"Australian Passport Photos are HARD"

They really aren't, not if you know what you're doing and what the Australian Consulate expects from you.

Here's the thing... An Australian Passport photo is required to be 35x45mm - not that unusual - very similar to most of Europe. The head size must fall between 32-36mm from the chin to the top of the skull and taken on a white background. Again, not hard if you're an experienced professional photographer who specializes in foreign or international passport photos.

The "hard part" is the print resolution that Australia requires. They want your passport photos to be printed at 450 to 600 dpi. They will view it under a loop, or a very strong magnifying glass. If the image shows any sign of banding or ink jet printing (a no-no), they will flat out reject the image in a millisecond (because... millimeters, remember?).

Newsome's Studio resolved this by investing in a special printer, just to accommodate Australian and New Zealand Passport Photos. Since then, we've been successfully creating and providing passport photos for our Aussie friends in the Tampa/St Pete market, some coming from as far away as Miami and Jacksonville.

The Australian Consulate in Washington, DC has declared Newsome's Studio of Photography in Tampa as a "Preferred Photographer" for providing Australian Passport Photos.

Located in North Tampa (Carrollwood) at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219 in Cypress Point Office Park (corner of Linebaugh and N. Dale Mabry behind Starbucks), you can receive your high quality passport photos in a matter of minutes.

All work guaranteed, and by appointment only. 813-968-2810

Will the US Ever Accept the Metric System?

When it comes to stubbornness, the good ol' USA has GOT to lead the pack. Nearly the entire planet uses the Metric System as their standard tool of measurement. The only countries still clinging to the Imperial Measurement System are the US, Burma, and Liberia!

LET IT GO!

The Metric System is easier! One of these two Presidents attempted to force the US to change, Ford or Carter, I don't remember which, and it failed miserably. The closest thing we got to it was a two liter bottle of COKE! Of course, our medicines are all measured in grams and milligrams, but as consumers, we have no idea what the heck that really means.

Now, what does any of this have to do with ME? Well, as a professional photography studio that offers passport photos, we're called on regularly to create passport photos for citizens of foreign countries that live here in the US. Their country's specs for passport photos are measured in millimeters, not inches, therefore, the drugstores and auto clubs cannot accommodate them. Those folks haven't got the time nor inclination to learn the specs on some 200 countries around the planet, they can barely get a 2x2" US passport correct, much less a 33x48mm CHINESE VISA photo!

So that leaves our foreign citizen friends with little to no choice on where to go... ALMOST! Because Newsome's Studio of Photography has been providing foreign and International passport services for over 30 years, we've perfected the process. Don't waste another second calling someone who stammers just trying to SAY the word "millimeters." Call Newsome's now!

All work guaranteed, and by appointment only. 813-968-2810

International Passport Photos in Tampa

So, you're in the market for a photographer in the Tampa area that can accommodate your home country's requirements for creating a passport photo that is measured in millimeters. Well, look no further... Newsome's Studio of Photography is Florida's foremost expert in the creation of passport style photos for ALL countries across the globe.

Whether yours is a British, Greek, Australian, Nigerian, Kuwait, or Canadian passport, we can handle it. All countries (except the US, Burma, and Liberia) measure their photos in millimeters. We have the specs. We know what to do. We do them every day.

Newsome's Studio is located in north Tampa (Carrollwood) at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa, FL 33618 (in Cypress Point Office Park at the corner of Linebaugh Ave and N. Dale Mabry Hwy, behind Starbucks).

Please call for a 10 minute appointment - 813-968-2810.

Canadians in the Tampa Area

It's always been my understanding that our friends and neighbors to the north who live in Florida part-time, typically arrive here around Labor Day (first week of September) and go back north around Easter (April). 

Not sure if the April 16th Easter weekend has anything to do with it, but the uptick in Canadians renewing their passports had jumped dramatically since February. I suppose if you're needing to update your Canadian Passport before crossing the border, now is as good a time as any!

Newsome's Studio of Photography routinely provides 6-10 Canadian passport photos per week. And considering how difficult it is for many photographers to create an acceptable Canadian passport photo of 50x70mm, with a head size of 31-36mm, in focus, and well lit, it's comforting to know that Newsome's has such a stellar reputation with the Canadian Consulate, that we're on their preferred photographer list for photos.

Give us a call, 813-968-2810 and schedule your ten minute appointment.

Why Does It Cost SO MUCH?

Short answer... "It doesn't."

Back story...
Occasionally, I receive a call from someone who needs a foreign passport photo taken. Foreign passport photos are measured in millimeters, not inches. Therefore, the drug stores and auto clubs can't do them - their abilities stop at doing the standard US sized photos - 2x2 inch. If you ask them to do a Canadian passport photo which measures 50x70mm (2 x 2 3/4 inch), they can't, because their printer only makes 2x2" images. If you ask them to do a UK Passport photo, they can't, because at 35x45mm it's too precise a measurement for them to match, and the UK government will reject it if it's not done perfectly.

Additionally, an Australian passport photo or a New Zealand passport photo must be printed at a higher resolution than most other passport photos, which requires a special printer, something those other guys don't have.

The only choices a foreign resident has, is to go directly to their country's consulate, which may be in Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, or Washington, DC... or go to a professional photography studio that specializes in foreign passport photos like Newsome's Studio. The cost difference for a foreign citizen to go to Washington, DC for a passport photo, or coming to Newsome's Studio is HUNDREDS of DOLLARS! NO PLANE TICKET REQUIRED! Not to mention ground transportation, rental car, and possibly a HOTEL!

No, Virginia, a foreign passport photo taken at Newsome's Studio DOESN'T cost so much. Not when you consider the alternative.

Newsome's is located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219 in Cypress Point Office Park. Please call for an appointment and we can accommodate your requests in less than ten minutes.

813-968-2810

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.

Passport Photo Business is BOOMING!

I have no idea why. I don't know if the recent political developments have anything to do with or not, but the passport business is on FIRE right now.

During the course of a normal week, I'd say we provide passport photos for about five Canadians, two UK, one Australian, and maybe one or two from lands around the planet.

During the last month, I'd say we've provided passport photo services for at least 25 Canadians, 15 UK, a dozen Aussies, and maybe ten or more from parts unknown.

I'm not complaining, I'm just making an observation and wondering "why?" Whatever the motivation might be, I'm proud to be able to meet so many wonderful people from around our fair planet, and provide them with the very best passport, immigration, citizenship, permanent residency, green card, visa, and ID photos in the world.

Newsome's Studio of Photography, located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, Tampa (in Cypress Point Office Park, behind Starbucks at the NW corner of Linebaugh and Dale Mabry).

Call for an appointment - 813-968-2810.