Passport Photo's Airbrushed!

[Richb2004v2]

I had to get a dozen passport photographs for work today. I had them taken yesterday and my wife collected them today. As soon as I saw myself in them I could see something was not right. I look about ten years younger in them! My skin is perfect! When I asked my wife what had happened she said that the guy at the shop said 'they had only been touched a little'. Once she told me I realized that they have been airbrushed or doctored in some way. Firstly I didn't know this was really possible at the local shop, even though I of course know you can do it on your home PC. What I mean is that they have done a good job of it. Secondly, they know they are passport photos so why do it at all? Thirdly, I hope they will be ok for Passport use. Either way I find it a bit strange all round.

[ding]

No good for USA anyway, best get accurate ones quick.

# Produce 2 inch x 2 inch (51 mm x 51 mm) color photo.

# Print photo on thin photo paper or stock.

# Ensure the print is clear and has a continuous-tone quality.

# Do not retouch or otherwise enhance or soften photo.

travel.state.gov

[Moonrakers]

As above.

Get others done that have not been doctored. Even if they are accepted for your passport, the wrong immigration official could cause you a whole lot of bother if they notice.

[mca]

Yeah i had a shitload of trouble at airports when they retouched mine a little to get rid of a couple of acne scars.

[markm]

I think passport photo retouching is quite common in Thailand and other Asian countries where image is everything. The Thai authorities don't seem to care as long as the passport/ID photo bears some resemblance to its owner. My wife's original passport and thai ID card were from the same airbrushed photos. AFAIR, she said that the photo shop didn't just smooth the wrinkles in her face, but gave her a suit as well in the photo! Looking at it, I think they just cut her face off the original photo and pasted it onto someone else's hair and body!

When she got her digitised photo taken at the BKK passport office for her next passport, did she ever complain about how she looked. She was all for "losing" her passport and getting another one. (same with Thai ID cards, now that they take your picture as part of the process).

I keep telling her it doesn't matter, but still get the earache about it every time the passports come out. It was bad enough trying to get the "right" photo to send off with her UK passport application! I had to set up a photo studio at home and take literally hundreds pictures of her head and shoulders trying to get her to conform to the UK passport photo guidelines when she wanted different - took all day.

Women, never satisfied. Must be the worst subjects to take portrait photos of.

It's easier for us guys, we just get the pic taken and be done with it.

[markm]

Yeah i had a shitload of trouble at airports when they retouched mine a little to get rid of a couple of acne scars.

I can see why. the photo doesn't conform to passport standards. You should be looking square on at the camera and not smiling.

[mca]

That's exactly what those 2 CIA officers said as they prepared to waterboard me again!

[ChangMaiSausage]

Ha brilliant only in Thailand.....

I had my wedding photo's taken, when we collected them a couple of days afterwards they presented us with three A4 size photo's as a gift (thank you) The only problem was thay had tried to photoshop out my stubble well only a few hours growth. What a mess I looked as if I had been in a fire.

[mca]

As a wedding gift my wife's staff presented us with one of those caricature drawings of us both in a frame.

I was pretty pleased as they knocked about 20lbs off me and made me look like that bloke from the " Transporter ' movies rather than the ugly gibbon I really am.

[cdnvic]

The dimwitted shopgirls are always doing this when we get passport photos done in Thailand. You have to explicitly tell them (several times) not to retouch the photos. Half the time they do it anyways.

[garyh]

It's a bit like the topic a little while ago, putting MSG in the coffee to make it taste better, misguided way to give good service.

Take the photo's yourself get the size right and print them at one of those self serve photo printers.

[Eff1n2ret]

This is the full monty from the UK Passport website:-

"The photographs you supply with your application must:

show you with a neutral expression and your mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows)

show you on your own (babies should not have toys or a dummy, and there shouldn’t be other people in the photo)

be in colour, not black and white

be identical

be taken within the last month

be 45 millimetres high x 35 millimetres wide - this is the standard size when you have a passport photo taken in a photo booth or studio (you should not trim a larger photograph to meet this condition)

be clear and in sharp focus, with a clear difference between your face and the background

be taken against a plain cream or plain light grey background

not show you with red-eye

be of you facing forward and looking straight at the camera

not be torn, creased, or marked

be printed on plain white photographic paper

be free from shadows

be taken with your eyes open and clearly visible (no sunglasses or tinted glasses and no hair across your eyes)

be free from reflection or glare on your glasses, and the frames must not cover your eyes – the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) recommends that, if possible, you remove your glasses

be professionally printed (photographs printed at home are not likely to be of an acceptable quality)

show your full head, without any head covering, unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons

be taken with nothing covering your face – you should make sure nothing covers the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth

be a close-up of your head and shoulders with a recommended head height (the distance between the bottom of your chin and the crown of your head) between 29 and 34 mm

not have any writing on the front or back - except when one of the photos needs to be certified"

[neverdie]

The dimwitted shopgirls are always doing this when we get passport photos done in Thailand. You have to explicitly tell them (several times) not to retouch the photos. Half the time they do it anyways.

I've never noticed, probably because I'm already a hansum man .... its a bit hard to touch up perfection.

[Richb2004v2]

It's the same guy I've used for the past five years, but the first time he has done this. He's not stupid or anything and knows Passport Sizes off the top of his head. I'm quite surprised, but probably shouldn't be .

[Lodestone]

This is the full monty from the UK Passport website:-

"The photographs you supply with your application must:

show you with a neutral expression and your mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows)

For U.S. passport photos it's OK if you smile:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/com...sition_874.html

http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/faq/faq_881.html

[Kf6vci]

Last time they selected terrible photos (eyes half closed) and even at 20 for 150 Baht, they can be unsuable for other reasons. Sometime sthey add a suit as well These photos are best not used - you could get into serious trouble! (My wife gained weight and she had trouble in Europe with the genuine passport photo 2 years old).

It gets really ugly when they mess with wedding photos.

Ken and Barbie like photos, plastic instead of genuine faces. Aarrgghh.

I'm into photography and it was disgusting to see some %$^%%$% handle that big bucks EOS 1 camera.

Just set the zoom to 28 mm - then cut the 2/3 you don't need. no need to focus or frame (compose).

Outside, instead of providing shade of the lens and faces, bring a reflector to direct the harsh sun light to the faces, make the couple squint.

The local wedding photographer has a thing of almost lying on the street to photograph up. while this might work for say 5% of shots, this is what he does.

But then, he like went and bought a camera. Never saw the inside of a dark room. And the couple never saw a fine print in their lives.

Find a pro shop, pay 100 Baht more and explain to lay off the passport photos!

[IanForbes]

Thanks for that, mca.

Yeah i had a shitload of trouble at airports when they retouched mine a little to get rid of a couple of acne scars

I was thinking of posting something similar.

Passport photos in Canada can only be done in licensed shops and can not be retouched in any way. They don't even want you to smile. I could easily do my own photo but I'm not licensed, so I have to pay the going rate of about $15 for 2 photos, but only one is dated and stamped. I'd love to try going through customs with a passport of me looking like I did 50 years ago. I know I wouldn't get very far, but it sure would stir up the authorities. Unfortunately, customs officials do NOT have a humourous bone in their bodies. They are all like jack booted Gestapo agents.

[garyh]

Thanks for that, mca.

Yeah i had a shitload of trouble at airports when they retouched mine a little to get rid of a couple of acne scars

I was thinking of posting something similar.

Passport photos in Canada can only be done in licensed shops and can not be retouched in any way. They don't even want you to smile. I could easily do my own photo but I'm not licensed, so I have to pay the going rate of about $15 for 2 photos, but only one is dated and stamped. I'd love to try going through customs with a passport of me looking like I did 50 years ago. I know I wouldn't get very far, but it sure would stir up the authorities. Unfortunately, customs officials do NOT have a humourous bone in their bodies. They are all like jack booted Gestapo agents.

Well they do have a job to do, try telling them you have bomb in your bag for a laugh.

[Sabre]

Hahaha ... the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago.

I had no problems with the passport authorities, and it's a great photo.

[BkkMD]

Yeah i had a shitload of trouble at airports when they retouched mine a little to get rid of a couple of acne scars.

What were you thinking? First of all that background color is not acceptable. Secondly you should be looking at the camera. Oh well, the picture came out great though

[Benjie]

The Biometric Passports contain data about the width of your mouth and ratios from your nose to your eyes and other mumbo jumbo taken from the photo so probably best not to submit photoshopped ones, you never know if Somchai has moved your nose down a little or straightened up your eyes etc...

[elkangorito]

I got my new "biometric" passport last year in BKK. The Australian Embassy told me to go to a particular shop, which I did, to get the appropriate passport photos.

The Thai guy at the shop told me not to smile. I complained & said that even the Australian military now allow smiling for their ID photos. He implicitly told me not to smile.

I don't know how true the "don't smile" thing is but nonetheless, I got my new passport.

[neverdie]

I got my new "biometric" passport last year in BKK. The Australian Embassy told me to go to a particular shop, which I did, to get the appropriate passport photos.

The Thai guy at the shop told me not to smile. I complained & said that even the Australian military now allow smiling for their ID photos. He implicitly told me not to smile.

I don't know how true the "don't smile" thing is but nonetheless, I got my new passport.

So now when you arrive into Australia, you can scan yourself through without even speaking to customs.....that is until you get to the bit where you hand all your copy dvd and rolex watches to the customs people

[elkangorito]

I got my new "biometric" passport last year in BKK. The Australian Embassy told me to go to a particular shop, which I did, to get the appropriate passport photos.

The Thai guy at the shop told me not to smile. I complained & said that even the Australian military now allow smiling for their ID photos. He implicitly told me not to smile.

I don't know how true the "don't smile" thing is but nonetheless, I got my new passport.

So now when you arrive into Australia, you can scan yourself through without even speaking to customs.....that is until you get to the bit where you hand all your copy dvd and rolex watches to the customs people

Never, I may look stupid but I'm certainly not that stupid! I'll send them ahead via email &/or post.

[Richb2004v2]

I went to collect the new pictures today, of the real me. I had to pay again! He said lots of ferang ask for their Passport photos touching up. I doubt it but who knows. I must admit though, the real me does not look as pleasing to the eye as the fake me .

[TAWP]

The dimwitted shopgirls are always doing this when we get passport photos done in Thailand. You have to explicitly tell them (several times) not to retouch the photos. Half the time they do it anyways.

Indeed. One guy even removed a prominent marking from my face that would have made any customs agent very suspicious as to why my papers would be missing it. Luckely I was being rude and walked up to watch the 'technician' at work over his shoulder and was able to convince him to Ctrl+Z a few times to revert the pic to a more normal state...

I went to collect the new pictures today, of the real me. I had to pay again! He said lots of ferang ask for their Passport photos touching up. I doubt it but who knows. I must admit though, the real me does not look as pleasing to the eye as the fake me .

Sounds like he tried to save face by using a small lie...how unusual.

[tombkk]

I went to collect the new pictures today, of the real me. I had to pay again! He said lots of ferang ask for their Passport photos touching up. I doubt it but who knows. I must admit though, the real me does not look as pleasing to the eye as the fake me .

What country passport is this? I renewed my EU passport last year or so, and the embassy did recommend a photo shop for taking the picture. In that shop they also altered the picture, like giving me a haircut and taking wrinkles out. Apparently, the embassy had trained them to not do such a thing - and I agree with the embassy rather than the well-meaning operator who just wanted me to look more handsome. (A futile attempt, but let's not talk about that.)

I do not believe for a moment that lots of farang ask for the passport picture to be touched up. There we go. Don't pay for the first set of pictures.

[dudemeister]

Just dont use "Fon's Fast Foto Service"

Think the Embassy complained about the wife's photo. (background too dark or something)

Also, received this "funny" in my email today - very true:

This was actually taken from a UK passport application

and a member of staff copied it, as it made her laugh all day.

Subject: Passport Application

Dear Minister,

I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops I am being asked to jump through.

How is it that Bert Smith of T.V. Rentals Basingstoke has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a satellite dish from them back in 1994, and yet, the Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date?

How come that nice West African immigrant chappy who comes round every Thursday night with his DVD rentals van can tell me every film or video I have had out since he started his business up eleven years ago, yet you still want me to remind you of my last three jobs, two of which were with contractors working for the government?

How come the T.V. detector van can tell if my T.V. is on, what channel I am watching and whether I have paid my licence or not, and yet if I win the government run lottery they have no idea I have won or where I am and will keep the bloody money to themselves if I fail to claim in good time. Do you people do this by hand?

You have my birth date on numerous files you hold on me, including the one with all the income tax forms I've filed for the past 30-odd years. It's on my health insurance card, my driver's licence, on the last four passports I've had, on all those stupid customs declaration forms I've had to fill out before being allowed off the planes and boats over the last 30 years, and all those insufferable census forms that are done every ten years and the electoral registration forms I have to complete, by law, every time our lords and masters are up for re-election.

Would somebody please take note, once and for all, I was born in Maidenhead on the 4th of March 1957, my mother's name is Mary, her maiden name was Reynolds, my father's name is Robert, and I'd be absolutely astounded if that ever changed between now and the day I die!

I apologise Minister. I'm obviously not myself this morning. But between you and me, I have simply had enough! You mail the application to my house, then you ask me for my address. What is going on? Do you have a gang of Neanderthals working there? Look at my dam_n picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? I don't want to re-activate the Third Reich for God's sake! I just want to go and park my weary backside on a sunny, sandy beach for a couple of week's well-earned rest away from all this crap.

Well, I have to go now, because I have to go to back to Salisbury and get another copy of my birth certificate because you lost the last one. AND to the tune of 60 quid! What a racket THAT is!! Would it be so complicated to have all the services in the same spot to assist in the issuance of a new passport the same day? But nooooo, that'd be too dam_n easy and maybe make sense. You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off, then find some tosser to confirm that it's really me on the goddamn picture - you know... the one where we're not allowed to smile in case we look as if we are enjoying the process!

Hey, you know why we can't smile? 'Cause we're totally jacked off!

I served in the armed forces for more than 25 years including over ten years at the Ministry of Defence in London . I have had security clearances which allowed me to sit in the Cabinet Office, five seats away from the Prime Minister while he was being briefed on the first Gulf War and I have been doing volunteer work for the British Red Cross ever since I left the Services. However, I have to get someone 'important' to verify who I am -- you know, someone like my doctor...

who, before he got his medical degree 6 months ago WAS LIVING IN PAKISTAN ...

Yours sincerely,

An Irate British Citizen.

[IanForbes]

Thanks for that one dudemeister. I've seen it before, but it is worth recalling. SO VERY TRUE!

Where DO they dig up these paper pushers who try to justify their existance with a waste of tax payer's money?

[TheLaughingMan]

Hehe that was awesome Dudemiester