To think the Passport Office is discriminatory

[cheapskatemum]

Against people with frizzy hair? They've rejected my photo because the outline of my head isn't distinct! To make it thus, I would have to lard it with product such that the photo wouldn't look like me, certainly not like me after a long flight in aeroplane air, which surely defeats the object?

Last time dh and I went through passport control the agent had a good laugh at/with dh. When the picture was taken he had wild curly brown hair. Now he has neatish grey hair and a grey beard. It's not even been ten years yet! dd got asked if she was bearing braces by a very apologetic agent (he thought she might be upset to be asked) who explained how he was trained to recognise facial features which was quite interesting. My passport picture has my glasses in it, I just had to make sure there was no glare. I had to take my glasses of for my drivers licence which seemed a bit odd as if I tried to drive without them I would be incredibly safe.

I normally wear glasses but when I had my last passport photo done, the glare of the flash kept hitting the glasses. The assistant is Snappy Snaps suggested I take them off, and I also has to push my hair back. I look like a bald eagle.

On my return from Portugal 18 months ago, the British border has those computerised passport recognition thingies. You scan your passport and stand on a spot. The camera takes a photo and compares it with your passport photo. Because I was wearing my glasses it took about four goes before I cottoned on, that it wasn't working because my hair was different and I was wearing glasses.

Friday had her 2yos photo rejected because her eyes were too close together.
She asked if they were requiring plastic surgery before she could have one. They hummed a bit, then accepted the photo.

you used to be able to smile on them i found an old passport of my mums it must be 20 odd years old and shes grinning inanely on it my dad always looks like an a 70,s photofit of an IRA bomber on his passport photos not helped by his irish accent either.

I suppose they are more specific as they are using the computerised scanners now. When I went through one I had to take glasses off (which meant I couldn't read the instructions). I'm not sureif you could be asked to flatten your hair for this so it is the same as the photo.

Mine was rejected twice because the crosshairs on the bit to check the photo didn't match the middle of my nose. After taking three lots, I realised that my nose is off centre in my face

Headband?

My mum insisted on getting new passport photos done because with white hair and a white top it looked like a disembodied head!

DS's DF died suddenly a couple of years ago. I went to confirm his identity. He looked beautiful and so peaceful. Once his identity confirmed he was to be prepared for visits from family and friends. The undertaker asked me what he looked like when he was alive, how should he do his hair etc. I said he looked perfect as he was (I took DS to see him before anything was changed). Anyway, the work was done, and I returned to say one last good bye. Boy was I glad DS wasn't with me that time; the untertaker had ignored my reply and had based his work on his passport photo. OMFG.

at all these "modified" photos... surely the whole point of a passport photo is that it looks exactly like you??

I'm quite short and on a recent trip abroad with DP who is 6'4" he was very amused that the recognition camera thing couldn't find me as it didn't go low enough! It kept going up and down but I was out of its reach so had to go through a separate area for families/children

I had this photo rejected for not looking straight on at the camera

I've never ever seen a perfect passport photo which is a true likeness of the person and also which is acceptable to the passport office. It either looks like you and doesn't meet their weird criteria, or looks like you on drugs and they love it.

you used to be able to smile on them

I'm smiling in one of my current passports

Not the British one

Obviously

I'm lucky that there is a photo printing shop in our village that will do passport photos and the bloke knows exactly what to do to make them acceptable (to the passport office, which is not the same as aesthetically acceptable)
He asked he to side sweep my "cheaper than botox" fringe off my eyebrows and finally managed to get it to stay still long enough for the photo.
I said I guessed women of my age are the worst for not wanting their fringes messed with.
He said the worst customers are 12 year old boys who have clearly spent an hour doing the Justin Bieber side swept fringe then scream "Don't touch my hair!! " when their mum tries to get it off their eyebrows

I remember the time they rejected DP's passport photo because he was so pale he was blending into the background

Took hours of phone calls saying "No, he really is that white" for them to agree to let him keep it.

Last year we just went to a proper photographer who was able to make DP look vaguely human on it!