jmdrake
05-12-2013, 05:30 AM
Sometimes I weary of belaboring the obvious. But I realize that there might be some who honestly aren't aware of this information. So here it is. Your passport photo is a biometric ID. People think that biometrics have to be fingerprints or retina scans or DNA samples. They do not. There is a reason why you are not allowed to smile for your passport photo. There is a reason why you have to hold your head a certain way. The photographer isn't being a jerk. He/she is mandated by federal law to make sure you have an expressionless mug shot that is square on to the camera and centered in the frame so that it will be machine readable. This is taken right off the travel.state.gov website. It's not some "Alex Jones conspiracy theory", though I did hear about it first from him. It's time we quit being Egyptian and living in "de-Nile".
Make sure the photo presents the full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin
Center the head with the frame
The person in the photo should have a neutral expression and be facing the camera
Paper Photo Head Size Template
http://www.travel.state.gov/images/photo_reqs/dimensions-inch.gif
Photo Composition Template
Photo must be 2 inches by 2 inches
The height of the head (top of hair to bottom of chin) should measure 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches (25 mm - 35 mm)
Make sure the eye height is between 1 1/8 inches to 1 3/8 inches (28 mm – 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo
Now I noticed that my drivers license photo had the same "Don't smile and hold your head a certain way" requirements. I can't find documention proving that. What I can say is that the same federal DHS that is in charge of passport photos is in charge of my state drivers' license! That's right. I got my drivers license renewal from from the Department of Homeland inSecurity!
Oh yeah, and the last time I had to go to local DHS (used to be drivers license) branch (got a letter from them for being late on paying a ticket) I had to wait outside in the cold with about 10 other people because, supposedly, there was "not enough room inside". Bollocks! There was plenty of room! This kind of "spit in your face" service didn't happen a couple of years ago when I last had to go in to what was then a state run drivers license office. So while the federal government is pissing on me, I don't need the shills telling me it's raining okay?
Make sure the photo presents the full head from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin
Center the head with the frame
The person in the photo should have a neutral expression and be facing the camera
Paper Photo Head Size Template
http://www.travel.state.gov/images/photo_reqs/dimensions-inch.gif
Photo Composition Template
Photo must be 2 inches by 2 inches
The height of the head (top of hair to bottom of chin) should measure 1 inch to 1 3/8 inches (25 mm - 35 mm)
Make sure the eye height is between 1 1/8 inches to 1 3/8 inches (28 mm – 35 mm) from the bottom of the photo
Now I noticed that my drivers license photo had the same "Don't smile and hold your head a certain way" requirements. I can't find documention proving that. What I can say is that the same federal DHS that is in charge of passport photos is in charge of my state drivers' license! That's right. I got my drivers license renewal from from the Department of Homeland inSecurity!
Oh yeah, and the last time I had to go to local DHS (used to be drivers license) branch (got a letter from them for being late on paying a ticket) I had to wait outside in the cold with about 10 other people because, supposedly, there was "not enough room inside". Bollocks! There was plenty of room! This kind of "spit in your face" service didn't happen a couple of years ago when I last had to go in to what was then a state run drivers license office. So while the federal government is pissing on me, I don't need the shills telling me it's raining okay?