Once upon a time, you would have had to queue up outside a photo booth to get hold of a passport photo. These days you can just snap the photo yourself – ultimately saving a lot of time, money and effort. The question is: how do you take your own passport photo?
It’s not, of course, as simple as just taking a selfie and hoping for the best. With this in mind, let’s look at the best plan of action for taking your own passport picture.
Read the rules
The guidelines are quite specific about what the picture should and shouldn’t show. In particular, you might want to pay special attention to the parts about facial expression. This is because you’ll need to sport a neutral expression even though you’re relaxed and taking it from the comfort of your own home. There are also guidelines about hair and accessories (such as glasses), which you’ll need to familiarise yourself with beforehand.
Choose your spot
While it’s true that you no longer have to leave your home to take your own passport photo, this doesn’t mean you can snap it in just about anywhere. Instead, you must ensure that you pose in front of a plain, light-coloured background with no other objects in the shot. You must also take steps to avoid there being any unnecessary shadows, so you’ll need to take lighting into account as well.
Have it checked
It can be risky to make your own judgement call on the photo, especially since it can delay your passport application if your picture doesn’t meet the guidelines. Due to this, you’ll be best served to use a service like Paspic. Through going down this route you’ll have confirmation that the image will be successfully approved. You can then complete the application by either submitting the hard copies or the digital versions.
Good luck!
It can be a little daunting taking your own passport photo, especially when you’ve become accustomed to the rigmarole of having it done in a photo booth. Thankfully you’ll soon learn that it’s both easier and more convenient to do yourself – and there’ll be no doubts that you’ve done it right thanks to the help you’ll get from Paspic.
