This post is inspired by PB’s post, Passport-Photobia.
So last Saturday I went to get my passport photo taken for getting my Indian passport renewed. My first stop was Walgreens who refused to take the photo as they supposedly can’t change the dimension of photo in their system (in California they did!) but they pointed me to a place where they do. You know, the place by the cemetery. I kid you not, the gates of cemetery and this “place” are almost adjacent. The reason I use the term place instead of studio is because it is a house (quite creepy, if I might add) and not a studio. You actually need to ring a bell and wait for someone to open the door.
Anyway, so finally it was time for me to get my picture taken. And here is the verbatim instructions from the photographer:
“Don’t smile but think about something nice.”
“Sit up straight and think about something nice.”
“Look at the camera while thinking about something nice.”
At this point I wanted to tell him that if he introduce me to Mr. Something Nice, it will be easier for me to think about him. As soon as this thought popped up in my head I almost smiled. However, unfortunately, I had a pretty bad mouth ulcer that day so the moment I started smiling, I winced and precisely at that moment the camera clicked. He took one look at the shot and went again:
“Think about something nice again. We will take 3 photos and then choose one. So look at the camera while thinking about something nice.”
Which resulted in some more wincing on my part. It took 10 minutes and I think about 15 shots before we could get a decent shot. With the amount of pain I endured in the process I am sure I have become passport-photobic. At least, I have been scarred for a long long time.
Just a quick tip. Don't go around wasting money on passport photos, take a nice picture at home, go to epassportphoto.com and upload that and select what dimensions u want, the site gives u pics according to your requirement, then go and print at a kinkos for 40 cents :D
ReplyDeleteOuch...painful experience! Getting passport photos is bad enough...but with a mouth ulcer added to it makes it ten times worse! :S
ReplyDelete@ Shilpa: Hmm..thats a good idea, although it would need flash as well as white background for the correct photo. I know about people whose visa/passport applications were rejected due to the photos. So I don't want to to risk it. A new application means paying them again as well as it goes to the record (whether your visa/passport application was rejected). Again don't want to do that..
ReplyDelete@ PB: I know..it was pretty bad day for me in all but its over now. Hopefully they won't create problems with the passport. Keeping my fingers crossed..
I always make passport photo online with http://idphoto4you.com website. This site detect face on the photo and align a crop frame to the face. The crop frame is adjustable after face detection. It knows many standards.
ReplyDeleteDon't need to registration it is royalty free.
Just a quick tip. Don't go around wasting money on passport photos, take a nice picture at home, go to epassportphoto.com and upload that and select what dimensions u want, the site gives u pics according to your requirement, then go and print at a kinkos for 40 cents :D
ReplyDelete