Passport /driving licence photos

lostinrates

I need new photos for my driving licence and passport.

Now, i love, love, love the passport photo i am replacing, and was one of the few people never embarrassed to show it off. I took it, obviously, ten years ago, and had bags of confidence in my looks, and i waltzed in, got a snap, had it validated and sent it off.

Now, rules are stricter (e.g. Will have to wear my hair differently from normal as its not allowed to flop on the face, which mine does, not a fringe, it just sweeps over one side of forehead and face a little, and i have less confidence in los. (weight gain, ill health makes skin problems and just feel and look a bit rough!)

Dh has suggested that i have my make up done professionally, something i would never normally do, and a profesional snap taken, so it is going to be better, and will definitely not need to be redone.

The professional snap sounds great, but the professional make up? I am not sure. i wondered if any one has any really good make up for photos tips?

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice

Why not get a free make-over at a department store make-up counter?

lostinrates

Mortgage_Reduction_Novice wrote: »

Why not get a free make-over at a department store make-up counter?

These are a bit hit and miss though aren't they?

Also, what looks good in real life might look awful in photos, e.g. In ohotos i ahve had taken before (ion a orevious life) i have had thick make up applied, no sheen at all, yet looked 'normal' in the shot.

1940sGal

lostinrates wrote: »

I need new photos for my driving licence and passport.

Now, i love, love, love the passport photo i am replacing, and was one of the few people never embarrassed to show it off. I took it, obviously, ten years ago, and had bags of confidence in my looks, and i waltzed in, got a snap, had it validated and sent it off.

Now, rules are stricter (e.g. Will have to wear my hair differently from normal as its not allowed to flop on the face, which mine does, not a fringe, it just sweeps over one side of forehead and face a little, and i have less confidence in los. (weight gain, ill health makes skin problems and just feel and look a bit rough!)

Dh has suggested that i have my make up done professionally, something i would never normally do, and a profesional snap taken, so it is going to be better, and will definitely not need to be redone.

The professional snap sounds great, but the professional make up? I am not sure. i wondered if any one has any really good make up for photos tips?

Personally I have little to no self confidence but I would never dream of going to all this fuss just for a passport photo. At the end of the day no one really cares what you look like on one and people see it for a couple of seconds.

Professionally taken photos could cost a good deal of money. All for a little pic in your passport?

lostinrates

1940sGal wrote: »

Personally I have little to no self confidence but I would never dream of going to all this fuss just for a passport photo. At the end of the day no one really cares what you look like on one and people see it for a couple of seconds.

Professionally taken photos could cost a good deal of money. All for a little pic in your passport?

I would not have thought of it previously either.

But, my passport is seen my a number of other people, including people my husband works with, and the same phto is usually sent ahead of us on certain work occasions. :eek:

For the last few years i have meticulously avoided a camera, and it is now unavoidable, so i am gratefully accepting my husband's suggestions to make it as least stressful as possble! More importantly, i use photo id very regularly and so i see it, and want to feel as positive as possible about it!

1940sGal

lostinrates wrote: »

I would not have thought of it previously either.

But, my passport is seen my a number of other people, including people my husband works with, and the same phto is usually sent ahead of us on certain work occasions. :eek:

For the last few years i have meticulously avoided a camera, and it is now unavoidable, so i am gratefully accepting my husband's suggestions to make it as least stressful as possble! More importantly, i use photo id very regularly and so i see it, and want to feel as positive as possible about it!

Fair do's

The free makeover at Boots or wherever is a good idea. I had one done once and loved it, it really boosted my confidence. Just say to them you're after some tips for a natural look that isn't too heavy.

I still wouldn't pay for pro photos though, but i'm a tighta**e

Practice looks in the mirror and find one you're happy with.

Skyllo

I used to take passport photos where I worked and can confirm that most people look pretty terrible! It's the neutral expression you have to adopt, you look cross.

You don't have to take them professionally, you could get someone to take them with a digital camera against a white wall so you can have as many retakes as you want!

For makeup, passport photos tend to wash you out so I'd lightly define your eyes and wear a "my lips but better" lipstick - one that's in the same tone but a bit darker/brighter so they stand out a bit. A bit of blush helps too.

I spent ages doing my makeup nicely for my passport photo recently but it's still terrible. It's an Irish passport so the photos are black and white and your head is a bit bigger - at least with colour photos you won't look quite so bad!

lostinrates

Skyllo wrote: »

I used to take passport photos where I worked and can confirm that most people look pretty terrible! It's the neutral expression you have to adopt, you look cross.

You don't have to take them professionally, you could get someone to take them with a digital camera against a white wall so you can have as many retakes as you want!

For makeup, passport photos tend to wash you out so I'd lightly define your eyes and wear a "my lips but better" lipstick - one that's in the same tone but a bit darker/brighter so they stand out a bit. A bit of blush helps too.

I spent ages doing my makeup nicely for my passport photo recently but it's still terrible. It's an Irish passport so the photos are black and white and your head is a bit bigger - at least with colour photos you won't look quite so bad!

Oooh, i did not know they could be taken on a digital camera at home. Presumably you then get them printed off somewhere so that the quality is really excellent?


I have images of me serting up every lamp in the house against our what wall now for optimal lighting!:rotfl:

Skyllo

lostinrates wrote: »

Oooh, i did not know they could be taken on a digital camera at home. Presumably you then get them printed off somewhere so that the quality is really excellent?


I have images of me serting up every lamp in the house against our what wall now for optimal lighting!:rotfl:

I thought you could but I've just checked the website and it says "Be printed in a booth or studio - photographs printed at home are unlikely to be of sufficient quality."

I don't know if they mean using a normal home printer and if ones you get printed in shops are ok? I know Kodak booths in shops are high quality.

heartbreak_star

There are booths now where you can take the picture until you're happy with it too.

HBS x

Nicki

paspic.com. You take your own photo against a white background and email it to them, and they then resize it so it complies with the Passport Office guidelines which are technically quite strict, print it off for you and send you the photos. Only takes a few days and is cheap as chips. You can combine that with a free make over at the make up counter of your preference and maybe do it the day you have had your hair cut too for maximum glam factor.

OP if you think you have it bad, my DD is profoundly autistic and the chances of getting her to stand still for a professional photo, looking straight at the camera without smiling and hair out of her face had us more than daunted. We got a friend with a decent SLR camera to take 100 shots of her at high speed standing against a white background and chose the one which most closely matched the rules, sent it to Passpic, then off to the Passport Office and all was good.

https://www.paspic.com/