A passport photo is one of those small tasks that always seems to cost more time and money than it should. The good news is that phone cameras are more than good enough, and the rules are mostly about how you are photographed rather than what equipment you use.
Taking the photo
- Stand about two metres from the camera, with someone else holding it. Arm's length selfies distort your features.
- Face the camera directly with a neutral expression and both eyes clearly visible.
- Use soft, even light, ideally facing a window, so there are no shadows on your face.
- Stand well away from a plain, light-coloured wall so no shadow falls behind you.
- Skip hats and sunglasses. Ordinary glasses are usually fine as long as there is no glare.
Getting the size right
Most countries use 35 by 45 millimetres. The United States uses a 2 by 2 inch square. These are physical print sizes, so what matters is the resolution as well as the crop, which is why a proper tool crops at 300 DPI rather than just resizing the pixels. Always check the specification for the country you are applying to, since the amount of the frame your head should fill varies.
Fixing the background
If your wall was not quite plain enough, or the light left it uneven, you can replace the background entirely. The Change Background Color tool separates you from whatever is behind you and puts you on a clean white or light blue, which is what most applications ask for.
When you print, use photo paper and turn off any 'fit to page' or scaling option. Scaling changes the physical size, which is the single most common reason a home-printed ID photo gets rejected.