How Do Children’s Photos Differ From Adult Photos?
The requirements for a photo submitted with an application for a child’s or baby’s passport are largely the same as for an adult passport, although some allowances are made for the age of the subject –
- Babies can be supported by a hand, but the hand must not be seen in the submitted photo
- No dummies or toys must be in the picture
- Children under 6 do not need a neutral expression
- Babies under 1 do not need their eyes open
All other requirements, such as the size of the head within the picture and using a plain background must be adhered to.
Although most babies cope surprisingly well with camera flash, you may only get one or two chances before the novelty wears off. Because of this, a large room with plenty of natural light makes the best environment for taking photos of babies and very young children.
If it is impractical to support the baby’s head from behind – remembering that the hand cannot be visible in the finished photo – it may help to lie the baby down on a flat white or cream surface and take the photo from above. Babies are used to parents being above them like this, and so is a fairly normal situation for the baby to be in.
As long as the basic rules are followed, the image can be adjusted in our Biometric Passport Template.
