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.

DV Lottery Photos in Tampa

Directly from the US Dept of State: "The entry submission period for DV-2018 is from 12:00PM EDT (GMT -4) on October 4, 2016 to 12:00PM EST (GMT -5) on November 7, 2016."

That means that the month of October, DV Lottery images are in high demand. Lucky for those in Central Florida, particularly in the Hillsborough/Pinellas County area, Newsome's Studio of Photography can provide you with DV Lottery image to meet the required specs, in about ten minutes!

All you need to do is to call the studio at 813-968-2810 and schedule an appointment. In no time at all, we can take care of you. 

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, in North Tampa (Carrollwood), at the corner of Linebaugh Ave and N. Dale Mabry Hwy behind Starbucks.

Australian Passport Photos in Tampa

Aussie Passport Photos

We experienced a surge in calls for Australian Passport Photos this week. It seems that the Australian Consulate in Washington, DC requires its citizens living in the US to apply for their passport renewal in person... in Washington! 

However, in an effort to lighten the load in their DC office, as well as make it a tad more convenient for their Australian citizens that are spread across the US, they periodically conduct passport renewal interviews in cities across the country. This week, among others, they did so in Miami Sept 22nd & 23rd. This prompted many Australians to jump at the chance of not having to travel all the way to Washington. 

And because Newsome's Studio of Photography is on the Australian consulate's "preferred photographer" list for the state of Florida, our phone went crazy this week!

The Australian passport photo requirements are among the most difficult to satisfy on the planet. Fortunately, we've managed to isolate the reason they reject so many passport photos from other sources, and have found the sweet spot to make them happy!

If it's time to update your Australian passport, call us at 813-968-2810 and set an appointment (it only takes ten minutes), and you'll leave with your perfect passport photos in hand.

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy in North Tampa.

By Appointment Only! See you soon!

An Honest to Goodness "Thank you"

I'm pleased to say that here at Newsome's Studio, we receive the occasional thank you note for work we've done. It's always gratifying to know that we deliver a quality product that our clients are thrilled with.

Recently, I photographed Carol for her Jamaican Passport. It was sized and cut to their stated specs, but oddly, although their stated specs called for a vertical image (35x45mm) with a head size of between 25-35mm from the chin to the top of the head, the sample photo that the Jamaican consulate provided Carol, showed a 2x2 inch image. I followed the vertical route and was confident it would pass. It didn't. They requested to be able to see more of her shoulders, meaning her head size would need to be smaller than the 25mm minimum. It was a catch 22.

She called me, very distressed, because she knew we'd provided them with exactly what they'd asked for, but didn't know what to do. I immediately resized the images so her shoulders were more evident, putting her head size slightly below 25mm. I mailed the images to her the same day, at no charge to her whatsoever (we guarantee our work here).

It passed.

She was extremely happy, and shocked that I wasn't going to charge her anything extra - not even postage! So much so, she hand-wrote me a Thank You note! I LOVE Thank You notes!

So Thank YOU, Carol, for your lovely note of thanks, and I look forward to assisting you and your family members with any of their photographic needs in the future!

US Immigration and Visa Photos

Tampa Visa Photographer

Newsome's Studio provides photo services to create Visa, Immigration, Citizenship, Green Card, and Passport photos for any country. The US standard is 2x2 inches, but most all other countries are measured in millimeters, and come in all sizes and colors. If we don't have the specs on your particular photos, we'll get them (sometimes it helps if you bring your paperwork with you, just to be sure we know what you need). Either way, there is no size or requirement we can't do.

And the best part is, we do these while you wait. It only takes a few minutes - usually less than ten - to create a set of images for any of your passport style photos.

We do work by appointment, so PLEASE call us before coming down. We do a lot of work outside the studio, so we can only promise to be here for you if you have an appointment. 

See you soon! 813-968-2810

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa, FL 33618.

Childrens's Passport Photographer, Tampa

Planning a trip? Planning to take your kid(s)? You may be in need of a brand new passport for them, how exciting!

Suppose your child is less than two years old. Suppose they're only a few months. Getting a photo that will make it past the reject stamp of an ill-tempered bureaucrat on a Monday morning isn't easy. They're merciless. They allow no room for error when it comes to the stated specifications of what your precious newborn's photo should look like. THEY DON'T CARE HOW CUTE THEY ARE!

Going to the drug store for this is like asking a fish to spin plates on sticks.

You're going to need a real photographer. A true professional. A miracle worker. This is a job for SUPERTOG!

There's only one place in Tampa who has the equipment, knowledge, patience, and experience to satisfy a government passport office official with an infant's passport photo... NEWSOME'S STUDIO OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa (Carrollwood), Newsome's will guarantee your child the most incredibly awesome passport photo, and precisely meet the specifications of the US or ANY foreign country's passport photo requirements.

By appointment only - 813-968-2810.

Newsome's Studio has TWO Websites!

In today's world of advertising, the first place people look to find someone to fill their need is the Internet. They'll either use Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yelp, or any number of other search engines. Google is the most popular, and tries to match up their key search words with the most up-to-date information on the web. They serve up ten results at a time (page one).

A business's goal is to be found on page one. A SMART business's goal is to occupy more than one of those ten positions, increasing the likelihood that a potential client will click on their listing.

If you're looking for a passport photographer in the Tampa, St Pete area, you'll likely use the search terms "passport photographer, Tampa." If you're in need of a Canadian or UK passport photo, you're going to get more accurate results by adding "Canadian" or "UK" to your search term thread.

Newsome's Studio of Photography has been providing the Bay Area residents with high quality passport photos for years, and particularly those residents who are in need of passport photos for Canada, the UK, or ANY foreign country.

This blog is just one website that may come up in your search results, but we also have two complete studio websites and two more blogs that address passport photography, both foreign and domestic. Those two sites are www.newsomesstudio.com and www.newsomestudio.com. Feel free to check either site out and read up on why Newsome's Studio is the preferred photographer recommended by the Canadian consulate, the Greek consulate, the British consulate, and the Australian consulate.

Located in North Tampa (Carrollwood), we work by appointment only. Give us a call at 813-968-2810.