S/O people are still paying for passport photos

[Anonymous]

In this day of digital applications and selfies, why are people paying other people to take their passport phptos?

Ok sure sometimes you need a passport photo printed but that's what's photo paper is for.

[Anonymous]

Who has photo paper? I haven't owned a printer in over 15 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this day of digital applications and selfies, why are people paying other people to take their passport phptos?

Ok sure sometimes you need a passport photo printed but that's what's photo paper is for.

We in theory get passport photos paid for through my work but I don’t think we’ve ever even bothered to claim since it’s like 10$ per person? Either way as total Luddite the fee seems more than reasonable to me to avoid hassle but ymmv.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I own a printer but I got them done at CVS as I didn't feel like hassling with it.

[Anonymous]

Also copiers and photo paper aren't free...but whatever.

[Anonymous]

I paid $27 for terrible photos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also copiers and photo paper aren't free...but whatever.

NP here,I think the point of OP wasn't about the printing cost. It's about paying for someone else to take it.

At most it's around 50 cents to print a 4x6 photo at CVS or Walgreens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In this day of digital applications and selfies, why are people paying other people to take their passport phptos?

Ok sure sometimes you need a passport photo printed but that's what's photo paper is for.

We in theory get passport photos paid for through my work but I don’t think we’ve ever even bothered to claim since it’s like 10$ per person? Either way as total Luddite the fee seems more than reasonable to me to avoid hassle but ymmv.

That is a VERY random job benefit.

[Anonymous]

CVS has an app that can check that it will pass the requirements. I am sure i could dig one up, but it's a little outing and I get a sweet treat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CVS has an app that can check that it will pass the requirements. I am sure i could dig one up, but it's a little outing and I get a sweet treat.

Unfortunately it doesn’t work on babies. Ask me how I know. And you can’t override the algorithm to get it to print correctly.

Also, because I’m lazy OP. And I hate printers. That could be a whole thread: people who hate printers and copiers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In this day of digital applications and selfies, why are people paying other people to take their passport phptos?

Ok sure sometimes you need a passport photo printed but that's what's photo paper is for.

We in theory get passport photos paid for through my work but I don’t think we’ve ever even bothered to claim since it’s like 10$ per person? Either way as total Luddite the fee seems more than reasonable to me to avoid hassle but ymmv.

That is a VERY random job benefit.

Well we’re expats, so typically travel related cost are covered through work. The point being that it’s such a minor cost that I wouldn’t even bother to claim it even though it’s an option, much less post on an Internet forum to question why random strangers are spending money rather than DIYing it.

[Anonymous]

motophoto in Bethesda does great passport photos. Totally worth it and cost is minimal for something you'll be using for a decade.

[Anonymous]

I have a little story about that.

The French Embassy gives us grief every time we renew passports, because they really want people to use the official photo service, and not print out photos at CVS. So the passport lady always sighs when she sees our photos, then says our photos won't be accepted by the computer system, they're too contrasted, not contrasted enough, we're not looking straight at the camera, the face dimensions are off, we look weird, it's all odd, the background isn't the right shade of nothing... and lo and behold, she scans it into the computer, the software accepts it, no prob.

But the rigmarole and shaming and guilting is a ritual at this point. DH digs his heels in and now makes it a point of pride to take our photos and get them printed at the CVS.

Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a little story about that.

The French Embassy gives us grief every time we renew passports, because they really want people to use the official photo service, and not print out photos at CVS. So the passport lady always sighs when she sees our photos, then says our photos won't be accepted by the computer system, they're too contrasted, not contrasted enough, we're not looking straight at the camera, the face dimensions are off, we look weird, it's all odd, the background isn't the right shade of nothing... and lo and behold, she scans it into the computer, the software accepts it, no prob.

But the rigmarole and shaming and guilting is a ritual at this point. DH digs his heels in and now makes it a point of pride to take our photos and get them printed at the CVS.

Sigh.

Ha the French governments being very particular about bureaucratic requirements is definitely to be expected.

[Anonymous]

Correct, OP!

Everyone should download an app, figure out the photo timer thing, have a white background (or is that part of the app?), have a printer even if they haven't owned one in 20 years, and buy photo paper that they'll use for their next set of passport photos in 10 years.

I'm pretty frugal, but some things aren't worth it. I don't need a perfect Instageam passport photo. I just need a photo every 10 years.