Many parents believe that they need the services of a professional photographer for passport photos since a professional keeps up-to-date with government requirements and owns high-quality equipment. Yet, professional passport photography can become an expensive and time-consuming process when the project involves a baby. Babies often scream, fidget and close their eyes. Modern passport requirements for children and adults aren’t so inflexible that only a career photographer can create and print the photos correctly at the lowest possible cost. Instead, parents can take the images at home and purchase prints online without the irritation and hassles that pop up during an appointment.
To get high-quality, quick passport photos for your baby that fulfill all official passport rules, follow these four simple steps:
Prepare the background
Since babies must usually be held when sitting up and hands aren’t permitted in the picture, cover a tabletop, couch cushion or car seat with a plain white or light pastel sheet or blanket. A light background that doesn’t feature any patterns or dark colors is ideal because it helps your baby show up in the picture better. When you’re finished, set up a light source nearby.
Position your baby
Dress your baby in a dark, solid-colored, pattern-less shirt or nightgown that has a low or open collar. Don’t add any accessories, such as jewelry, a hat or a scarf. These items can reflect flash or other light or hide your baby’s physical features. Place your baby on or in front of the background with their hands away from their face and their hair pushed back from their forehead. Re-position the light that you set up earlier to reduce shadows, as needed.
Take the shot
Stand approximately 5 feet (1.524 meters) away from your baby so that you can center the shot easier. Make certain that your hands and any objects aren’t in the shot, and then take several photographs. If your camera has a continuous shooting Burst Mode, turn it on before you begin so that you don’t have to worry about trying to maintain your position while also clicking the shutter-release button multiple times. If your child becomes cranky or keeps looking away, hold one of your baby’s toys above the center of the camera to draw their attention.
Send the image
Pick the best clear photo that features your baby relaxed and centered on the background with their eyes wide open and looking forward. Go to our home page at Paspic.com. Choose your country and required passport photo size from the drop-down menus, click the “Get My Passport Photo” button and then follow the on-screen instructions to upload and submit the photo. Our system reviews your photo for errors and offers advice to make corrections. Once the photo passes this initial inspection, purchase a set of three or four hard copies at an inexpensive price and wait approximately two business days for delivery.
At Paspic.com, we provide superior passport photo validation services and even offer free packaging and shipping to more than 65 countries. A detail-oriented inspector from our team always reviews a client’s photo before printing it. If we find an error during this secondary manual inspection, we contact you via email immediately with a request for a new image. With so many checks in place, you can be assured that you won’t deal with a rejection of your baby’s photo when applying for their passport.