It’s probably no surprise that getting a good picture of an infant to use for a passport can be a challenging endeavor. Since babies can’t sit still at will or control their movements, and are prone to crying at any moment, it can end up taking quite a bit of time to get the perfect shot that will be acceptable to the U.S. Department of State. Most of the requirements that apply to adults also apply to children and infants when it comes to passport photos, but there are a couple of exceptions. If you decide to take your baby’s passport photo yourself, rather than spend the money to pay a professional, here are a few tips to make the task a bit easier:
Use your baby’s car seat
Since the baby should optimally be sitting up straight, you can avoid trying to find ways to prop your infant up by simply using your baby’s car seat. Simply drape a white cloth over the seat and then strap your baby in. Make sure to dress the baby in a contrasting color, so that they clearly stand out from the white background.
Best time of day to take a baby passport photo
You probably have some idea of your baby’s sleep patterns to some extent. Wait to take the passport photo at a time when he/she is most alert, such as when they are waking up from a nap or after they have eaten. Doing the photo shoot at these times will also make it more likely that the baby won’t be unpredictably fussy.
Don’t worry about trying to make your baby open their eyes
According to the official website for U.S. Passports and International Travel, babies don’t need to have their eyes fully open. So you can make an attempt to get the baby to open his/her eyes but don’t fret if he/she won’t open them or only partially opens them.
Remember that you don’t need perfection
Try not to expect the photos to be perfectly proportioned or posed. It’s okay if the baby is slouching a bit. As long as the photo clearly shows the baby’s face and there are no distortions or extraneous items in the picture, you should be fine.
