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Original poster

baby passports - any tips for getting photos?

23 replies

lucylala · 03/07/2007 20:29

Am thinking of going abroad later in the year and so am now thinking i need to get baby (aged 5mths) a passport - any top tips for taking his photo?

He can't sit up yet but has quite a sturdy neck and head - if you know what i mean - lol!

Thanks

OP posts:

moondog · 03/07/2007 20:30

Mine had his passport photo done at 8 days.
Eyes open and dad on floor propping up kid like a glove puppet works best.

donnie · 03/07/2007 20:31

aren't they quite pointlessly fussy about baby photos in passports?

moondog · 03/07/2007 20:32

Yes-very fussy.

tassis · 03/07/2007 20:32

dd was about 6 weeks, I was not easy to get her to look straight on

we took her to a click photo place and they did it for me (for about £3). bargain!

they did it with her lying on the floor, so you could try lying him on a white sheet if you want to try yourself.

tassis · 03/07/2007 20:33

why they are fussy I have no idea as dd already looks nothing like the wee newborn in her passport, and when we checked in she was asleep in her sling and wasn't even glanced at!

WendyWeber · 03/07/2007 20:33

We had to get one for DD1 aged about 6 weeks (we were living in NY and she got a US passport so had to have her own) - she was held up by me like a ventriloquist's dummy, one hand behind head and one under bum - worked fine (apparently )

I think the photographer will tell you how to hold him and get zoomed in enough - I wouldn't try to do it in a booth in Woolies though

Kathyis6incheshigh · 03/07/2007 20:34

Ours was younger so we had her lying on the ground on a sheet and took it with a digital camera and resized it and rotated it etc to make it fit the rules.
In fact I think I had my hand under the sheet holding her head in place.

SoupDragon · 03/07/2007 20:34

Do it yourself with a digital camera and print it at www.passpix.com/

Lie him on a white blanket and shoot away (with a cemar, not a gun!).

Babies under 6 months do not need to have their eyes open - check the "relaxed rules for children" here

SoupDragon · 03/07/2007 20:35

"with a cemar" = camera, obviously.

WendyWeber · 03/07/2007 20:36

I did wonder, soupy - you are such a technostar I thought it was something I hadn't heard of yet

MoeTheBarKeeper · 03/07/2007 20:36

We took a pic of DS on his changing mat at 4 weeks old - eyes open and face on.
Print size has to be 45mmx35mm. Face size 25mm
It is a mare to try and get right.

funnypeculiar · 03/07/2007 20:36

Defn worth going somewhere where they take photos rather than booth business - we had dd done when she was about 6 weeks, and the photographer took about 20 shots
Apparently they aren't so fussy about eyes being open, but shot needs to be fairly head on (ie not turning). Defn worth having a white blanket or similar, as there can't be anything showing in the background (eg they can't see you holding him etc)

WendyWeber · 03/07/2007 20:38

You could see my arm in DD1's pic - I was surprised, with the US being so hot on Immigration and whatnot. (It was 25 years ago though)

theMARGEposter · 03/07/2007 20:38

dd got hers done when she was about 5 months old - went to one chemisty type passport place and it was a nightmare. Took about 12 shots and NONE were ok.

Then went to another photo-shop place and they had a large white flat-ish cushion on the floor, and we simply placed her on the pillow, they took the photo and voila - done!

SUCH a difference

(btw had another one done today - for her NZ passport- at the same place, and once again it was a breeze (although sans cushion this time!))

SoupDragon · 03/07/2007 20:39

Take it yourself, really. It's not difficult.

MorocconOil · 03/07/2007 20:44

The photo place I went to had a white sheet. We put it over the car seat, then put the baby back in and took the photo.

mm22bys · 03/07/2007 21:17

I had a nightmare getting DS2's photo taken, it took 4 attempts.

First time, he was wearing a white sleepsuit. I was advised by the photographer that as he would be laid on a white cushion that it would bleach him out.

So I changed him and went to another photographer that I knew took acceptable photos, and the next two times he just balled his eyes out.

So, by the fourth attempt I was an expert.

Don't dress him in white.

Make sure he is not hungry

Do best to get above / behind the camera to make sure that the baby is looking vaguely at the camera.

Some countries are "stricter" than others - compared to Australia the UK is pretty easy-going with their photos - hence why I went to the photography for his Aussie photo.

(DS1 was an angel in comparison - his two photos are great and they were done first time!)

All the best,

mm22bys · 03/07/2007 21:17

I had a nightmare getting DS2's photo taken, it took 4 attempts.

First time, he was wearing a white sleepsuit. I was advised by the photographer that as he would be laid on a white cushion that it would bleach him out.

So I changed him and went to another photographer that I knew took acceptable photos, and the next two times he just balled his eyes out.

So, by the fourth attempt I was an expert.

Don't dress him in white.

Make sure he is not hungry

Do best to get above / behind the camera to make sure that the baby is looking vaguely at the camera.

Some countries are "stricter" than others - compared to Australia the UK is pretty easy-going with their photos - hence why I went to the photography for his Aussie photo.

(DS1 was an angel in comparison - his two photos are great and they were done first time!)

All the best,

skirmish · 03/07/2007 21:19

took ds (3mths or so) to snappy snaps -took one attempt using the hand up the back puppet approach - they were very helpful there though

TheArmadillo · 03/07/2007 21:20

It cost me about £5 at a local photographers.

They promised to redo photos if rejected (which was what sold them to me).

They were perfect.

Photographer was obviously practiced at doing them. Was quite quick but did them well using digital camera. Checked them against requirements on pc and printed off.

So much easier than doing it myself.

maisym · 03/07/2007 21:21

in a car seat covered with a white towel for the background.

Or at a photographers - one photo and then fine.

Check on printing as face as to be 80% (I think) of the photo for the biometric aspect

LilRedWG · 03/07/2007 21:23

I lay DD (she was three months at the time) on a white sheet on the sofa and took digital photographs. I uploaded them to ePassportPhoto and had them printed from there - didn't cost a lot.

fifisworld · 04/07/2007 10:03

I took ds to klick when he was 4 month and they lay him on a white cushion and got really good pictures, i think they were only about £4

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