In this blog, we’ll go over a few basic tips and tricks to get the best result for your passport/ID photo. We’ve gone over some of these tips in the past, but here’s a refresher, along with a few notes for specific country requirements.
Get What You Need
When you walk in, know what kind of photo you need. The Canadian passport is actually bigger than any other country’s requirements, so if you’re coming for an American, Indian, Chinese etc. passport photo be sure to specify. With Canadian documents, stamp requirements can be different, even though the size of the photo is the same. For instance, Permanent Resident photos only need information on the back of one image, whereas Citizenship photos want the information written on the back of both. Also, the Canadian Firearms License photo is totally different, so if that’s what you’re coming in for, please make sure to ask for the specific image you need.
2. Clothing
The vast majority of ID photos require a white background. With that in mind, I highly encourage you not to wear a pure white shirt; it tends to wash people out or make the photo look over exposed. A patterned shirt is fine and beyond that there’s not really a dress requirement for Canadian ID photos. But I advise you to keep the following bits of information in mind:
With Canadian ID photos, avoid big hoop earrings
Canadian photos also don’t want any miscellaneous hair accessories in the photos, such as berettes, hair bands or scrunchies
For Chinese passport and visa photos, no earrings are permitted at all.
Lipstick is fine for most, but try to avoid anything with a high gloss
3. UK Online Renewal
For people renewing their UK passports, there is an online system for that now. The application will require you to input a three part password, so make sure to ask your photographer if they offer this service.
If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment, please feel free to contact us.