It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!

My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.

We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".

Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
is ok - cope with it!"?
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 31/01/2023 in message <k3sjv8Fcc7qU1@mid.individual.net> Roger Mills
wrote:

>It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
>My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
>online.
>
>We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are too
>dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than some
>to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
>Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo is
>ok - cope with it!"?

I had a similar problem when renewing my driving licence. I had to do it
by post so sent in my DIY picture. It took them 3.5 months to send it back
saying it was unacceptable. I had a professional one done for about £8
and it took them another 3 months to issue the licence.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
There are 3 types of people in this world. Those who can count, and those
who can't.

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

When my daughter renewed her passport in 2021, she took her own photo
and it was accepted, but she took a number of shots before she got it right.

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

Ten years ago when I wanted to renew my passport I gave up trying to do
it at home with a digital camera and tripod in front of a plain wall. In
the end I used a photo booth at a local supermarket and posted the photo
in with the renewal request. I got my new passport in a few weeks.

The photo has been used for driving licence renewal, and another photo
for a bus pass, making the £5 (IIRC) for the booth good value.

--

Jeff

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

When I uploaded my photo, taken in a photo booth, that was rejected by
the robot on the basis that there were reflections in my glasses and
that my eyes were closed. I told it to submit the photo and added a text
message that pointed out that, due to the strength of my correction, the
white background showed in the sides of my glasses, giving the false
appearance of reflections, and that my eyes were open, but, again, the
strength of the correction made them look smaller. The photo was
accepted when it was reviewed by a human.

--
Colin Bignell

On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:59:39 +0000
S Viemeister <firstname@lastname.oc.ku> wrote:

> On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> > It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
> >
> > My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do
> > it online.
> >
> > We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other,
> > but every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that
> > they are too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a
> > lot better than some to the examples they show of "what good looks
> > like".
> >
> > Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> > regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This
> > photo is ok - cope with it!"?
>
> When my daughter renewed her passport in 2021, she took her own photo
> and it was accepted, but she took a number of shots before she got it
> right.

Exactly my experience. I still have the mark on the wall showing me
where to place my, or anybody else's, head for the same purpose.
--
Davey.

On Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 2:16:14 PM UTC, Davey wrote:
> On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:59:39 +0000
> S Viemeister <firs...@lastname.oc.ku> wrote:
>
> > On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> > > It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
> > >
> > > My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do
> > > it online.
> > >
> > > We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other,
> > > but every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that
> > > they are too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a
> > > lot better than some to the examples they show of "what good looks
> > > like".
> > >
> > > Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> > > regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This
> > > photo is ok - cope with it!"?
> >
> > When my daughter renewed her passport in 2021, she took her own photo
> > and it was accepted, but she took a number of shots before she got it
> > right.
> Exactly my experience. I still have the mark on the wall showing me
> where to place my, or anybody else's, head for the same purpose.
> --
> Davey.
We recently renewed our passports and went to a local Max Spielmans. The wife's was OK just had to submit the digital code and all was well. Mine was accepted at the shop but when I completed the application form and submitted the digital number it was unacceptable. The problem turned out my grey/white hair did not stand out against the white background I was being photographed against. Unfortunetly the shop did not have an alternative colour such as the light blue on my previous passport photo so it involved a lot of playing with the camera settings before the photo was acceptable, managed it in the end but it required a second visit to the shop.

Richard

On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:38:47 +0000, Roger Mills
<mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:

>It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
>My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>
>We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
>Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>is ok - cope with it!"?

Is this a scanned image or a jpeg file? I need to renew mine soon but
I am tempted to go to the passport office.

In article <31KdnYd6PrTUvET-nZ2dnZeNn_vNnZ2d@giganews.com>,
Colin Bignell <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk> wrote:
> On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> > It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
> >
> > My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> > online.
> >
> > We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> > every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> > too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> > some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
> >
> > Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> > regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> > is ok - cope with it!"?

> When I uploaded my photo, taken in a photo booth, that was rejected by
> the robot on the basis that there were reflections in my glasses and
> that my eyes were closed. I told it to submit the photo and added a text
> message that pointed out that, due to the strength of my correction, the
> white background showed in the sides of my glasses, giving the false
> appearance of reflections, and that my eyes were open, but, again, the
> strength of the correction made them look smaller. The photo was
> accepted when it was reviewed by a human.

my present photo was taken in a studio with me wearing glasses, Photoshop
(or equivalent) was used to remove problems.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England - sent from my RISC OS 4té
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On 31/01/2023 14:43, charles wrote:
> In article <31KdnYd6PrTUvET-nZ2dnZeNn_vNnZ2d@giganews.com>,
> Colin Bignell <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk> wrote:
>> On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
>>> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>>>
>>> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
>>> online.
>>>
>>> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>>> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>>> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>>> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>>>
>>> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>>> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>>> is ok - cope with it!"?
>
>> When I uploaded my photo, taken in a photo booth, that was rejected by
>> the robot on the basis that there were reflections in my glasses and
>> that my eyes were closed. I told it to submit the photo and added a text
>> message that pointed out that, due to the strength of my correction, the
>> white background showed in the sides of my glasses, giving the false
>> appearance of reflections, and that my eyes were open, but, again, the
>> strength of the correction made them look smaller. The photo was
>> accepted when it was reviewed by a human.
>
> my present photo was taken in a studio with me wearing glasses, Photoshop
> (or equivalent) was used to remove problems.
>

The photo booth issues a digital code, which is submitted instead of an
actual photograph, so no chance to amend it.

--
Colin Bignell

On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:38:47 +0000, Roger Mills
<mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:

>It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
>My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>
>We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
>Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>is ok - cope with it!"?

I did mine in 2016, camera on a tripod using time exposure, took
several photos that looked ok to me but were rejected online. Then I
resubmitted the first one and it was accepted.

charles wrote:

> my present photo was taken in a studio with me wearing glasses, Photoshop
> (or equivalent) was used to remove problems.

"Rules for digital photos
The quality of your digital photo

Your photo must be:

clear and in focus
in colour
unaltered by computer software"

On Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 16:08:29 UTC, Andy Burns wrote:
> charles wrote:
>
> > my present photo was taken in a studio with me wearing glasses, Photoshop
> > (or equivalent) was used to remove problems.
> "Rules for digital photos
> The quality of your digital photo
>
> Your photo must be:
>
> clear and in focus
> in colour
> unaltered by computer software"

The background must be uncluttered too or plain , so wallpaper isn't liked unless well out of focus
and there's no shadows or patterns.

On 31/01/2023 15:00, Scott wrote:
> On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:38:47 +0000, Roger Mills
> <mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>>
>> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>>
>> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>>
>> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>> is ok - cope with it!"?
>
> Is this a scanned image or a jpeg file? I need to renew mine soon but
> I am tempted to go to the passport office.

A jpeg file straight out of the camera. They tell you not to change it
digitally.
--
Cheers,
Roger

On 13:38 31 Jan 2023, Roger Mills said:

> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better
> than some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This
> photo is ok - cope with it!"?

I renewed my passport recently and successfully submitted a photo taken at
home. However the first photo was rejected for some technical fault, so we
retook it making sure there was a plain pale background and good lighting.

It needed quite a few shots and a tripod made it much easier.

I suppose you've seen this:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads
/attachment_data/file/303780/Photoguidance_v7.pdf

Roger Mills wrote:

> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.

I have done mine for passport and driving license without a problem but size matters more then quality

https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports/photo-requirements

--

On Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 13:38:54 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?
> --
> Cheers,
> Roger
I've always taken my own and they've been accepted, but I have followed the rules carefully.
Bill

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless?

No. Done several with prints and 2 with digital.

I'd look to the lighting. I've always used either /diffuse/ daylight
alone or that plus a top-up of /bounce/ flash.

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:38:47 +0000, Roger Mills wrote:

> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

I renewed my passport about three years ago, a bit early so that I could
get one of the burgundy ones!

I went to the photo place attached to the local Tesco. Cost me about a
tenner. An actual photographer, who then test uploaded it to the
government site. Took about three goes because it complained about my left
eye being slightly more closed (that's the fake one, and it does that some
days). But he persisted and it cost no extra. I got prints, was emailed an
electronic version, and they gave me a reference number to use on the
passport form so that I didn't even have to upload it.

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

Roger Mills <mills37.fslife@gmail.com> wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

We had problems when we renewed ours. I think we must have taken a dozen
photos each. Lighting, backgrounds, …. Eventually we succeeded but the ones
which worked looked no different to any of the others.

We were using an iPhone.

Once the system accepted the photos etc, the new passports came through
quite quickly. From memory, this was still during Covid.

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

I had problems with all three of the photos of my children.

I decided that two of the three were acceptable, overrode the rejections
and they were fine. One of those rejections was for the picture being
too light, but he is just naturally pale skinned.

The third was rejected for shadows. I decided that I could do no better
with our lighting, the only suitable bit of wall, a window to one side
and his hair that cast the shadows and so I paid for a professional
photograph for him.

On 31 Jan 2023 at 20:32:01 GMT, wrightsaerials@f2s.com wrote:

> On Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 13:38:54 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
>> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>>
>> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>>
>> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>>
>> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>> is ok - cope with it!"?
>> --
>> Cheers,
>> Roger
> I've always taken my own and they've been accepted, but I have followed the
> rules carefully.
> Bill

+1 - I think following the guide is key. I just used my phone camera and they
were accepted first time.

--
Cheers, Rob, Sheffield UK

RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
> On 31 Jan 2023 at 20:32:01 GMT, wrightsaerials@f2s.com wrote:
>
>> On Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 13:38:54 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
>>> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>>>
>>> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>>>
>>> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>>> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>>> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>>> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>>>
>>> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>>> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>>> is ok - cope with it!"?
>>> --
>>> Cheers,
>>> Roger
>> I've always taken my own and they've been accepted, but I have followed the
>> rules carefully.
>> Bill
>
> +1 - I think following the guide is key. I just used my phone camera and they
> were accepted first time.
>

You can read and try to follow the guide but actually getting the results……

Our problem was finding somewhere with the right background and lighting.

On 01/02/2023 08:02, Brian wrote:
> RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> wrote:
>> On 31 Jan 2023 at 20:32:01 GMT, wrightsaerials@f2s.com wrote:
>>
>>> On Tuesday, 31 January 2023 at 13:38:54 UTC, Roger Mills wrote:
>>>> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>>>>
>>>> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it online.
>>>>
>>>> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
>>>> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
>>>> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
>>>> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
>>>> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
>>>> is ok - cope with it!"?
>>>> --
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Roger
>>> I've always taken my own and they've been accepted, but I have followed the
>>> rules carefully.
>>> Bill
>>
>> +1 - I think following the guide is key. I just used my phone camera and they
>> were accepted first time.
>>
>
> You can read and try to follow the guide but actually getting the results……
>
> Our problem was finding somewhere with the right background and lighting.

Yep. I found that it was easy to get a photo using the camera on a
tripod, self-timer, and sitting in front of a cream-coloured painted
wall, but the problem was shadows behind my head when the flash went
off. I tried lighting the wall behind, but then the camera exposure of
my face was too dark! Spot focussing on my face gave that the correct
exposure, but then the wall behind was too light.

Probably flash partially bounced off the ceiling would have given a
better result, but although I could have done that in the past with my
SLR and off-camera flash, it isn't possible with my digital compact camera.

--

Jeff

On 31/01/2023 13:38, Roger Mills wrote:
> It's DIY really, 'cos it involves taking your own photograph!
>
> My wife and I need to renew our passports, and we're trying to do it
> online.
>
> We're following all the advice when we take photos of each other, but
> every time we try to upload them it rejects them saying that they are
> too dark or unevenly lit. but, in my opinion, they're a lot better than
> some to the examples they show of "what good looks like".
>
> Has anyone else found this? Are they going to reject DIY photos
> regardless? Has anyone been successful by saying, in effect "This photo
> is ok - cope with it!"?

Yes I found that to be the case with my wife and both daughters!

This was despite taking pictures against a landing wall which is a plain
buttermilk emulsionbehind them and a 3 x 4 LED landing ceiling light in
front of them and above the photographer's hwad. This was also despite
using a 10 MP camera on a tripod.....

All had been rejected as being too dark.....

Cue many retries still no further forward....

Then I loaded the photos into photoshop and clicked on "auto-correct"
and saved....

These autocorrected pictures then uploaded first time!

Autocorrect automatically adjusts the brightness, contrast and the
colour balance......

S.