So you are dressed and ready to take your passport photograph. You just need the right equipment to capture that picture. Now, in the day of cameras being built in nearly everything, you probably have a camera on hand. However, that doesn’t mean you should be using it. Here is a helpful guide as to what sort of camera you can and should be using.
Cell phone
Most people have cell phones and almost all of these phones have a camera. Should someone use it for their passport photograph though? It depends. If your smartphone is a recent model, from the last three or four years (such as a recent iPhone or Samsung Galaxy), it should be suitable, and you’ll get excellent quality photos. But the back facing camera should be used (never use the front camera) and the flash should be turned off. All effects on the phone should be turned off as well. If your phone is an older model, with a poor quality camera, you’d be best to ask to borrow a friend’s camera or smartphone to take your passport photos.
Tablets
A tablet can also be used for passport pictures. Again, you’ll want to use a relatively recent model, as the resolution and megapixels of older models are not of a high enough quality to produce the desirable result. For the best results, get someone to take the photo for you.
Digital point-and-shoot and DSLR
These are great cameras to use for your passport photos, as they make it easy to see what you are capturing and the quality is high. Generally speaking, you want to turn off the flash, especially if someone has glasses on. Instead, you want lighting fixtures to provide the light. A flash can overexpose the image, so try to avoid using it.
Film cameras
Film cameras are not generally a desirable choice, simply for the fact that it is not possible to know if the photograph is of a suitable quality until after it has been developed.
