyheadshots.com/data/headshot-search-trends.json)
- [ai-headshot-likeness-test.json](https://diyheadshots.com/data/ai-headshot-likeness-test.json)