How I Use AI (Carefully) in Brand Photography — While Keeping Your Images 100% Authentic
Asani will spend a lot of time in the University library studying, so this was the perfect background to include.
As a professional brand photographer, I’ve always believed your photos should tell the truth about who you are. That’s why I’m very intentional about how (and when) I use AI in my brand photography workflow.
AI is here to stay, and it’s transforming so many parts of the photography industry. For some brand photographers, AI is a creative tool to generate full images from scratch — but for me, authenticity always comes first.
I’m so excited for Asani’s career in international business. She is grounded in her values, strong, and innovative. She has a bright future ahead of her.
When AI Supports Brand Photography
Recently, I photographed a beautiful high school senior named Asani. One of her looks included branded clothing from the North Carolina A&T University, where she’ll be attending in the fall. Instead of making an expensive trip for one background shot, I photographed her on a white backdrop here in Richmond, VA, and then used Photoshop’s AI tool to add a realistic campus scene. The final brand portraits felt complete, full of meaning and context, without losing the real spark in her eyes.
For my personal branding photography clients, I sometimes use AI to:
Remove unwanted distractions in the background
Generate missing background elements when travel is impractical
Tweak small wardrobe details (like changing jeans to black slacks if your company dress code requires it)
These small edits help make your brand photos clean, compliant, and true to your vision.
The image on the left is my simple white background taken in a conference room at Maymont, and the portrait on the right is the AI-generated background.
When I Say No to AI
I draw a clear line: I won’t use AI to generate your headshots or personal branding portraits from scratch. A real, engaging brand photo captures your energy — the warmth in your eyes, your natural smile, your unique personality. That’s what builds the know, like, and trust factor that every brand needs.
An AI-generated headshot always feels slightly off — and if you want to attract your ideal clients, trust and authenticity are non-negotiable.
Walking around ‘campus’ with her business books in tow.
The Future of Brand Photography
Technology will keep evolving, but your brand deserves to show the real you. My promise as your brand photographer is to help you show up with confidence, clarity, and true connection — whether we’re photographing you in the middle of a desert landscape, your office, or your favorite mural in the city.
When you have authentic brand images, you attract the right people, build credibility, and stand out online. That’s where the real magic happens.
Asani on the real street of Cary St in Richmond, VA, in front of a mural created by gifted African American artists, S Ross Browne and Malcolm Moore.
Ready to Elevate Your Brand Images?
If you’re ready to invest in brand photography that feels 100% like you — with the support of thoughtful AI tools only when it makes sense — let’s chat. I offer personal branding photography and headshots for entrepreneurs, executives, and anyone ready to show up with authenticity.
Book your brand photography session today and let’s create images you’ll be proud to share everywhere.
Graffiti on a garage gave us the grit we needed to end our session together.