In a World, Where Professional Passport Photographers Rule...

If I were King of the World...

• All drug stores would stick to selling hairspray and toothpaste. and forget trying to sell passport photos.
• All auto clubs would stick to selling car and travel insurance, and forget trying to take passport photos.
• All on-line websites that claim to be able to convert your poorly lit, out of focus, cell phone selfie into a passable passport photo for any country, would just go away - maybe just become telephone solicitors, because they're just as annoying.

When it comes to passport photos, they're rarely described as "art," however, there IS an art to nailing the proper specifications for creating an Australian passport photo that the Australian government will accept. Same with the Canadians. There's a bureaucracy in place that is guaranteed to confound most citizens into supplying the wrong photos for their foreign passport nearly every time. That's because foreign passport photos are not measured in inches (the common measurement of US passport images supplied by drug stores and auto clubs), they're measured in millimeters (the prevailing standard of measurement everywhere on the planet except the US). 

So, when it comes to obtaining a properly sized passport photo for anywhere - INCLUDING the US, you'd be best served contacting a PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, not a dime store clerk or a travel agent!

Newsome's Studio of Photography - by appointment only - 813-968-2810.

Russian Passport and Russian Visa Photos

Hey, speaking of Russians...

They sure seem to be in the news a lot lately, but leave it to the circus, formerly known as "the media," and you'd think Russians are just a bunch of Boogeymen. Fact is, I've met many, and nothing seems to be farther from the truth! 

The Tampa area has plenty of ex-pats from Russia, as well as plenty of current Russian citizens. I know, because they come HERE to update their Russian Passport photo and their Russian Visa photo. 

A Russian citizen cannot go to the local drugstore, the auto club, or the post office for those photos, because the size of the photo is very specific - and it's measured in millimeters, not inches. A Russian Passport photo must be 35x45mm on the outer edge, with a head size of 30mm from the chin to the crown of the head. It must have a white background and you're not allowed to smile - closed mouth only. This looks NOTHING like the standard US passport photo, so our Russian friends are forced to go to someone who is an expert at creating foreign or International passport photos that adhere to a given foreign government's stated requirements.

Newsome's Studio of Photography, located in North Tampa (Carrollwood), at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 219, has been providing high quality passport photos for Florida's foreign residents for over 30 years. 

Don't waste your money and precious time going anywhere else for your passport photo, come to the experts and get it done right the first time!

By appointment only, 813-968-2810.

Specialty Passport Photos

At Newsome's Studio, we're not fond of saying "we specialize in..." because it's overused terminology in the photo industry. HOWEVER... when it comes to specialty passport photos, such as those required by foreign countries... Australia (35x45mm), Canada (50x70mm), Greece (40x60mm) or even Chinese Visa Photos (33x48mm), Newsome's Studio of Photography is not shy, nor exaggerating, when we say "we specialize in specialty passport photos."

If you're a citizen of another country, living or temporarily posted here in the US, and you're in need of updating your foreign or international passport photos, you might as well save time, money, and aggravation, by having your specialty passport photos taken by Tampa's Foreign Passport Specialist! There, I said it. And I've got the track record to back it up!

Located at 10012 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 2019, Tampa, we work by appointment only, so call 813-968-2810 and you'll be in and out in less than ten minutes with your finished specialty passport photos.

"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.