It comes as a no surprise that many people aren’t satisfied with their passport photos. There is no reason to be upset about the way you look in your passport photo since you need to apply for a passport only a few times during your whole life. However, if you need to replace it, make sure to use these passport photo tips that will help you look great in official pictures.
When doing your hair, avoid high hairdos, backcombed hair, and long bangs. In most countries, official photos should meet specific requirements. There should be free space between your forehead and the top of the frame. Your hair shouldn’t cover your eyes and eyebrows.
When doing your makeup, try following the guidelines from Mai Quynh. She is a professional makeup artist who prefers natural makeup. Mai can give the skin of her model an immaculate look. In some cases, the skin might look lighter because of the camera flash, which is why it’s important to use makeup to emphasize your natural beauty.
When posing for passport photos, people often commit a common mistake. They want to stand straight but lift their chin too much and their nostrils become too noticeable. Such a pose always looks strained and unnatural in photos, besides, it makes your chin look massive and adds a few unwanted pounds. Instead, it’s better to keep your shoulders down without tilting your head back.
If you are wondering how to pose for passport photo, avoid tilting your head down or back too hard since you might get a double chin in your photos. To make the bottom part of your face look better, put your chin forward and slightly tilt your head down.
According to modern standards accepted in most countries, people shouldn’t smile widely when posing for passport photos since it might distort their facial features. However, a soft smile is acceptable, you just need to slightly lift the corners of your mouth.
While you might look unattractive without a smile, frowned eyebrows will definitely give you a weird look. To avoid this, try to lift them a bit as if you were pleasantly surprised by something. Thanks to it, your face will look more open. However, try not to overdo it, otherwise, you might get a shocked look.
While your outfit will be only partially visible in the frame, you may still select clothes that will make you look stylish and elegant. However, avoid wearing large jewelry or massive collars that might conceive a part of your neck. It’s better to opt for a dark top, blouse, or t-shirt.
If you want to look great in your passport photo, you need to select the most suitable model pose before going to the photography studio. You can also try taking pictures by yourself using a passport photo app. In your passport photo, you need to stand or sit straight looking forward, with a neutral expression on your face. Avoid looking overly serious. To feel more relaxed, roll your shoulders back. It will make your neck look longer.
Some people are afraid that they will have a double chin in photos. To avoid this, they want to know how to look good in passport photo. This issue is typical for situations when people tip their chins downwards. To avoid it, they lift their chin but instead just make another issue even more noticeable as their jaws start looking more prominent. This is why you need to slightly thrust your chin forward. While this pose might make you look like a turtle, your jawline will look much better in the frame.
Some people find it difficult to pose for photos or get to the photography studio because of their disabilities. However, many companies provide services to people with disabilities and have all the necessary equipment. For instance, a visually-impaired person may ask for Braille, audiotape, or large-format applications. If you don’t hear well, it’s better to go to the studio where the staff knows sign language.
In case there are any reasons that don’t allow you to meet the official passport requirements, you may submit an application with a letter from your doctor where he describes your condition and explains why it’s impossible for you to take a photo that meets all the requirements.
If you don’t have a lot of free time and need to print your passport photo quickly, it’s better to use the services provided by a photography studio. The specialists know all recent passport photo requirements and have the necessary photography equipment for taking such photos. Besides, they can cut your photo to the required size and provide printing services as well.
However, this option is hardly affordable, which is why many people are looking for an alternative. In some cases, you might be asked to pay $15 for a pair of photos, depending on the location of the studio.
To save money, you can use a photo booth. This option will be useful for those who are on a tight budget and don’t have enough money to hire a professional photographer. Besides, it allows you to get photos almost instantly. There is no need to look for printing services or use dedicated photo booth software. You just need to pay attention to your pose.
In many cities, there are plenty of photo booths at various public locations. Typically, you can find them at malls, train stations, airports, or gas stations. Usually, they work 24/7, which allows you to get your passport photos in the shortest time possible. Just use the tips for passport photo that we mentioned above to avoid common mistakes.
If you need to apply for a U.S. passport, you need to submit two copies of a passport photo. They should meet a set of requirements, otherwise, your application won’t be accepted. Here are the main passport photo requirements:
Make sure to pay attention to other requirements that you need to meet:
If you want to enhance your passport photo without giving your model an overly edited look, use these actions for improving the skin texture and removing imperfections. They will be useful for anyone who specializes in editing passport images. These effects were downloaded by 70,000 photographers. You can use them to speed up your workflow and give your images a professional look.
