# A resume photo framed the way applications expect A clean, correctly framed resume photo in minutes - for the many countries and industries where an application still expects one. > Canonical: https://aiheadshot.me/resume-photo ## Create a résumé photo Upload a few current selfies, pass the likeness check, and choose a conservative role-appropriate portrait. Where a CV without a photograph looks unfinished, a resume photo with conservative framing and honest lighting, from your selfies. ## Where a CV Photo Is Still Expected Photo conventions on résumés vary enormously by country. Where one is expected, its absence is conspicuous. ### Standard across much of Europe and Asia Applications in Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Korea, China, and many other markets routinely include a photo. ### Conservative framing Head and shoulders, centred, neutral background - the format application reviewers expect to see. ### Neutral, non-distracting backdrops Plain white, ivory, or light grey keeps the document looking formal and prints cleanly. ### Appropriate wardrobe Formal or business attire matched to the sector you are applying into. ## Applications That Ask for a Resume Photo Usually with a deadline attached. ### International job applications Markets where a photo is a normal part of the CV format rather than an unusual addition. ### Graduate and internship programmes Structured application forms that include a photo field. ### Visa and formal documentation Applications requiring a plain-background portrait to a specified format. ### Professional registries Licensing bodies and professional directories that publish a member photo. ## Why Not Just Crop a Selfie A cropped phone photo is visibly a cropped phone photo, and reviewers notice. ### Proper lighting, not a bathroom mirror Studio-style front lighting is what separates a portrait from a snapshot, and it is the hardest thing to fake with a crop. ### A background that belongs on a document Plain, even, and free of the corner of a bedroom. This is the single most common flaw in DIY CV photos. ### Formal wardrobe without owning it The outfit is generated, so you do not need a suit in the wardrobe to appear in one on the page. ### Print-ready resolution Sharp when the document is printed, rather than soft and pixelated at full size. ## Creating Your CV Photo A few minutes from start to a file you can attach. ### Upload two or three selfies Good light, clear face, no sunglasses. Recent matters more than flattering. ### Choose a formal look Plain white or light grey backdrop with a suit or blazer suits almost every application. ### Pick a conservative expression A restrained smile or confident neutral reads correctly on a formal document. ### Export and attach Download at the resolution your application requires and attach it to the document. ## Use a Conservative, Current Source Portrait A CV photo is judged against an unwritten standard closer to an ID photo than a portrait. These four keep you inside it. ### Square on to the camera Résumé photos are conventionally near-frontal with level shoulders. Supply a straight-on source frame as well as any angled one, or the generated set will lean toward editorial poses that read as out of place on an application. ### Even light, no drama Directional lighting flatters a portrait and undermines a CV photo, where the expectation is neutrality. Face a window with the light spread evenly across your face rather than raking across one side of it. ### Composed, not smiling broadly A slight, closed-mouth expression is the safe register across almost every market that asks for a photo. Upload a source frame with that expression rather than a laughing one, which pushes the whole set too casual. ### Nothing that hides the face Hats, sunglasses and heavy filters remove exactly the information a reviewer is looking for, and the model fills the gap with invention. Prescription glasses are fine - keep them, and keep the reflections off the lenses. ## What Is Included Everything needed for a document-ready portrait. ### Plain background options White, ivory, and light grey backdrops appropriate for formal documents. ### Conservative framing Head-and-shoulders composition centred for document layout. ### Formal wardrobe Suits, blazers, and business attire across sectors. ### Print-quality export High-resolution files that stay sharp on a printed CV. ### Multiple options to choose from Dozens of variations so you can pick the most appropriate rather than accepting the only one. ### Photos deleted after use Automatic deletion after 30 days, or immediately with one click. ## Application Photos Stay Between Us A resume photo goes to employers; the selfies behind it go nowhere. Face photos are biometric data and the product treats them that way. ### Your photos never train any AI model Uploads are used once to generate your headshots and are never used to train, fine-tune, or improve a model. No exceptions, and every provider we route to is contractually bound to the same rule. ### Automatic deletion after 30 days Uploaded selfies are permanently deleted 30 days after your headshots are generated. A scheduled sweep enforces it, and we alert ourselves if a single photo is ever overdue. ### Delete everything right now, in one click You do not have to wait for the retention window. A single button on your shoot page erases every selfie you uploaded, immediately and permanently. ### Explicit consent, recorded properly Before anything is processed we show exactly what is collected, why, and for how long, and record your consent against that precise wording - the standard biometric privacy laws expect. ### Every image is labelled as AI-generated Delivered headshots carry embedded content credentials marking them as AI-generated, so the images stay honest wherever they travel. ## What a run costs and returns | Measure | Detail | | --- | --- | | 6–15 credits | Per run, depending on the model and length chosen. | | Every paid plan | Includes a commercial licence for what you make. | | JPEG, PNG, and WebP | Accepted for upload, up to 5 MB per file. | | 6 free credits | On a new account, before any plan. | ## CV Photo Questions Photos for CVs and applications ### Should I put a photo on my résumé? Whether to put a photo on your résumé depends entirely on where you are applying. In much of Europe and Asia a photo is standard. In the US, UK, Canada, and Australia it is usually discouraged, because employers avoid anything that could introduce bias into screening. Follow the local convention. ### What should a CV photo look like? Head and shoulders, centred, plain light background, formal or business attire, and a restrained expression. It should look like a document portrait rather than a social profile picture. ### What size should a résumé photo be? Requirements vary by country and application form - 35 × 45 mm is the common European size and 30 × 40 mm is used for a Japanese rirekisho. Generate at the highest resolution available and crop down to whatever the form specifies; starting large and cropping always beats upscaling a small image. Our free headshot resizer has both of those sizes built in, along with the passport formats, and it runs entirely in your browser. ### Can I use an AI resume photo for a passport or ID? No. Passport, visa and government ID applications require an unaltered photograph taken by a camera, and submitting a generated image can invalidate the application. Those are a different job entirely - use our free passport photo size tool to crop a real photograph to the exact official dimensions instead. It gets the measurable part right, but only the issuing authority decides whether a photo is accepted. ### How many photos do I need to upload? One works; three improves it; three is also the most a shoot accepts. For a resume photo the most useful second frame is a straight-on one, because that is the framing the finished photo needs and the model leans toward what it is shown. ### How long does it take? Two to five minutes, since the whole set generates in parallel. Fast enough that a job posting closing tonight is not a reason to attach a cropped holiday photo. ### Will the headshots actually look like me? Likeness is the only property we score, and on an application it is not optional - you will be meeting the person who looked at the photo. Every render is compared against your uploads, misses are removed and refunded before delivery, and a whole shoot that scores low is re-run free on a different engine. ### What if I do not like the results? Images the likeness check rejects are removed and their credits restored automatically. A low-scoring shoot qualifies for a free re-run. Eligible purchase refunds follow the Refund Policy. ### Are my photos used to train AI? No. Uploads produce your CV photo and nothing else, every provider in the path is contractually bound to the same rule, and files are permanently erased after 30 days or immediately if you press delete. ### Can people tell the photos are AI-generated? The good ones read as ordinary studio photography. We are also straightforward about it: every delivered image carries embedded content credentials identifying it as AI-generated, which is both honest and increasingly a legal requirement. ### How many credits does Resume Photo use? Resume Photo draws between 6 and 15 credits per run, depending on the model and length chosen in the form. ### What limits should I check before using Resume Photo? Generated output from Resume Photo can contain visual, audio, or factual errors. Review each result before publishing, and upload only material you are authorized to use. Where the form accepts a reference image, supported files are JPEG, PNG, WebP up to 5 MB each. ### What happens to the files I upload to Resume Photo? An upload is stored against your own account, not pooled with other people's. Deleting the account removes it: the control is in Settings under Security, the request is confirmed by email, and the erasure removes the stored objects it owns. How long anything else is kept, and which processors handle it, is stated in the privacy policy. ### Can I use what Resume Photo makes commercially? Every paid plan includes a commercial licence for what Resume Photo makes; the free tier is for personal use. ### How does Resume Photo compare, and what alternatives fit a different workflow? Resume Photo: Create a professional resume photo or CV photo from a few selfies. Correct framing, neutral background, and the right size for Europe and Asia. Related options are Create AI Headshots: Create AI headshots from a few selfies. Upload, pick a backdrop and an outfit, then download an auto-ranked shortlist of studio portraits in up to 4K, Realtor Headshots: Realtor headshots for listings, yard signs and brokerage sites. Approachable, current real estate agent photos - for you or your whole office, Professional Headshots: Professional headshots without a photographer. Upload a few selfies, choose a backdrop and outfit, download studio-quality portraits from $19, LinkedIn Headshots: Get a LinkedIn headshot that still reads at thumbnail size. Upload a few selfies, pick a backdrop and outfit, and download the circle crop ready to post, Headshot Backgrounds: Choose a headshot background from studio, office, outdoor and brand-colour options, or upload your own backdrop without re-shooting, and Free AI Headshot Generator: Try our free AI headshot generator. Upload one selfie and get a professional headshot at no cost - no credit card, no subscription, no watermark. Choose by the required input, delivered output, controls, limits, current availability, and credit cost; the related-tools section links each canonical page. ## Create Your Resume Photo A properly framed, professional resume photo ready to attach to an application. ## Related tools ### [Create AI Headshots](https://aiheadshot.me/ai-headshot-generator) ### [Realtor Headshots](https://aiheadshot.me/realtor-headshots) ### [Professional Headshots](https://aiheadshot.me/professional-headshots) ### [LinkedIn Headshots](https://aiheadshot.me/linkedin-headshots) ### [Headshot Backgrounds](https://aiheadshot.me/headshot-backgrounds) ### [Free AI Headshot Generator](https://aiheadshot.me/free-headshot-generator) _Last updated July 28, 2026_