American Passport Photos Are the Worst

If the planet had a ranking system for which country had the best passport photos, the US Passports would rank dead last. WHY?

Because their standards are just deplorable. I don't know "why" that is, it's just a fact. If it weren't so easy to get bad passport photos to pass the US Passport officials in America, then drug stores and auto clubs likely wouldn't be doing them. Why is it those places don't do foreign passports? Because they wouldn't pass the discerning eye of passport officials in foreign consulates, that's why.

Although the US Passport office has written and published "standards," they almost NEVER reject images that don't meet those standards. Poor lighting? Who cares. Out of focus? No big deal. Color balance out of whack? So? Head size incorrect? No. One. Cares. Certainly not the US Consulate.

So, allow me (someone whose job it is to successfully meet the passport photo standards of consulate officials all over the planet) to rank the top five BEST passport photos on Earth...

1. Australia - they have the highest print resolution on the planet and provide an opaque overlay to confirm the correct head size. Newsome's Studio is one of only a dozen photographers statewide, approved by the Australian consulate to create an Aussie passport photo.
2. Canada - the largest passport photo on the planet (50x70mm) and their head size, lighting, and expression are closely scrutinized by the Canadian Consulate. NO SMILING!
3. Jamaica - they're the only country that requires a matte finish and they have three background options based on skin tone and hair color. They might've been smoking something when they wrote those specs, but they'll darn sure reject the images if those specs aren't followed to the letter.
4. China - at 33x48mm for the outer dimension size, they have the oddest sized passport photo on the planet. In addition, one is required to wear dark clothing with a conservative neckline. Quite often, I loan these clients a black high school graduation gown to meet that standard. 
5. Greece - another unusual size (40x50mm), and their consulate will inspect it closely to see that it matches and the quality must be superb. Fortunately, I've visited with the Greek consulate in downtown Tampa and they're very happy with the images taken at Newsome's Studio.

Out of the 195 countries on the planet Earth, I'm confident that the US consulate's standard of quality for passport photos would place America at #195. So, "Yay America!"

All of this doesn't mean that your US Passport Photo HAS to be horrible, just that it CAN be. If you'd rather have a GREAT passport photo, call Newsome's Studio of Photography at 813-968-2810 and we promise to apply Aussie-like quality standards to your face and make custom agents around the world raise an eyebrow of approval at every border.

Newsome's Studio is located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa, FL.

Passport Photos of Yesteryear

Some time back, I was going through my mother's things (she died in 2016) and came across her old passports. It was great to see all the places she'd been in her lifetime. The earliest trip I found was a trip to France in 1959. I was four years old but I still remember her and my dad walking across the tarmac to board the large twin prop plane while my grandmother encouraged me to wave goodbye.

Several things struck me while looking at her passport photo from that year. It was black and white, of course, but it appeared to simply be a 3/4 length snapshot of her sitting at a dining table - a totally casual image with a big broad smile on her face. I suppose in the 50's, the US passport office had ZERO parameters on what your image looked like.

Fast forward 60 years and only a minor amount of oversight on US passport photos has occurred. They now give you specs, such as 2x2", color, head size of 1" to 1 1/8", white background, but when you see what is being sold and delivered as acceptable passport photos by drug stores, you have to scratch your head and wonder if the US passport office actually ACCEPTS that level of "quality."

Seriously, I've had clients come to my studio, having just purchased their passport photos from a drug store and they're holding blurry, underexposed, orange faces on a pink background, with a 3/4" head size. On more than one occasion, the clients have told me they were shot with the store clerk's cell phone because their camera wasn't working. WHAAAAAT????

Folks, drug stores don't sell passport photos, they GIVE them away.... well, you pay for them, but they sell them so cheaply, they purposely take a loss on them. It's known as a "loss-leader." They sell them at a loss to get you in the door on the assumption that you'll buy toothpaste, eyeliner, and hairspray while you're there.

The photo dept clerks are very nice and knowledgeable about printing, but they're not professional photographers and do not possess any professional photography equipment. They often only use a very low resolution "point and shoot" camera with no flash or proper lighting equipment. You're going to be photographed under whatever lighting conditions are available. This often results in a color cast that is either orange or green, depending on if the light was tungsten or fluorescent. The camera will be hand-held at a very low shutter speed which often results in blurry photographs. The background will not be white, but cast with a pink or orange color or muddy gray at best.

WHY the US passport office allows such a deplorable level of quality is beyond me, because every other country on the planet adheres to a very very strict level of quality, so much so, that drug stores don't even attempt to do them.

If you're happy with them, well, good for you. I'm not, and my clients aren't either. They come to me because they want it done right. If you want superior quality in your passport photos, call us at 813-968-2810 and schedule your appointment today.

Thank you,
Newsome's Studio

US Passport Photos

The US passport photo is only a 2x2" print. The passport office DOES have head size requirements, background requirements, and eyeglass requirements (none allowed), but they just don't seem to have any QUALITY requirements.

If they did, then drug stores, auto clubs, and post offices likely wouldn't bother with them.

Every time someone walks into my studio with a pair of blurry, underexposed, off center, greenish passport photos and screams "HEEEELLLLP!" I know what has happened.

I highly encourage people to seek out Tampa's Best Passport Photographer before venturing into the path of point and shoot held by someone who can't tell you the difference between an aperture and an FStop.

I don't sell toothpaste. I sell photographs. And passport photographs are with you for TEN YEARS! Do it right. Call Newsome's Studio at 813-968-2810 and schedule a ten minute appointment today.

US Passport Photo Rules

For the first time in over 30 years, I had a US Passport photo rejected. REJECTED! If DRUG STORE photos can pass, why can't WE?

Well, turns out, it wasn't the US Passport Office that rejected it, it was a postal worker at the post office. Seems she interprets the rules differently than the US Passport Office, and when she saw the image being submitted, claimed it wasn't going to pass and insisted on taking a new one (which, of course, she charged them for).

She rejected it on the grounds that the child's HAIR exceeded beyond the top of the photo. Why yes, yes it did... because the child's HAIRDO was piled extraordinarily HIGH... like, almost a foot higher than his SKULL!

The standard by which every country on the planet (including the US) adheres to, is that the "HEAD" size fit within a stated set of parameters. In the US case, it's 1"-1 3/8" from chin to top of the head. In her estimation, that included the hair, regardless of whether or not the hair came straight off a Parisian Fashion Runway, or the set of Hunger Games.

Now, imagine if you will, Marge Simpson coming in for a passport photo. If I applied the Post Office clerk's understanding of the rules to Marge's passport photo, her face would only be about 1/4" big, not nearly enough to discern what she looks like, and her eye height would not meet the required position in the photo.

I dunno, but after going down to the Post Office and having a personal conversation with the postal clerk who rejected the image, I'm of the belief that she is going to CAUSE more rejections from up the chain of command at the actual Passport Office, because if Marge Simpson submits the image on the right, it'll get kicked back faster than Homer can eat a bacon doughnut.

Tampa's Best Passport Photographer

You need it done and you want it done right. A lot of places will advertise that they can do passport photos, but they have no more business offering photography services than I do overnight shipping or tubes of toothpaste.

If you're a citizen of a foreign country and your passport photo for your home country is measured in millimeters, then you MUST contact NEWSOME'S STUDIO OF PHOTOGRAPHY at 813-968-2810. At least, that is, you MUST if you want it done correctly the first time!

Newsome's has been offering foreign and international passport photos, customized to your specific country's specifications... if you need a 33x48mm Chinese Visa... a 35x45mm UK Passport... a 50x70mm Canadian Passport... or a 40x60mm Greek Passport... or hey, a 51x51mm US Passport photo... call Central Florida's expert in passport sized photos!

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa, FL (Greater Carrollwood area), in Cypress Point Office Park - behind Starbucks at the corner of Linebaugh and Dale Mabry Hwy, on block north of Busch Blvd.

Ten minutes to success... 813-968-2810.

US Passport Photographs

You might not know it, but the specs for a US Passport Photo have changed dramatically in recent years. Even I hadn't noticed it, but recently, I came in possession of all my mother's old passports. The style of the passport itself hasn't changed much, but the photo in it has.

Her oldest one was from the 1960's when she and my dad took a trip to Paris. Her passport photo was black and white (naturally), but it wasn't a close up, square to the camera, no glasses, and no smile. In fact, it was taken at an angle, sitting in a chair, 3/4 length (to her waist), and smiling like she'd just won a game of Monopoly!

As the years went by (every 10) her photos slowly began to conform to what we're all used to seeing today; they were slowly getting closer to the camera, more square to the lens, in color, but still smiling (smiling is something that is not allowed in foreign passport photos, and the US is starting to "frown upon" as well).

Nowadays, people practically look like they'd look if they'd just gotten off a nine hour plane ride full of screaming children, eaten nothing but peanuts, had no sleep in the last 24 hours, and were ready to kick a puppy! I suppose the custom agents just want us to look like we're going to look when we reach the customs desk, ya think?

US passport photos don't HAVE to look horrible, but evidently the border patrol WANTS them to.

Make the best of it and call Newsome's Studio at 813-968-2810. We'll help you look your "passport best!"

US Passport Photos Available in Tampa

You actually have a choice. You can go to the drug store or your local auto club office and have your US Passport photo made, or you can go to Newsome's Studio in Carrollwood (North Tampa).

Be aware though, that there will be differences. For instance, the cameras and lighting used by non-professional photographers will vary greatly. They are largely very simply "point and shoot" cameras using "auto" settings that produce a low resolution image. The lenses on those cameras cannot be manually focused, and if the settings have any manual availability at all, the operator likely has little to no experience with it, meaning if your image looks orange, they may not know how to fix it by changing the settings on the camera (yes, this is a very common problem).

At Newsome's Studio, you're being photographed by a 30+ year professional who uses only the very best photography equipment, camera, and lighting available. Face it folks, you're going to be looking at that image for 10 years... TEN YEARS! Get it done right. Go to Newsome's Studio at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa.

US Passports Now Discourage Smiling

Years after the rest of the planet made "stoic" passport photos fashionable, the US has finally begun following suit. At one time, a big 'ol American smile was acceptable in US Passport Photos, but not any more. The newest regulations require a closed mouth. They still appear to allow a slightly pleasant, closed-mouth smile, but no more grinning with teeth. Still not quite as strict as the rest of the planet, but getting there.

It seems the customs folks are using facial recognition software to scan the passport photos, looking for bad guys, and of course, bad guys NEVER smile in their photos, so it stands to reason that they don't want anyone else to either.

In any case, learn to smile more with your eyes, and less with your mouth. You local US bureaucrat will love you for it.

For the very best US Passport photos on the market, call a real photographer. Call Newsome's Studio of Photography at 813-968-2810. Located in North Tampa (Carrollwood), at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa (behind Starbucks in Cypress Point Office Park, at the corner of Linebaugh and Dale Mabry Hwy).

Think happy thoughts!

NO EYEGLASSES ON US PASSPORTS

As of November 1st, the US Passport office will no longer accept passport photos if you are wearing eyeglasses in them.

Information on this change can be found here.

According to the new specs, there is only one exception...

• "If you cannot remove your glasses for medical reasons, please include a signed note from your doctor with your application."

This, I'm sure will create some anxiety with those who wear glasses all the time, but repeat this three times... "it's just a passport photo... it's just a passport photo... it's just a passport photo." The only people who will ever see it is you, and a few customs officials who look at a thousand photos a day. You will likely be asked to take your glasses off for a second - maybe ONCE in your lifetime of travels. Don't freak out over it, just follow the new guidelines and fuggetaboutit. 

This new regulation surprises me, because I've yet to see any other foreign government impose the same restriction. Maybe they will follow, but so far, they haven't.

To be certain that you get the very best US Passport Photo that you're "allowed" to have... contact Newsome's Studio of Photography. Located in North Tampa at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa, FL 33618 (in Carrollwood), in Cypress Point Office Park behind Starbucks at the corner of Linebaugh Ave and N. Dale Mabry Hwy. 

Please call for an appointment, 813-968-2810.