Tag: Child Passport Photo

Tips for taking a good baby passport photo

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

If you are planning to travel as a family, there are usually many arrangements to make. Ensuring that your passports are in order is a matter of priority. Taking passport photos for adults and the older children is easy. However, if you have a baby, you need to take extra care to ensure that you get the right picture. If it is your first time taking a baby passport photo, you need all the help you can get.

Tips for preparing and taking a good baby passport photo

Understand the requirements

Before taking a passport picture of your child, you need to know the legal provisions of such a picture. You can visit the State Department’s website for all the information you need.

Do it from home

Whether you are going to ask an expert to take the photo or you intend to do it yourself, it is best to do the session at home. If the baby is in familiar surroundings, they are likely to be more composed. Toddlers are sharp enough to notice a change of environment and it may affect their mood.

Feed the baby before the session

If you do not want to spend a lot of time taking the child passport photo, it is best to prepare the baby by making them as comfortable as possible. A parent should wash the baby and feed them just before the session.

Avoid holding the baby during the session

Many parents assume that they have to hold the head of the child when taking the photo. The best way of going about it is to lay out some towels or use an infant car seat to support the kid upright. One can then cover the support item with a white sheet to ensure that the background has a uniform color.

Avoid putting any toys next to the baby

You may be tempted to place some toys next to the baby to comfort them. Should the toys be in the shot, the picture will not meet the required conditions.

Once you have the child ready and looking at the camera, you can take the pictures. It is best to take many shots to allow you to select the best passport photo from the batch.

4 tips that will help you beat the passport rush

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

Did you know that 2016 is expected to be a landmark year for passport applications? It’s true, and it has to do with a ten year-old decision that requires Americans to have a passport for travel to Canada and Mexico. Back in 2006, passport applications hit the 17 million mark and now they’re expiring, numbers are expected to surge up to 20 million or more this year. So, whether you are looking to travel to one of our neighboring countries, or anywhere else in the world for that matter, one question rises to the surface: how can I beat the rush?

The good news is there are a few strategies you can use to make sure you get your travel documents in order in record time. Take a quick look and save yourself a mountain of hassle.

1. Apply by mail

One great way to cut down on time spent in line is to just avoid the lines all together and apply on the internet. It will take less time and you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Who could ask for more?

2. Try an expedited request

For an extra $60 you can put in an expedited request, which will automatically put your application at the top of the stack. The only downside is, you will need to visit the passport office in person. Is an hour spent queuing worth a few weeks saved on your application? You decide.

3. Make an appointment

If you do decide to head into the passport office for an expedited request, your best bet is to set an appointment, so you don’t find yourself waiting behind all of the other walk-ins. This way, you’ll be in and out in no time.

4. Get a professional passport photo taken

Believe it or not, passport photos can get rejected, which, needless to say, can put a major kink in your travel plans. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, get a professional photo taken. This can help ensure your application gets accepted first time round.

Photo: US Passport by Damian613 licensed under Creative commons 2

When should you change your passport photo?

Published on in photography, travel by Paspic

You may think that the only time you need to update your passport picture is when your passport has expired, but that’s not the case. Since the only thing that proves your passport belongs to you is your picture inside it, it’s important that this picture actually resembles you. It’s for this reason that the government requires you to update your passport photo when you’ve undergone significant changes to your appearance.

So what counts as a significant change in appearance?

1. You’ve undergone significant facial surgery or have experienced a serious trauma that has affected your face. This may include plastic surgery, or trauma caused by a fire or other type of accident.

2. You’ve added or removed significant facial tattoos or piercings that take up a large portion of your face. Something small like a single nose ring doesn’t count, but use your best judgment to determine if it’s something that is obscuring your facial features in any way.

3. You’ve gained or lost a significant amount of weight. Again, use your best judgment – this really only applies if the weight gain or loss has a significant impact on the appearance of your face as seen in the photo.

4. You’ve made a gender transition.

In case you’re still confused about what constitutes a significant change in appearance, here are a few examples of appearance changes that do not require you to update your passport photo:

1. Growing or shaving off facial hair like a beard or a mustache counts as a minor change, so you don’t need a new photo.

2. Coloring, cutting or in any way changing your hair style also doesn’t count, because it does not significantly affect your facial features.

3. The normal growth of a baby or young child happens very quickly in a short amount of time, so you are not required to apply for a new passport for that reason while your child is under the age of 16. Instead, you can continue to use the same baby passport photo or child passport photo throughout the duration of that time (barring any of the other significant appearance changes listed above).