Don’t use a photo booth for your Passport photos.
Since the introduction of automated facial recognition software in 2006, the rules relating to ID/passport photos have become very rigid and they are rigourously, albeit not always consistently, applied. This initally lead to tens of thousands of people having their photos rejected by the Passport Office and other organisations because their picture didn’t meet the requirements. This costs them time, money and even, in some cases, whole holidays.
We know that having your passport photo taken can be a pretty unpleasant experience. But, unlike a machine, we’ll do our best to make the process as quick and painless as possible.
Passport photos are unflattering, because the pose is unnatural and the lighting is harsh… but that is kind of the point. It’s an ID photo, not a Fashion Shoot. Don’t worry about it.
We’d bet even Renee Zellwegger doesn’t like the way she looks in her passport photo. She might even think it makes her look a bit like Jimmy Carr[1] in a wig…
And we’d bet when they look hers, she didn’t have to try and keep 3 kids entertained whilst simultaneously fiddling with the seat height and looking for her hair brush.
The Passport Office is definitely gonna reject that one.
Unlike a machine, we’ll only take the picture when you’re ready. Unlike a machine, we’ll, discretely, mention anything that needs mentioning, before we take the picture and unlike a machine, we’ll show you a proof of the picture before we print it.
So, whilst we can’t give a 100% absolute guarantee that the pictures we take will be accepted by the Passport Office (as this is not within our control and there are other external factors beyond our control, like the fact that the proportions of some people’s facial features just do not conform to the published guidelines), we do make every effort to ensure that our pictures meet the requirements, we do measure every id/passport print by hand to ensure that it and the facial features within it are sized according to the relevant rules and we can say, with utter confidence, that hardly any of our prints get rejected.
and you absolutely, positively won’t get that from a machine…