[Han Researcher Magazine Vol.24] AI ID Photo Created by a 20-Year Photographer — The Story of Monkos.ai
"Can an AI-generated photo really be good?"
I thought the same thing at first. I have 10 years of experience running an offline studio myself.
But I trusted the senior photographer with 20 years of experience, and my mind completely changed after learning about Monkos.ai.
This service wasn't just created by an AI startup.
Actually, Offline Studios Were Already Half AI
Even in the offline studio days, I set up the lighting myself, and the post-shoot work was done with Photoshop and Adobe. When I think about it, it was already half AI back then.
Monkos.ai is where we transferred the working methods we had built up offline 100% online.
20 Years of On-Site Experience is Embedded in the AI
Monkos.ai is a service directly designed by a studio photographer with 20 years of experience.
The know-how accumulated from taking thousands of ID photos — lighting angles, skin retouching standards, background processing methods —
We trained the AI with this as is.
It's not just an "app that changes the background." It's the result of numerous considerations and systemization to ensure that consumers are not inconvenienced.
### Why Did We Create It Ourselves?
There was always something I felt while running the studio.
"I don't have the time or money, and the quality varies so much from studio to studio."
Making a reservation, traveling, waiting — half a day flies by once you go. The cost is also typically between 3,000 and 8,000 yen.
From the consumer's perspective, we wanted to create photos that are consistent in quality, fast, and accurate.
I wanted to eliminate that barrier. With one smartphone, for 990 yen, in 3 minutes.
### What are the Results?
Background cleanup, lighting correction, skin retouching, clothing adjustment — just like the work done in the studio.
- Passport photo — Accurate cropping from face to chin, compliant with ICAO international standards
- Job application/ID photo — Automatic clothing transformation, suit processing, and hair arrangement