Trust in headshots is subtle: too soft reads as a filter, too harsh reads as a bad cutout
`headshot-background` maps to ATS photos, team pages, and investor decks. Whiteboards, IDE-filled monitors, desk badges, and fire signs carry privacy or brand risk; tight crops lose shoulder lines, while gentle blur suppresses distractions without inventing a fake set. Collar folds, jaw contour, and shirt texture must stay sharp—if the neck blends into the wall, the image feels cheap. Glasses rims and specular arcs are common failure bands; smeared rims look like heavy beauty work. Neutral walls band after blur, especially in print name cards versus on-screen review. Brand-gray backdrops should still match the handbook after processing when you batch the whole company. Dual-monitor textures invite moiré-like artifacts; inspect at 100% zoom. Unlike ID photos, business portraits may keep a hint of real environment—keep blur conservative so viewers still read "office, not greenscreen". Cross-border hiring sometimes expects retouch disclosure; retain originals for audit trails.
Headshot blur workflow
- In `headshot-background`, list sensitive elements to suppress: screens, badges, bright reflections, exterior logos.
- Use moderate blur; verify ears, collars, and frames, then check banding on gray and white previews.
- Export within ATS upload limits and keep an untouched original for compliance review.