Prefer a current real photograph when someone will use the image to recognize you in person. Light correction and a clearly identified creative portrait serve different purposes. An attractive generated face is not a reliable representation simply because it resembles your source at a glance.
Start with the meeting test
Choose an authorized, recent image showing your current hairstyle, facial features and normal expression. Ask whether someone could identify you from the result without explaining away changes. Avoid requests to change age, body proportions or defining features while calling the image a natural photograph.
In Imagild's Skill Market, select an available portrait-oriented style only after deciding whether you want a factual profile or an illustration. Skill availability changes; an older example does not guarantee that a particular preset is still listed.
Make the request narrower
A fictional user wants a less distracting background, not a new lifestyle. The brief can ask for a simple setting, restrained lighting and preserved current appearance. It should not invent a luxury holiday or social occasion and imply that it really happened.
Inspect the output against the original: face proportions, teeth, eyes, hairline and recognizable marks. Background plausibility is a separate check. A realistic café can still create a false impression of where the photo was taken.
Choose what to publish
Use current real images alongside any creative version, and disclose a materially generated image in a way viewers can understand. Check the destination's current profile rules before using it. The question is not just whether the file uploads, but whether the image sets an honest expectation.
Keep the source private and upload only photographs you have permission to process. A rejected output should not become acceptable merely because it is flattering. If preserving identity is difficult, return to ordinary editing or take a new photograph instead of repeated face regeneration.