AI Photography Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the AI photo terms you will run into, from headshot packs to look recipes.
AI Photo Editor vs AI Photo Generator
An AI photo editor modifies a photo you already have. An AI photo generator creates a new image. The difference decides which tool you need.
Headshot vs Portrait
A headshot is a tightly framed professional photo built for one practical use. A portrait is a broader genre made to express character.
What Is a 1x1 ID Photo?
A 1x1 ID photo is a photo cropped to a square, one-inch print size, required by ID cards, badges, and forms that call for a square photo.
What Is a 2x2 ID Photo?
A 2x2 ID photo is the exact square size and format required for a U.S. passport or visa photo, with strict rules beyond just the crop.
What Is a Catchlight?
A catchlight is the small reflected highlight in a subject's eyes that makes a headshot look alive, and its shape reveals exactly how the photo was lit.
What Is a Formal Attire Photo?
A formal attire photo shows the subject in traditional business wear — a suit or blazer in a solid, dark color — signaling top-level seriousness.
What Is a Headshot Pack?
A headshot pack is a curated set of predefined looks — background, lighting, wardrobe and framing — applied to one photo of you.
What Is a Look Recipe?
A look recipe is the stored specification behind a single generated look — its lighting, wardrobe, background and camera direction.
What Is a Neutral Expression Photo?
A neutral expression photo shows a relaxed face with the mouth closed and no exaggerated emotion — required for passport, visa, and many ID photos.
What Is a Plain Background Photo?
A plain background photo has a single unbroken color or backdrop behind the subject, with no texture, objects, or depth to compete with the face.
What Is a Profile Photo?
A profile photo is the small, usually circular image representing you across a platform's interface, needing tighter framing than a standard headshot.
What Is a Selfie Reference?
A selfie reference is the source photo an image model uses to learn your face, and its quality sets the ceiling for every output.
What Is an AI Headshot?
An AI headshot is a professional-style portrait generated by a model from photos of you, rather than captured by a camera in a studio.
What Is Head-and-Shoulders Framing?
Head-and-shoulders framing crops a photo just below the collarbone, showing the face and top of the shoulders — the standard crop for a headshot.
What Is Identity Retention?
Identity retention is how well a generated portrait still looks like the specific person it was made from, rather than a generic face.
What Is Soft Key Lighting?
Soft key lighting is the main, diffused light source in a portrait that wraps around the face instead of casting hard edges or harsh shadows.