Passport photos - anyone else admitting to extreme measures?

[queenbrunhilda]

Very stupidly have managed to align passport renewal date with the run-up to a major birthday. Was feeling OK about the birthday until I breezed into a Photo Me booth at the weekend. It spat out a set of images that made me look like Madge Allsop, Dame Edna's former bridesmaid.

Bit of a shocker and not really something to put anyone in a holiday mood. So today, in search of better set, I have visited a high street photographers twice, they were closed both times, and three supermarkets, one with an out of order booth, and one with a booth which I thought had produced a marginally better result until I got home and noticed hair in my eyes. In a final bid for a more flattering result I returned to the original supermarket with a cardboard box covered in tin foil which I held under my face. It works! The results are much improved (but wish I hadn't done this where we do the weekly shop as the security and welcome desk staff clearly think I'm nuts).

Hoping it's not just me...?

'Or a goggle eyed serial killer.'

Say what you like about Ted Bundy but he took a lovely photo.

Thanks so much for the Paspic tip! I need it right now for DD2.

When I lived in Brazil, passport pics were routinely photoshopped. By law you had to have the date on the pic and that was the first thing that people edited. But you could whiten your teeth and remove eye bags too

I timed my passport photo with getting new tinted moisturiser. Got laura mercier to do my make up stating it was for the passport photo ( they do make up for £25 which is redeemable) They did use different products from my normal ones - oil free etc.

Passport photo does now look passable.

I stopped using photo booths years ago, when I found out how cheap snappy snaps did them for "proper ones" and you can select from a view shots.

You need your ears showing?!!

How odd.

I look so terrible in the photo I had done, I'm putting off getting a passport. Grey fat face, dark lines under my eyes, hair scrapped back.

I really couldn't recognise myself.

I love the idea of photoshopping passport photos. I'd probably take it way too far though!

In the past I may have photoshopped out a fresh red scar from a head injury on DS2's passport aged 5 and the spots on DS1's nose aged 15...

Making changes to mine is way beyond my skills though :o

oh i am irrationally thrilled to have been smeyesing without even knowing! :o

none actually looks at your passport, ever

apart from customs officer when you travel, who looks at it with only one brain cell switched on..."next!"

So no, don't share this worry but love your inventiveness OP!

I think you need your ears showing......maybe you don't

You don't need ears showing. mine don't show in my photo due to my hairstyle

www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports - says nothing about ears

All sounds like a hell of a lot of effort... just get it taken, so what if you look like death warmed up, nobody you know will look or care!

I'd care if I had to look at a crappy passport photo for 10 years.

Mine looks like Jabba the Hutt.

here & here both say about ears

I like your guidance form here I come

I've put DD's passport photos on my profile - do you think I'll get away with it?

I don't think so as she isn't looking straight at the camera. No idea about ears though! I wonder if it is acceptable not to have all her hair in too - although with all that hair you'd end up with a tiny face in the middle of the photo! :o

Maybe I should shave her for the photo!

Or just photo shop it!

.......... and if all that fails, remember, if you look like your passport photo then you're too ill to travel. My granddad.

what a great tip. i look like a crack addict in mine.

Katymac is her body/head slightly turned as she doesnt look as if she is looking straight at the camera? I don't think they would be accepted

this is dd's passport photo (she is squinting slightly as she normally wear glasses) - there are no ears on show.

The link I gave to the .gov site gives the official guidelines and they do not mention ears at all

Quite honestly my passport photo is so awful I am considering claiming I lost it just so I can get a new photo.

To make matters worse I have the same photo on my driving licence.

My last passport actually had a lovely photo and I look hideous in my current one

Joan - I used an empty box a lap top came in wrestling it from the junk modelling pile much to the annoyance of a small child. Just wound cheap wrapping foil all around it. Tricky bit was to wedge it between booth and body so as not to block out any light from the panel directly beneath the camera. You just need to experiment a bit with angles to maximise the light being reflected upwards.