Career · 6-min read
The interview was in 6 hours. The LinkedIn photo was a vacation selfie.
A true story about the dumbest career bottleneck most people don't notice until it's costing them — and the four-minute fix on the bus.
The HeadshotMax Blog
Ten essays on the new economics of the personal-brand photo.
On identity preservation, the disappearing studio session, the LinkedIn-photo bottleneck, and the regional resume-photo markets that are quietly disrupting themselves. Written by HiForrest, the studio behind HeadshotMax.
Tactics · 5-min read
7 LinkedIn headshot mistakes I see in every junior PM's profile
A tactical save-this-and-share-it list. Drawn from coaching ~40 junior product managers through profile reviews in 2025–26.
Opinion · 4-min read
On LinkedIn, 'looks like you' beats 'looks like a model' — every time
The AI headshot apps optimizing for pretty are losing to the ones optimizing for accurate. There's a recruiter-side reason for it.
Comparison · 7-min read
I paid for 7 AI headshot apps with the same selfie. Only 2 looked like me.
A weekend, $214, seven apps, one face. Three takeaways that will save you both the money and the regret.
Founder log · 6-min read
I spent $4,500 on professional photographer headshots over 4 years. Then I tried an iPhone app on a Tuesday.
A solo founder's honest math on personal-brand photography. Hint: the photographer was almost never the bottleneck.
Playbook · 5-min read
Why every solo founder needs four headshots — not one
A short playbook on personal-brand photo strategy for founders who are tired of having one tired LinkedIn photo doing the work of an entire press kit.
Playbook · Realtors · 6-min read
The realtor headshot playbook: trustworthy on Zillow, modern on Compass, polished on LinkedIn — same face
A short, opinionated playbook for real-estate agents who are tired of looking 15 years older than they are on their listing photos.
Markets · 5-min read
A Korean resume photo studio charges $40 and takes 2 hours. The iPhone changed the math.
Why East Asian resume-photo culture — already obsessed with polish — is the global market most likely to skip the studio entirely.
Aesthetic · 5-min read
Stop paying $89 for the 'aesthetic photoshoot.' Your phone can already do most of it.
A reluctant defense of AI-generated aesthetic portraits — written by someone who used to pay $89 a session twice a year.
Executive · 6-min read
What 47 executive LinkedIn photos taught me about the 'subtle' difference between professional and powerful
An analytical look at the specific visual variables that separate a competent-looking executive headshot from a commanding one — and which ones an iPhone app can actually replicate.