How to take photos for documents without dying of embarrassment

It is very easy to find someone who is not satisfied with their photo in their passport or ID card. Of course, this is not a reason for any serious suffering, because we don’t go around showing these documents to everyone. But if it’s time to renew them, or if you need to take a photo for a visa, this post will be very useful.

O awesome.club gathered for you some simple rules, but capable of avoiding crucial mistakes when taking photos for documents.

One of the most common mistakes is that a person wants to keep their spine straight, but ends up lifting their chin too much. Thus, the nasal passages appear to be facing the camera. The photo is tense and unnatural. In addition, the chin appears larger, giving the photographed a few extra pounds. To prevent this from happening, slightly lower your shoulders without throwing your head back.

Following the line of the previous tip, we should also not lower our head too much or take it back. Otherwise, there is the risk of the infamous double chin. To make your lower face look more defined, move your chin forward slightly, lowering your head just a little.

By document standards adopted in most countries, it’s not polite to smile too much at photos in documents. Not because it’s forbidden to be cheerful in documents, but because a smile can distort your facial features. A slight smile, however, can be welcome and, for that, it is enough to slightly lift the corner of the mouth.

Worse than a lack of a smile are furrowed brows, which can also ruin the results of a photo. To prevent this from happening, raise your eyebrows discreetly, as if you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The technique will make your look more open. The important thing is not to overdo it, so you don’t look like you’ve just been given an electric shock.

Prefer a discreet hairstyle, avoid large volumes and very long bangs. For most official photos, there are requirements that there must be a clear space from the forehead to the top of the photo frame, and the hair must not cover the eyebrows or eyes. Anyone who wears a fully shaved head should be careful to avoid glare on the bald spot.

The main thing to avoid in makeup is pearly and shiny textures (intense lip glosses, glossy shadows, highlighters and the like), as they can cause reflections in photos when the flash is applied. And this can even make the photographed look older. Matte tones are ideal.

Another important point are eyebrows and eyelashes. Both must be clearly defined, since in the photos, these areas suffer a smoky effect. But for lipsticks, the ideal is to opt for matte, with a color similar to the natural tone of the lips, but avoiding skin-colored tones or, on the contrary, too intense.

In most, if not all, document photos, the face needs to be highlighted, so it makes no sense to dress flashy. Large accessories are inappropriate, as are voluminous collars and hoods, which can end up creating the illusion that you have a hunchback, depending on the angle. The ideal option: a simple, monochromatic dark t-shirt or blouse. And for men, a suit and tie are very welcome.