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D.I.Y Passport Photos: Taking Your Own Picture.
Have you ever been in the situation where you urgently require passport photos, to get a passport, driving licence or job application mailed on time? While it is recommendable to seek the assistance of someone for your , the hectic lifestyle and disorganized daily schedules of many mean that a second pair of hands cannot always be found.
Taking your own passport photo shots is not as simple as taking a picture at arm's length for your social networking page. Most agencies specify particular distance and lighting conditions, so that a full facial biometric can be obtained. If you're looking for a quick point-and-click solution, you're going to be disappointed. To take your own photo, you will need to be aware of the correct regulations regarding acceptable photos.
Set-Up
Prior to capturing your self-portrait on your camera, you will need to do a little preparation, including selection of the ideal location. This doesn't mean you have to go spending vast amounts of money on props and so-forth. You simply need somewhere with a good, ample daylight source, which at the same time, is not over-exposed to direct, bright sunlight. Photographers recommend a West-facing room if at all possible.
You also need to source an appropriate neutral background. A cream or off-white wall is ideal. Tiled areas or not. Your background should be as untextured and plain as possible, simply because the photo must portray a sharp contrast between yourself, and the background. White is often too bright and reflects light too much.
Taking a self-photo may also mean you have to set yourself a seat in your desired location. As you will not be manually controlling the camera, it will need to be positioned at face/ shoulder height to capture a full shot of your head. You may need to utilize a piece of furniture upon which the camera sits at your head height.
Camera
Generally, any type of digital camera will suffice for your passport photo requirements, however, one with at least 5 million mega-pixels is preferable for decent picture clarity. You can always rectify common photo problems within the free passport photo software suite, however, your camera should be able to take clear shots, free from fuzziness.
To take a self-portrait photo, you will first have to set the timer. Prior to doing so, you should check your manual settings such as the flash. As you are taking your self-portrait with a sufficient light source available, the flash will only cause light bounce and red-eye. Make sure your camera focus is set to automatic; this will adjust the focus once you have sat in front of the camera. If you have the “face detection” feature on your camera, it is recommendable to use it, as the camera will automatically “find” your face prior to the timer countdown.
Finally, adjust your timer setting to ensure you have plenty of time to get back to your seat and strike a relaxed pose. There is nothing worse than setting the timer, only for the camera to “take” the picture before you are ready.
Software
Key to achieving perfect passport photos is the photo editing software you use. Most of us are not fortunate enough to have time for Photo Shop tutorials, therefore we need something that features instantaneous editing and printing capabilities. CamToPrint's free passport photo software has editing, re-sizing and printing capabilities all bundled into one chic, easy-to-use program.
Using the software is a cinch, however, there are tutorials featured on the website, should you need a helping hand. CamToPrint recognise that we don't all have time to sit through 30-minute videos, which is why they have created presentations that can be stopped and started at your leisure. They are also extremely simple to understand, demonstrating where you should click next, in step-by-step format. With CamToPrint, you can get started in minutes, and have your printable photos ready to meet the mail deadline the same day!
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