Avatars
October 4, 2024 · Last updated on April 23, 2025
How to create Photo Avatars in HeyGen to personalize your videos
# Photo Avatars
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Hey, creators! Want to add a personal touch to your videos in just minutes?
Today, let’s generate a custom Photo Avatar in HeyGen to help make your content stand out.
Did you know learners retain up to 80% more information from videos compared to text? Dive into HeyGen Academy: 101, our self-paced course that covers all the HeyGen essentials.
What’s covered in this guide
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- What are Photo Avatars?
- Create a Photo Avatar
- Customize your Photo Avatar
- Save and use your Photo Avatar
- Generate additional Looks
- Generate Motion
What are Photo Avatars?
Photo Avatars are digital representations of yourself or others created from a photo or generated image, which are then animated to narrate your videos.
HeyGen's AI can generate a realistic avatar based solely on a photo or image as the input.
They’re perfect for adding an engaging touch to your videos.
You can either create your own Photo Avatar, select one from our public library, or generate a new Photo Avatar from scratch using our AI Generator.
Create a Photo Avatar
To start, log in to your HeyGen account and head over to the ‘Avatars’ tab and click on ‘Photo Avatar.’
Next, make sure you have a high-quality, clear photo ready. Upload the image to HeyGen by clicking the ‘Upload’ button. After your photo avatar is created, you'll be prompted to either choose a voice for your avatar or let HeyGen choose one for you automatically.
Customize your Photo Avatar
Now it’s time to edit your Photo Avatar.
Use the “Edit Avatar” button to remove its background, assign it a voice, adjust the voice’s speed, and more.
Save and use your Photo Avatar
Once you’re happy with your avatar, save it.
Now, you’re ready to use your custom photo avatar in any HeyGen video!
You can create a new video from your Photo Avatar by clicking ‘Create with AI Studio.’
You can also use Photo Avatars within HeyGen simply by choosing one as your avatar.
Generate Looks
Want to make your videos more dynamic and engaging by switching up your avatar’s pose, surroundings or attire? You can now add Motion to Photo Avatars and generate and save up to 100 different avatar Looks, which are varying outfits, poses or backgrounds.
For more information, see our Generate Looks guide and Prompting Best Practices for Generating Looks.
Generate Motion
When adding Motion to Photo Looks, users can now enter prompts to guide the Motion and choose between the best available image-to-video models: "Consistent" for maintaining a steady appearance or "Expressive" for adding more dynamic and animated effects.
How to choose between consistent and expressive motion
In the realm of AI animation, choosing the right motion style can make or break your project. The two dominant approaches—consistent motion and expressive motion—cater to different creative needs and outcomes. Whether you’re working on a cinematic project, storytelling animation, or marketing content, understanding these motion styles can help you pick the right tool for the job.
When to Choose Consistent Motion
Consistent motion is your best choice if:
- Visual fidelity is critical: For example, when creating animations where maintaining the original look is non-negotiable.
- Cinematic aesthetics are a priority: Ideal for dramatic, impactful clips with smooth transitions.
- Complex animations are not needed: Works best for simple, elegant motion styles.
When to Choose Expressive Motion
Expressive motion is the way to go if:
- Realism is the top priority: Perfect for animations requiring lifelike human motion or storytelling elements.
- Creative control is essential: Adheres closely to your vision and avoids introducing random artifacts.
- Dynamic movement is key: Great for character animations or interactive projects that demand variety.
For expert tips on how to use prompts to generate the most realistic Motion, see our Prompting best practices for adding Motion to avatars guide.
Recap
In this guide, you learned:
- What Photo Avatars are
- How to create a Photo Avatar
- How to customize your Photo Avatar
- How to save and use your Photo Avatar
We’re looking forward to seeing what you’ll create with HeyGen!
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