You now have plenty of freedom when it comes to taking passport photos. With it being easier and more convenient to take the picture either at home, at work or wherever you can find a suitable spot, the only thing you really need to focus on is making sure that it meets the guidelines. There is, however, another question that might arise: can you use the flash on your camera? Let’s look at what you need to know as you prepare to take your passport photo.
Can you use the flash?
Yes. The passport guidelines don’t forbid people from using the flash as long as the final outcome represents a true likeness of their appearance. This can be achieved with or without a flash, so you’re fine to have yours on when you pose for your passport photo.
What difference will it make?
The flash is predominantly used to provide additional lighting in places that are dark or lacking in light. It can, therefore, make you more visible and produce a better picture – but there are some downsides to consider.
What are the downsides?
The flash can easily cause your passport photo not to meet the strict criteria required. This can happen in numerous ways, including that it can give you ‘red eye’ and produce shadows both on your face and in the background. If either of these two things occur, you’ll have to take another picture or risk the image being rejected.
What are your options?
It might be more worthwhile to turn the flash off. This would mean that you’d have to find a place with a suitable amount of light where you could take the photo, perhaps by a window or in an area where there is an abundance of lamps.
One final thing…
Once you’ve decided whether to keep the flash on and have taken a passport picture that you’re happy with, you should make sure that you send the image over to the team at Paspic. We’ll assess it to guarantee that it meets all the guidelines and you can submit your passport application without fear that the photo could be rejected.
