Passport photos

I'm in the process of getting my passport renewed, and I thought I'd do a self-portrait rather than sit in one of those booths and get something even more horrible than is usually the case when I find myself at the wrong end of the lens.

I've taken one that will do, and I've taken care to make sure that the dimensions and proportions are consistent with the regs..

I'm not planning to print it myself, but can anyone that's been round this loop give me an idea of any other gotchas I might face - and indeed where to get it printed.

TIA.

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Pentax K-3, DA18-135, DA35 F2.4, DA17-70, DA55-300, FA28-200, A50 F1.7, A100 F4 Macro, A400 F5.6, Sigma 10-20 EXDC, 50-500 F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS Samsung flash SEF-54PZF(x2)
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I print them myself - 1440 dpi is adequate. Although do them as fine as possible.

The IPS then scan it ... but refuse to accept an electronic copy in any format.

One of mine was very badly scanned and it looked as though I had been both drinking and then caught with a 22 year old brunette as I had a bright red Rudolph nose and red cheeks & forehead as though embarrassed.

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K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...

Oooo can we see that one polchraine, pleeeeeeze???

I didn't know you could take your own pics for a passport, I thought it was just a way of keeping Jessop (other rip off shops are available)going!

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Cheers, HG

K110+DA40, K200+DA35, K3 and a bag of lenses, bodies and other bits.

Mustn't forget the Zenits, or folders, or...

I've some gallerieshere CLICKY LINK! and my PPG entries.

It's interesting the regs say: "Digital enhancement is not acceptable".

I wonder if that includes simple brightness and contrast adjustments? No-one will know anyway once it's printed, unless you go over the top.

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~Pete

I took my own passport photo last year using cream mounting card as a background. I used my Epson 3880 to print them off. No problems with them.
I have also done them for others.

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Friendly Regards
Graham

Or indeed minor zit-cloning. Fingers crossed

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Pentax K-3, DA18-135, DA35 F2.4, DA17-70, DA55-300, FA28-200, A50 F1.7, A100 F4 Macro, A400 F5.6, Sigma 10-20 EXDC, 50-500 F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS Samsung flash SEF-54PZF(x2)
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I'd print it myself too, they no longer use the actual print but scan it badly. You can now have the same snap on your passport and driving license, so at least you only have one picture that looks like no one at all.

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

When I had to renew my driving licence a few months ago I went to one of the horrible passport machines, but at least it had a very crude automatic thing to say if you were sat properly and gave you a couple of tries to get it right. As I've got to do my passport as well this year, I decided the extortionate cost (£6) to cover both was relatively trivial...

Amusingly - considering the Passport Agency & DVLA's unwillingness to accept digital photos even though they very badly scan them, reproduce at tiny size, and do no verification of their accuracy - when I had to get a security pass for ...a rather important conference... they insisted on a digital photograph not a printed one!

p.s.
Anyone remember Patsy's passport photo in Ab Fab?

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Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...

The process could be a lot better and give better results if the IPS and DVLA moved the photograph rules with the times - they do so with readable passports &c.

They could for those without access to digital cameras and high quality printers still allow the "standard" images.

Two possibilities they should consider:

1. Increase the size of the permissible submitted image to 90x70 which will give more room for a the statement and signature on the rear. The benefit of that would be that the scanned image would probably be of much better quality than those we see now.

2. Allow someone to submit a high resolution image in an approved electronic format along with a signed image - they would then just check the file matched the printed image before resizing the image to the standard. A little extra time doing the comparison but no need for the scanning time.

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K20D, *istD, MZ-S, Super-A, ME Super, MX
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, DA* 300,
DA 50-200, FA 24-90, FA 20-35,
M 400-600, A 50 f1.4, A 28 f2.8, A 70-210, M 35-80, M 50 f1.7
A x2S teleconverter and a few others ...

One rule for Mossad and another UK citizens.

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Lurking is shirking.!

Interestingly the rules for passport photos for passports renewed abroad are slightly different to those for the UK. I can't remember all the differences now, but it is to allow for foreign passport photo rules too.


I used to be able to send my passport off to Amsterdam for renewal and get it back in a week. Now, sooperdooper new streamlined system, I have to send it to Paris , by courier, hand over a kings ransom in fees and another €48 for the return courier, and wait a minimum of four weeks for one.

Luckily it doesn't need renewing for a while.

At least they don't want fingerprints yet like they do for Dutch passports. Would I have to travel to Paris to do that??

Having converted to a Ltd. company recently for irritating tax reasons, one of the aspects I find hysterically funny is I'm now considered responsible enough to countersign passport applications. Considering how trivially easy it is for anyone set-up a company nowadays, this also seems a relic from another time and no security at all...if it ever was...

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Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...

It is incredibly difficult to find someone to countersign my photos here. We don't have any British friends here, and most of our Dutch friends are not considered suitable to countersign the photos. Our neighbour is a policeman, but he doesn't speak English so won't countersign them.
My husband's former boss was a personal friend and so he signed them last time, but he was "let go" during a merger, and we've lost touch since he moved to France with his golden handshake (more like a platinum one actually ).

I have no idea who'll do it next time - maybe I'll put them in the post to Flossie .

I once saw a photo processing place (which will remain nameless despite the staff being cretinously unhelpful) take their 'official' passport photos by sitting the 'customer'against a white projection screen (of the kind one would use for OHP in a classroom, only 1/4 sized) and taking the snap with a small compact. If they can get away with that I should think a K10D shot by someone who knows what they're doing should be fine - just be careful about getting a white background as that matters.

A chemist local to me does passport (and other ID) photos just with a compact camera, and not even flash. He does a good job, actually, and for not much money. He uses dedicated software for the cropping and printing.

Image quality doesn't have to be super-good when the print is so tiny. Noise and minor flaws just don't show up.

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~Pete