sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 <p>Hi All, <P>Didn't realize my passport will expire in less than one month, and I have already juggled by business trips so that it would be impossible to change it any more, beside, it is very embarassing. So here is my question. Can I do it myself ? <P>I have got the lighting part sorted out, but I don't know how to do the following : <P>1. What focal lens should I use ? <br>2. How far away should I stand my tripod be ? <BR>3. Digital of course is the easiest way out but it's little cop out, and I worry about color fading in ten years. <BR>4.I use a beige background because I suspect the INS would like that, but should I use a little bounce flash to give it a little more commercial look ? <BR>5.What ASA, 200 or 400 would be better? <BR>6.Anything else you can think of ? <P>I am not trolling, in fact, I am a little panicking. It used to be so easy, you go down to a photostore and they can take care of the whole thing for you. Now they are almost all closed, so that's not a solution anymore. What should I do ? <P>Help please, and it will be deeply appreciated. The last thing I want is to look at is my ugly self on my passport for the next ten years... <P>Thank you in advance. <BR>Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_meyers1 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Sandy, Pick up a Passport application and you'll see the requirements are listed with very specific details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_burke3 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 You may be interested to know that the UK Passport Office has some very strict requirements about passport photos that have been brought in in recent years and they do reject applications that don't conform. The equivalent US department may have similar requirements. I suggest you should check - there must be something on a website. The website for the UK is this one: http://www.passport.gov.uk/downloads/PLE_04Eng-Photo.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 A lot of post offices are also branch passport offices and are all set up to take your photo right there on the spot. It's not worth doing yourself. They use a white background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_mayerhauser Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 You're better off having it done - they are very specific about the photo file. I had mine taken in about 20 seconds at Kinkos. I know Sears takes them as well. Otherwise...<a href="http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=22">DP Review</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 you have a digital camera and a white slide projector screen or a white wall around the house? just shoot a straight head shot and crop to the size required by the passport photo (2" square, i believe). I put 6 of them in one sheet and print out on a 4x6. make sure that the backgroup is calibrated to white and you are done. passport photo requires 1.25" long on face. here is accurate guiideline on passport photos. http://www.americanpassport.com/photos.html with all the talks on this forum and you all suggested him to have this done in a studio? wtf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 to answer further with youe listed 6 questions...don't worry about any of them. any camera or lens can be used. no one will notice a thing. the federal administration couldn't care less what camera and lens you used... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 <P>Can I just say that a passport photo is not a work of art, it's just a mug shot that has to look vaguely like you. Hence most of your concerns are pretty much irrelevant.</P><P> Also, the UK Passport Office publishes detailed guidelines precisely because it expects people to do it themselves nowadays - the guidance is largely to keep people from making the sort of silly mistakes that a real photographer would never make.</P><P>So just line it up and do it. Digital is best because you've got instant review.</P> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 <p>Thanks to everyone. <P>I am not vain, but a friend of mine was in the same situation : No time ! So we went to Kinko, and boy, what scary photo one can make. They use a tiny digital camera to take the picture, but the result was so horrifying that she cannot reconize herself, and imagine what we have these day called the Homeland Security laws, and if the INS guy said the one in the photo is not me, I would be eye brow deep in brown liquid. Is this scary or I am just being paranoid ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Hi Sandy, I went to Wal*Mart. In, done, and out in less than 10 minutes. Total cost, less than $10. Perfect pictures. Perfect service. <p>If they mess up, or you blink, they take them again. No extra charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 <P>PS : I live in the U.S., so I would guess the guideline is somewhat different than the UK's... am I correct ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 << ... <i> ... just being paranoid ?</i> ... >> <p> No requirement for a flattering photo, Sandy. Just has to be the right size photo printed on acceptable paper (not photocopy paper, for example). <p> Don't sweat it. <p> The one thing I would check is the lead time required for submission for renewal. And even on that, I believe you can pay a fee for expedited turnaround.<p> Price to you for all this great free advice: we get to see a copy of your passport photo. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 <P>Hehe, Michael, if I have the photo taken at Kinko, you wouldn't be able to tell if it's King Kong or me. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_f1 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Hey man, relax! There must be a camera shop somewhere near you that still does passport photos. After all, people still travel, right? They still need passports? They must be getting their photos somewhere. If you do need to do it yourself with film, here is a way. Get a normal print from a lens of yours. Work out the dimensions required for the passport shot. Then work out what size that is compared to the print. For example if you took the shot on a 50mm lens and the passport photo you need is (for argument's sake) a quarter of that size, then set your tripod so that your face fills a little less than a quarter of the frame. Do several at slightly different distances and you should get a couple that are ok (make sure your print is the same size as the comparison one). Then just cut it out at the right size with a sharp knife and a ruler. I did this once and it worked. Most Western governments have introduced new rules about passport shots and you should check with yours about the requirements if you want to do the photos yourself. These apply not only to print size but also background colour, hair styling (ie not covering the face), shadows, glasses (only spectacles if you normally wear them), etc. These new requirements are often stricter now than previously, partly as as a result of new US rules introduced since September 11 2001. I know that the Australian passport photo requirements have tightened up considerably in recent years as a direct result of this. Most of all, you should not worry about the archival quality of your image. First, most new passports contain a scanned image of the photo you submit with your application so you can't just switch your photo under the laminate of someone else's passport (although it may be different in your country). Second, I am sure even a crappy digital print will last as long as your passport! Finally, if anyone says you look bad in your passport photo, show them your real face and they will realise how goodlooking you are in real life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 <P>Thanks Richard. Good info except for the last part where <<<<i>Finally, if anyone says you look bad in your passport photo, show them your real face and they will realise how goodlooking you are in real life!</i>>>> Don't want to be accused for causing people belly ache from laughing too hard. I think that's a felony. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 <P>Actually, your advice really makes sense. Here we are in the Leica forum with our expensive toys and I am panicking over a mug shot, sad. Any one wants to take me as a beginning student? I'll work for lessons ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkelly04 Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Sandy, about 4 years ago I needed passport photos for my family of 5. So, I just lined everyone up one by one against a white wall and took a couple of shots with a digital p&s, then printed them out in the proper size using glossy photo paper and a cheap-ass color printer. Then, I cut them out with fingernail scissors and took them to the post office with the applications. The passport office does a good job of laminating the photos into the passports, so I don't think you will need to worry about them fading out over time. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Just out of curiousity I looked, and the State Department now offers a very nice little <a href=http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/quality/quality_875.html>photo tutorial</a>, with sample photos containing do's and don'ts. <p> Some of the State Department folks have obviously been hanging out here at photo.net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m_. Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 >>>sandy , may 19, 2006; 11:00 a.m. I am not vain, but a friend of mine was in the same situation : No time ! funny you should mention this. with all the postings you made and read, you had time for several passport photos already. :) cheers, mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry_rory Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Almost every chemist shop and camera shop and 1 hour photo place in town has the pull down white screen and either a digital or polaroid type p'port camera. Large Post Offices do them here also. (Ours does.) Take the advice given by others here and get a WalMart set done. "The last thing I want is to look at is my ugly self on my passport for the next ten years" Who gives a .... "I use a beige background because I suspect the INS would like that" NO they will not! Follow the guidelines... http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/acs/passports/usppt.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subpopstar Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 Hey Sandy - This may be on the late side for your purposes, but if there is a AAA office near you, they will take your passport photos for you as well. As I understand it, you do not need to be a AAA member to take advantage of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talasila Posted May 19, 2006 Share Posted May 19, 2006 I had to get some passport photos for my wife and myself for a visa to UK recently. Rather than go to a store and let some kid with a digicam do it I decided to do it myself. After some trial and error I was able to figure out the exact "configuration": Canon 20D with a 50 mm lens (80mm effective) at about 8 feet away from the subject standing in front of a white wall. I printed out some 4x6 prints and cut out a 2" square that matched the passport spec. Cheers,Sreenivas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy. Posted May 19, 2006 Author Share Posted May 19, 2006 Sreenivas, Thanks. That is very useful information and just what I need. Sorry about cannot figure your first and last name. Is that European if i may ask ? Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_ries Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 My local (USA) county clerk's office will take the pictures for an extra few bucks, maybe yours will do the same. Most Walgreen's will do it in 10 minutes for a few bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsr Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 Sandy, be warned, if the background color isn't to their liking, they will reject the photos at the U.S. Post Office. I know, because it happened to me. Why fool around, when you can get a pro to do the photos while you wait for a few bucks? The rules are quite specific for these shots, with little room for interpretation! Check the Yellow Pages of your phone book. There are lots of places to have this done. Good luck, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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