I look fucking awful

[Uglyugly]

I had some new passport photos done to day and OMG i look awful.
I cant send them in no way.
Honestly it looks like im in shock like someone as a gun pointing at me.
I have no eye brows and pale i look like a scared ghost.
Going back to re-do them any tips on what i can do so i look half decent.
I dont wear make-up but i think this calls for it.
And how can i look like i do have a neck.
My hair was all pulled back i looked bald.
Please any tips on what i can do for my second round of pics.

I needed to renew my driving licence… a random lady in the Post Office took my photo - right there in the middle of the P.O!
Good God, I look totally barmy! It doesn’t resemble me at all. Can’t be arsed to get it changed, I’m old now, and don’t really care, but can’t deny it was a shock when I saw it!

Mine looks like an actual mug shot.. but I thought that was what we all say about our passport photos 🤣
I was wearing black under eyeliner at the time and it really made me look like I've had a heavy night after murdering someone..
I now try doing a slight turn up at the lips (so not quite a smile but a friendlier look) and perhaps the idea of having hair and makeup done before would be a nice touch! But people only quickly glance at it so I probably couldn't be bothered to get them done again and just own it ha

We did our own at home for the last few times so I'd suggest just putting on some light makeup and taking at many as you want to choose from until you're happy with one.

Oh you poor thing!
crying tho! 🤣🤣🤣

I look like a potato in my passport photo. Very unfortunate.

I would recommend wearing hair down and a bit of makeup. That seems to be where I went wrong.

Haven’t read the whole thread so someone may have suggested, but download Photo Aid so you can take selfies yourself and then have them checked to see if they will be accepted. You can take as many as you like then until you’re happy with one to use. Cost less than a tenner.

The thing I find makes the most difference is to smile without moving your mouth - or without moving it much, I do a tiny minimal “tight” smile. This makes your eyes “smile” and avoids that dead-eyed serial killer look.

Bear in mind the photo on your passport is now black and white. I hated my passport photo - even after many attempts! - but it being black and white in the passport made me look better. A bit of eye make up will define your eyes, eyebrows are a must, make sure your hair is as you want it and then it’s all about getting angle right for you.

I very rarely wear make up - but absolutely do for passport photos. The flash bleaches you. Go to a passport photo place that lets you pick the photo from a range. As others say, book a free makeover at boots or a department store (you may have to book.

Passport photo = fairly bad
Photo taken by immigration after 3+12 hour flights = good god what even is that?

S Korea, I’m surprised I wasn’t immediately deported for crimes against skincare.

😂

My passport photo is of a tired looking, saggy faced. fat woman with awful hair; and yet, when I go through passport control, the border security can see from the photo that it is me. Waaah!

😆😆 this cracked me up

No particular advice but empathy. I realised I'd lost my passport during a two day weekend bender and I had a work trip later that week so had to get an emergency passport appointment when extremely unkempt and hungover.

I look like Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons if he was very, very unwell and had a lazy eye (well, two tbh).

Thank god it finally expires next year and I can make myself presentable for the next one!

Mine are awful. I don’t really wear make up but next time I will

Get hair done or at least a blow dry
Put mascara and a bit of lipstick at the minimum

If you have time OP you could get a one of the shop folk to put some make up on you although you’ll probably end up buying stuff if you do that.

I always look atrocious on passport photos. If I'm not smiling I have quite a stern glare.

Sympathy. I’ll need to get this done. Be prepared that if you don’t wear make up at all a photo with it may not feel it looks like you. Maybe you’ll prefer it and use make up more often. I have never worn make up and had my colours done and didn’t recognise myself.

My passport photo is rubbish and worse now due to look being allowed to smile. I looked up and neutral is so scanner can recognise and they can use tech at immigration rather than people who are better at recognising faces.

I had to retake my last one because of shadows. My next one they weren’t going to accept because it looked like it was in black and white. I put in the comments that it was a white background, I was wearing a black jumper and I’m very pale. It got accepted. Maybe don’t wear a black top on a white background if you’re pale. 😆

Looked like I had no eyebrows and I was ginger on my booth photos (my hair is brown/blond) so I temporarily dyed my hair darker and put on makeup I looked more like myself I had mascara lipstick (slightly darker than my lips nothing exaggerated) and I filled my eyebrows in the picture that came out looked closer to me

Do them at home, we did. Stand against a neutral background and take lots until you’re happy.

I did mine last year. Hair done, make up. Even changed tops a few times to find most flattering colour. Partner took pics. I looked awful in every one. However I couldn't be arsed spending any more time in it so sent the best of the worst.

Are you pushed for time, OP?

If you don't usually wear makeup and don't know where to start, you could book a makeup appointment with a brand at a department store and they will find the right colours and do it for you. The cost is usually deducted from any products you buy, so if you were going to buy some foundation anyway, just buy a couple of products and you can get the makeup applied for free.

How do you style your hair? If you get a blow dry then you could book a hair appointment for a trim and blow dry the same morning, then do the makeup appointment, then get your photo taken.

Or, the cheaper version, do your hair the way you like it, make sure your skin is clean and moisturised, then go to the makeup counter at a department store and ask them to help you choose the right foundation shade. All you really need to do is rub a small amount of foundation into your skin, use some mascara on your lashes, and maybe a little bit of translucent powder if your skin is too shiny.

Either way, I wouldn't pay someone to take the photo. Even when I've paid £20+ to have a professional photo done, it's better than the photo booth, but it's still not great because I feel too awkward to get them to keep taking photos until one is just right.

Sort your hair and makeup out and then find a friend to take pictures of you on their phone, in natural light, in front of a white or very pale grey/cream wall. You need to find somewhere you don't cast a shadow. Then you can take as many pictures as you like.

You can do the passport application on your phone and upload the pictures directly and the site will tell you whether the photo is acceptable or not.

By the way, one of the reasons why the booths take such terrible photos is because your eyes focus on the image that is projected on the glass, and then just before it takes the photo the image disappears and what you can see is the camera behind the glass. So your eyes are in the middle of refocusing when the picture is taken and you're slightly cross eyed as a result, which is one of the reasons why you look like a crackhead who has just been booked in for a night down the cells. Never, ever use a photo booth.

I’m insanely unphotogenic it’s horrific. I used to get so upset about it . People always comment on it too and it used to really hurt my feelings. In real life I’m told I’m pretty in photos you literally couldn’t get anyone uglier ! It’s really weird! I think I’m very expressive and animated when I talk and I don’t feel bad day to day and often feel that I look good but I avoid photos as much as possible as I look hideous in them. My passport one was a necessity I look terrified and badly put together 😂

I took a perfectly fine picture on my phone. I looked my normal average self. Was pretty pleased with it until they returned it with a hologram in the middle of my face making me look like some Star Trek character from the planet Zoid.

Tighter jawline and no double chin.