Author: Paspic

Travelling abroad with a wheelchair can be challenging. If you or a family member uses a chair either all or most of the time, travel planning can be a complex and time-consuming thing. It doesn’t just start when you are thinking about where to go: passport photo booths are not designed with wheelchair users in mind.

Some photographic shops and retailers do offer in-house passport photography, but if the wheelchair user has complex disabilities, it can be difficult to find an outlet where staff have been trained in how to communicate or interact appropriately.

Passport forms do have space to provide details of disabilities which can affect photo standards, but taking a photo in the home environment that is familiar and comfortable can get the best results.

Wheelchairs with headrests do present an issue, particularly if they protrude past a person’s head. Most headrests are black in colour and this does not sit well with passport photo requirements.

We had a great tip from the parent of a disabled child who already had two sets of photos rejected because of her child’s headrest. Her solution was that in order to reduce background colour, whilst still enabling her child to maintain a good head position, she made sure her child was sat close to a plain coloured wall and affixed a white tablecloth to the wall with tape. She then tucked the edge of it down behind her child’s head, covering the headrest, and consequently snapped the passport photo she needed. As the best passport photos are taken when the camera is 1.5m away from the subject, this meant that the edges of the tablecloth and the wonky tape across the wall didn’t show and the photo was accepted.

The other factors which produce the best passport photos still applied and were easier to achieve. These are:

• The light should be placed directly in front of the person to avoid shadows across the face
• Neutral facial expression and head turned towards the camera
• It’s best to avoid garish clothing – try going for plain colours
• Don’t let being in a wheelchair be a barrier to getting your passport. With a passport picture taken in your own home, you can begin your journey in the best way.

We all hope our passport photo will turn out well, and by using a service such as Paspic, we give ourselves the best chance. But if there was one person you hoped you didn’t bear a resemblance to when your photo was ready, who would it be? A popular answer to that question would surely be the former German dictator, Adolf Hitler, responsible for some of the most heinous crimes ever committed.

But that was the misfortune that befell Manchester man Stuart Boyd, who was left “distraught” when he received his passport photo, which somehow had made him a dead ringer for the hated warmonger.

As is often the case in the modern age, the photo spread like wildfire across social media after Mr Boyd posted it on his Facebook, perhaps hoping for some sympathy from his friends.

He told the media: “I wasn’t really sure of the process of how to change it so I posted a picture of it on Facebook. I was really angry when I saw it. I was distraught, really. I just thought, ‘Oh, for God’s sake, I have to have this for ten years and they can’t even get it right.'”

His Facebook friends were the first to start poking fun at poor Mr Boyd, who had renewed his passport in preparation for a trip to the Greek island of Rhodes with friends and family.

Among the wittiest comments on display were: “What’s the problem? It looks al-Reich to me” and “That is Heil-arious!”

The Passport Office took partial responsibility for the calamity, and has promised to send Mr Boyd a new passport if he sends the travel document back to them.

A spokesperson for the Passport Office commented: “All UK passports are carefully created and checked to exacting standards before they are issued. We will be contacting him to investigate this case further.”

Customers anxious to receive the perfect passport photo can rely on Paspic’s online service to provide products of outstanding quality, with 99.5% of all our passport photos being approved on their first submission.

If you live anywhere in East Asia, the chances are you have heard of Song Joong Ki, who has turned himself into a megastar thanks to his performances in the hit TV show, The Running Man, as well as the recent drama Descendants of the Sun.

The Korean, a part time model in addition to his acting duties, caused mass hysteria with his recent tour of China, and not only for his renowned charm and good looks.

To complicate matters on his trip, Song Joong Ki had his identity compromised when a photo of his passport was taken and circulated on the internet. It remains a mystery how when passing through customs, an unknown individual managed to get the snap of the travel document, but many are speculating that a customs officer took the picture of his passport in secret. All the details such as his name, passport photo and passport number were visible in the photo that was originally posted online.

It is not the kind of problem you need when you are as big a celebrity as Song Joong Ki, especially with all the other media-led frenzies revolving around him on an almost daily basis.

An obsessed fan uploaded an illegal marriage certificate that appeared to claim she had got hitched to Song Joong Ki, who is used to fending off the attentions of ladies, but surely not to this degree!

Another potential embarrassment came when Song Joong Ki was asked about whether he would be happy if his best friend, Lee Kwang-soo, dated his younger sister. Song Joong Ki shot down the suggestion, explaining that Lee Kwang-soo is too tall, and too old, to be a suitable match for his sibling.

Song Joong Ki’s fan tour of China took him through Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu and Taipei. He is known as an endorser of many brands in the region, including Domino’s Pizza, Top Ten, Baskin-Robbins and Jeju Air. Song Joong Ki gained notoriety through his bicycle tour of Sydney, Australia, which was covered on the offshoot website of the famous fashion magazine Elle.

The world of passport photos often feeds us with stories from across the globe, some more strange than others.

What we saw reported on the Australian news and features website, Gizmodo, certainly raised a few eyebrows this month. They had been all the way to Cuba to interview Lian Marrero, who appears to be doubling up on his job as passport photographer.

Rather than moonlighting in a different profession once his customers have gone home, Mr Marrero has added a niche to the service he provides, which might well save his happy clients a lot of money in new suits!

This is how it works; customers arrive at Mr Marrero’s studio wearing nothing more than casual clothes – jeans and a T-shirt will do. Mr Marrero then takes their photo as normal, but when they leave the magic occurs. Mr Marrero happens to be a whizkid on Photoshop, and is able to super impose a suit onto the passport photos so well it appears that the subject is dressed in full formal wear. This came after Mr Marrero encountered problems with customers dressing too casually for their appointment, meaning Mr Marrero had to lend them a suit to wear. He very soon cottoned onto the fact the process would be made a whole lot easier with the Photoshop technique.

Apparently in Cuba it is highly desirable to look smart in passport photos, and for this reason Mr Marrero has developed very good custom across the country. Customers are even able to choose the kind of suit they want, from three piece to a cool jacket and cardigan look.

Mr Marrero has his competitors, and there are other photographers that now offer the same service. But the good news is that they all work as a group; they’re happy to swap photographs of the latest suits that customers might want to pick from.

So if you work in any kind of capacity that requires you to view passports from around the world, maybe you will no longer be surprised that Cuban men all appear to be smart professionals!

No-one likes having their picture taken. For most of us, having a passport photo done is an unpleasant ordeal with an inevitably disappointing ending that we will have to carry around with us in our pockets for years. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are five essential tips to achieve passport photo contentment.

1. Hairy, not scary

You may be proud of that bushy beard, but will you still have it in 10 years’ time? Too much unruly face fuzz can leave you looking like someone who spent the night sleeping in a hedge. Trim and tidy is the way to go, and getting a haircut isn’t a bad idea either, although don’t get your photo done straight away. Give your new haircut a few days to bed in, or your photo will just look like you were trying too hard.

2. Cool threads

Remember that your passport photo will follow you around for several years, so don’t wear anything too trendy or outlandish. Stick to classic looks that won’t go out of date in six months, and avoid bright or garish colors that could bring out imperfections in your complexion. What should men wear for passport pictures?

3. Get some sleep

It’s a good idea to get your photo done when you’re at your brightest, which for many people will be in the morning, rather than after a full day’s work. So make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before, or you’ll end up with a photo that makes you look like a fugitive on the run.

4. Practice

Smiling on demand is not natural, nor is sitting upright and staring into a lens. But, as with everything else in life, practice makes perfect. You won’t need to develop Hollywood celebrity levels of camera-technique, but it won’t do any harm to practice your neutral smile and relaxed demeanor in front of a mirror.

5. Get help

If you want something done properly, turn to a professional. Nearly 100% of Paspic passport photos are approved on the first submission, so get in touch and let Paspic provide you with a high-quality Digital passport photo you won’t be ashamed of!

Most of us have had experience with getting a set of passport photos which have turned out rather badly. Either we look nothing like the person we recognise from the mirror, or there are errors that won’t pass Her Majesty’s Passport Office. 100 years ago, when passports first required photographic content, the rules were more relaxed.

When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, applied for his passport in 1915, he posed with his wife and children, as if for a family portrait. The two boys were sat in a little toy cart. There were no photo booths of course, so the would-be travellers would probably have to go to a studio. For those with access to a camera, this was not even necessary. A French mother and child were pictured on a beach. In those days, there were no strict criteria.

In order to visit the troops on the Western Front, the Archbishop of Canterbury appeared in his full regalia and robes for his passport photo, he was even bearing his elaborate crozier.

A passport was just a sheet of paper, folded over. When Lord Palmerston was asked by Belgian authorities in 1835 to state his height and eye colour on his, he declared such a suggestion was both “degrading” and “offensive.” Personal descriptions and photographs became required with the onset of World War I to offset fears of spies. This was still not without problems. Explorer Bassett Digby was not impressed when his own definition of his face as “intelligent” was changed by the Passport Office to “oval”. It was not until 1932 that British passports were encased in blue cardboard and turned into a booklet, a version which survived until 2003. The rule about not wearing hats in passport photos came in in 1926. Smiling was banned in 2004.

The burgundy covered British passport we now carry comes with a long list of over 20 rules for photos. These are mostly due to biometrics which measure the distance between facial features. You can be sure of getting perfect passport photos every time if you use our services here at Paspic.

We all love a trip abroad. Whether for business or a family break, a romantic weekend away or that trip of a lifetime with friends, it’s always great to be sitting on that plane, drink in hand, thinking of your final destination.

You’ve spent weeks planning where you’ll go, what you’ll see and what you’ll wear. The cases have been checked repeatedly and your travel guide has been a constant companion during the hours before bedtime. However, imagine after all that you reach the airport to be told you can’t board your flight. If you’re thinking about a trip to the United States any time soon, it could happen to you.

As of last month, all UK visitors travelling to the country are required to possess a biometric passport. Those travellers wishing to apply for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) online, allowing stays of up to 90 days, must have one.

First introduced in 2006, biometric passports are now the most common type of passport in this country but estimates show that up to one million Brits may be using the old versions.

If you want to renew, a number of passport application forms can be picked up online and sent in. As has always been the case, ensuring your passport photo meets requirements is vital. You don’t want to spend all that time on an application only for your photo to be rejected.

The passport office includes a full list of guidelines on its website but we at PasPic are also on hand to help. If you have any concerns or questions relating to the perfect passport photo, simply get in touch today with a member of our dedicated team. 99.5% of all our photos are approved on their first submission so you can be sure you are in safe hands.

We offer a simple online passport photo service and if your picture isn’t approved first time, we offer a full money back service.

So if you want to know more about applying for a passport or renewing your passport to meet the new biometric standards, get in touch today.

Meeting all the requirements for a passport photo can be hard enough for adults: no hair is allowed to cover the face, no glasses, no headscarf, no smile… the list is endless! But to get a decent baby passport photo that meets all regulations can be even more difficult! Fear not, because we’re here to help.

Just make sure that you take a photo of your baby with his/her face in the center of the picture. Upload it to Paspic and we’ll do all the hard work! Here are our five top tips on getting the perfect baby passport photo:

1. Do it yourself

Lay your baby on an off-white sheet and take a picture from above with a digital camera. You can then upload the image to paspic.com, where our team will manually ensure that your photo meets all standards, before sending a hard copy out to you and email to you a compliant digital passport photo to upload to your online appication..

2. Do it outside

You should ensure that there is no glare from the flash or artificial lighting in the picture. We recommend going outside on a sunny day and using natural light instead of a flash. This eliminates most of the shadows and all of the glare.

3. Edit

Editing software like Photoshop can be very handy. Position your baby against a white background and kneel below, holding him or her up. Get your partner or a friend to take the picture, and upload it to your computer. Using Photoshop, edit out your hand before sending it to us for final approval.

4. Use a white sheet

Sit on a stool and cover yourself completely with a white sheet, then sit your baby on your lap. This way, neither you nor your hands will be seen in the photograph.

5. Use distractions

If you’re having trouble getting your baby to look at the camera, hang a multi-colored mobile or toy above the camera to focus their attention. This gives the illusion that the baby is looking at the camera. Remember, children under 12 months old do not need to be looking directly at the camera.

You can watch our video tutorials for further advice on getting the perfect picture: Passport photo of your baby

You might think that the only thing you will need passport photos for is your passport – nothing could be further from the truth. There are several other reasons that you should take your surplus passport photos with you on foreign journeys, and here we run through some of the most important.

1. Cards and passes

Depending on your country of destination, you could be asked for a passport photo when applying for a card or pass on your trip. This could be to one of the national parks in Africa, where many countries ask for passport photos in order to process a multi-day pass for your stay.

2. Phones and SIM cards

Planning to stay in touch with loved ones and friends back home while you are away? In that case, you should be aware that in some cases you might be asked for a passport photo in order to register for a native SIM card or phone package.

3. Visas

If you are traveling through a number of countries and haven’t arranged your visa prior to travel, or plan to extend it once you are in your destination country, in a lot of cases it can be a good idea to carry a passport photo in case you need to provide one.

4. Lost or stolen

Should the nightmare scenario occur, and you have either lost your passport while abroad or had it stolen, you will be glad of an extra passport photo if you need to arrange a new passport while you are away. This is relevant for those in need of a quick replacement to enable them to travel onwards.

5. Luggage identification

Have you ever thought about using your passport photo as a luggage identifier? This is really easy to do – just slip a passport photo alongside your address details in the plastic display provided on many pieces of luggage, and make it easier for your belongings to be identified should you ever be parted from them.

So there you have it, other uses for your passport photos that make them an important inclusion to pack for your trip – it is better to be safe than sorry!

With so much negative press, Photoshop is seen as a bit of a bad guy in the photographic world. The headlines talk about how magazine editors have used it to airbrush blemishes and take inches off their cover girl’s waist. Used correctly though, Photoshop and other photo editing software can take a barely acceptable passport photo to something the authorities will have no trouble accepting.

If you’re taking your passport photo at home, and then sending it on to Paspic, here are some things you can do to your photo to make it more acceptable.

1. Shadows

Beware of shadows that can obscure your face’s features. Shadows were used enthusiastically by passport fakers to disguise the fact that the passport was forged, which is why the authorities are so displeased by them. Aesthetically unflattering, a shadow is a sure-fire way to get your passport photo rejected. If you’re able to adjust the contrast and brightness of your image using your photo editing software, you may be able to make them disappear. Don’t go overboard though. It might be easier just to take your photo in a different location and try again.

2. Blur

Unlike our passport photo booths, digital cameras are designed to focus in all sorts of different places, and unless you’re very good at manipulating your camera’s autofocus, or are competent with manual focus photography, you may find that the camera has focused on something else, meaning that your face, or even part of it, has come out looking blurry. This is a quick fix with your photo editing software though, as long as you can find the Sharpen function. As before, don’t go over the top with it, as it can make your image quite grainy.

3. Overexposure

It sounds a bit controversial, but in fact, all it means is that there’s too much light in your photo. Back in the old days when cameras took rolls of film, too much light entering the lens could damage the film’s surface, ruining the photo. In the digital photography age, the cause is the same, but the result is a washed-out, bleached look to your photo. If it’s not too badly washed out in appearance, you may be able to fix it using the brightness and contrast settings, or you could re-take the photo in a location that is not in direct sunlight.

If you’re in any doubt whatsoever, leave it to the experts at PasPic.com. Our computer screens all incoming photos, and if necessary, refers them to a human being for a second manual check, so you’ll receive our expert verdict before submitting them on to the authorities with your application.