I’m going to show you how to make your own passport photos at homeso that, in situations where you can’t go to a professional or the budget falters, you have a solution at hand.
Because… have you ever found yourself in the same situation as me where I needed passport photos and there was no photo studio or photo booth near me? Or have you suddenly needed photos to renew the passport or ID of the whole family? A paston goes away at once, right?
Let’s not say when the course begins, you have several children and they start asking for photos at school, after school and a long etcetera.
How to take passport photos at home
The first thing is to know how to take passport photos at home. It is not difficult but it requires a little attention:
- You need a white background. Obviously, a study background is not necessary, no matter how ideal it may be. Okay with a white wall, get away from it as much as you can, that way you will avoid shadows and the damn gotelé (if there was one 😅). If you don’t have a white wall, you can use a white sheet or fabric.
- If the person who appears in the photo and takes it is the same person, that is, you, you will need a tripod or a place to stabilize the camera. Here are some tips for taking a self-portrait. But, to get to the point, put the camera on the tripod and activate the timer (or shoot remotely with your mobile). If you do it from your mobile it will be much easier for you to focus well.
- Here if I recommend you activate the built-in flash of the camera. Especially if there is little light and the photo is for the identity card. Well, the frontal light is the one that shows more detail of the face and it is precisely what they want. Remember to move away from the wall. If not, feel free to experiment with side lighting from a window, an external bounce flash, or any other lighting recommended for portrait photography.
- Be careful with the white balance. Normally in automatic it comes out fine, if it comes out orange or bluish, adjust the white balance according to the type of ambient light.
- Make sure to position the camera so that it leaves room around your head, so you don’t get too far off the edge. So if you have to crop the photo for any reason there is some margin.
If the ID photo is for official documents, keep in mind that, at least in Spain, there are certain requirements (you can see them here).
In any case, I will summarize them for you: black and white, blurred, pixelated photos and/or with backgrounds that are not white and smooth are not valid. Nor do they accept that any element covers the head or covers part of the face (not even hair). The face and shoulders must be seen well and from the front.
ID photo size
In Spain, the size of passport photos must be 26×32 mm.
If it is for an official document such as an identity card, the driver’s license or the passport, I recommend that you check the measurements of the passport photo required in your country.
Download passport photo template 10×15 cm
To make it easier for you, I have prepared a 10×15 cm ID photo template ready to download.
You open it in Photoshop, put the photos and voila. Ready to send to print.
If you don’t know how to place the photos in the template, Mario tells you step by step in the following video. Don’t be scared if it seems too long. In the first part he explains how to change the background to white if it is a different color.
Starting at minute 6:45, it shows you how to insert the image into the template and at the end it tells you some Photoshop tricks that you can apply in other situations as well. Very complete.
And this would be the result:
In case you prefer in another format or program, I leave you the passport photo template in .PNG format.
How to print passport size photos
Once the previous step is done, you can print your passport-size photos at home if you have a photo printer. Or go anywhere they can print the photo at 10×15.
It is important print your ID photos on quality photo paper.
Putting the photos in an A4 passport photo template and printing them on a sheet of paper for your child’s extracurricular activities, or even for school things, is acceptable.
Now, for the photos of the identity card, it is not valid with any paper, not even any photographic paper.
Make sure you print the photos for official documents on quality photographic paper (it does not have to be professional), between 0.50 and 1 euro you can easily find prints of this type.
Better go to any photo studio or kiosk and avoid copy shops and other document reproduction services that are not specialized in photos.
How to take passport photos with your mobile
Most of the tips that I have given you before to take your ID photos at home are valid both with the camera and with the mobile.
However, there are some specific recommendations that I want to leave you with when taking passport photos with your mobile.
- If you are one of those who take photos with your mobile phone regularly (you will love this guide to photographing with your mobile phone), you will know that one of its drawbacks is that its sensor is small and in low light they perform much worse, so I recommend that you Get as close as you can to a light source (window, white light lamp, etc.).
- If by chance you have one of these rings that they take so much now for direct Instagram or work meetings will come to you from the movies. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, just make sure that it gives your face enough light from the front.
- Avoid, if you can, the front camera of your mobile. If you are the one who takes the photo, it is better to place the mobile on a tripod or support and activate the timer to be able to use the rear camera that usually has better resolution.
In another article I left you a few tips to take better selfies with your mobile. If you feel like it and have time, take a look by clicking on the link.
ID photo apps
If you are doing the entire process with your mobile, you will surely be interested in knowing these applications for your passport photos:
- Photo ID (iOS / android)
- ID photos (iOS)
- ID photo editor for passport and visa (Android)
- Passport Size Photo Maker (Android)
- Passport Photo Maker (Android))
- Passport photo and photo id (iOS)
They are quite simple to use, upload your photo, frame, select how many photos per sheet you want and save. It’s even easier than with the Photoshop template 😉
Program to print passport photos
In addition to mobile applications, there is some other program where you can print them online. in photo box or CeweFor example, you can do it from your computer, upload your photo and they send it to your home.
Request your ID photos through an online program
This option is very practical when the problem is not money, but the fact that you cannot leave the house or have nowhere to go to take photos nearby.
With this trick I no longer have problems if they don’t take ID photos near me. And you neither.
Has it been useful to you? Do you have any doubt? Leave us your comment below, we will love to read you.