Seeker Photography » Portraits

Passport Photos, avoid the stress

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:24:18 +0000

I’m often asked if we can do passport photos – yes of course we can, we can do almost anything.

But, really the question should be “Will we do passport photos?”

Have you ever looked at the Passport Authorities guidelines for passport photos? In these technologically advanced days when they want all of the images to uniformly suit their automated scanning processes the guidelines have become increasingly strict.

The rules for passport photos – from Direct.gov

The photographs you supply with your application must:

show you with a neutral expression and your mouth closed (no grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows)
show you on your own (babies should not have toys or a dummy, and there shouldn’t be other people in the photo)
be in colour, not black and white
be identical
be taken within the last month
be 45 millimetres high x 35 millimetres wide – this is the standard size when you have a passport photo taken in a photo booth or studio (you should not trim a larger photograph to meet this condition)
be clear and in sharp focus, with a clear difference between your face and the background
be taken against a plain cream or plain light grey background
not show you with red-eye
be of you facing forward and looking straight at the camera
not be torn, creased, or marked
be printed on plain white photographic paper
be free from shadows
be taken with your eyes open and clearly visible (no sunglasses or tinted glasses and no hair across your eyes)
be free from reflection or glare on your glasses, and the frames must not cover your eyes – the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) recommends that, if possible, you remove your glasses
be professionally printed (photographs printed at home are not likely to be of an acceptable quality)
show your full head, without any head covering, unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons
be taken with nothing covering your face – you should make sure nothing covers the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth
be a close-up of your head and shoulders with a recommended head height (the distance between the bottom of your chin and the crown of your head) between 29 and 34 mm
not have any writing on the front or back – except when one of the photos needs to be certified

So really we should be thinking what’s the point in making life difficult for ourselves by shooting it manually, adjusting the head size in Photoshop, sending it to the lab for printing.

Today I had to get new passport photos, do you know what I did?

I didn’t go into the studio, shoot myself against a white background, etc, etc – I went to the shopping centre, put £4 in the machine and had the photos in a couple of minutes – easy.

If you really insist on doing it yourself try these websites:

People Prefer The Dentist To Portraits

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:11:44 +0000

Around one in five people would rather visit the dentist than have their picture taken, according to a survey by Fujifilm USA.

Would you rather be here than having your photo taken?

The poll found that 73% of women ‘feel uneasy’ in front of the camera compared with 50% of men.

Weight and hairstyle concerns are the main reasons for their “picture phobia”, explained a spokesman.

Of those surveyed, 18% preferred to go to the dentist than pose for a picture, 44% preferred to do the laundry, while 34% would rather pay the bills.

How about combining the two and photographing dentists!

Imagine how I felt, a genuine “dentophobist” when I had to do a photoshoot of a dental practise.

We realise that lots of people hate having their photo taken, but I promise that I won’t hurt you – how many dentists can make that guarantee.

Portrait Photography

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:46:44 +0000

Family, child and personal portraits

Because we know what’s important with portrait photography – capturing the real you, we like you to relax and have fun!

Shots of you and your family at home, in the studio, on the beach or any other location that’s personal to you.

How much would you expect to pay for this? Hundreds of pounds up front plus a small fortune for a limited number of framed prints that we pressurise you into buying?

No, our photoshoot start at only £50!

Call us now on 01202 779604 to book your session.

£50 – photoshoot inc 9×6″ print (30 mins)
£90 – photoshoot inc three 9×6″ prints (1 hr)
£130 – photoshoot including ALL of the images (and there will be lots) on a CD (1 hr)
£200 – photoshoot & CD (up to 2 hours, in various locations and with changes of clothes if required)

Studio £35/hr extra

All prices + VAT

Gift vouchers also available for any of the above photoshoots and the price is not printed on the vouchers.

We can produce beautiful framed prints and canvases for you, but you don’t have to buy from us, you’ve got all of the files and you can get them printed wherever you want.
Contact us now on 01202 779604 to book your photoshoot, there’s a whole world out there… let’s capture it!

Valentine Portraits – Special Offer

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:55:22 +0000

Valentine / Family Portrait Photography

Show them how much you love them with a special Valentine’s portrait shoot.

We’re holding a portrait photoshoot day on Sunday 28th February at the Ramada Encore hotel in Bournemouth.

So whether it’s your loved one, kids or family book a shoot and show them how much you care.

With the shoot costing a mere £30 inc a 9″x6″ print, and reprints starting at £5 you can’t go wrong.