Impossible newborn passport photo!

[bigblueboots]

I'm trying to take a passport photo for my 3 week old baby, and I have read that there is leniency on some requirements - they don't have to have eyes open or a neutral expression. But lying him down on a sheet to do it, it's so hard to get even lighting (so no shadows) and have him facing directly front on, and have a completely plain background (as he makes wrinkles in the sheet by wriggling).

Has anyone had experience of getting a newborn photo approved? Or have you have one rejected? How strict were you about all those kinds of regulations? I don't know if better to go for one with slightly shadowy parts or not quite face on, or his little fists up near his face...

Thanks for any experience!

I just got mine done by Timpsons, my eldest sons first passport was at 3 months and they just took it in his car seat and he looks like a little mushroom (he’s 24 now)
took my other kids there too, they guarantee it will be accepted too or they will redo free

For DC1 and DC2’s British passport applications, I took the photos at home on a bed (white sheet). They were a couple of months old. I was worried they would get rejected but they weren’t.

For their Australian passport applications I took them to Snappy Snapps because the requirements are stricter. I also thought they would get rejected but thankfully not.

I suspect there’s more leniency than they want you to be aware of, but if you’re at all worried I’d just go to a photo shop.

Watch out for photo shops. Got my DS’s photo done at a snappy snaps when he was 6 weeks and they edited it so much the passport website wouldn’t accept the code.

My own photo was accepted. Just pop baby on a white fitted sheet and take one while asleep. Mild sheet wrinkles don’t seem to matter, nor does light iPhone editing (i.e removing shadow).

I did this twice, once at a local photographer and once at snappy snaps. The photos were fine and it wasn't very hard expensive.

I took DD’s on our (white, obviously) dining table, standing on a chair above her. I was absolutely terrified that she was suddenly going to learn to roll and log roll herself 1m to the edge of the table and onto the floor in the 2 minutes I was taking photos, even though she was so tiny.

I’m taking the next one to a photo shop - can’t bear the stress again!

Lie him on a white sheet in his next2me, if he has one, on a sunny day with the curtains wide open. Either asleep or post feed, so he's drowsy and not too wriggly. You might need to move the cot a little to get a fairly shadow free angle

My son is on a wrinkly muslin, I think draped over a beanbag style pouffe and it was approved. It doesn't meet requirements for an adult photo so was rejected the passport website but approved no problem when submitted.

I had a baby passport photo approved. I laid my DS down on a white sheet and took a photo. I didn't try this - and don't know if it will be accepted - but you can try taking a video and using a screenshot from the video if it gets tricky.

The website tells you straight away if the photo is acceptable