Canadian Passports in Southern Maine
Here at Robert Akers Photography we do all kinds of passports for the US, Canada and others. And people come to us for a couple of reasons. The first is because we do them correctly. Canadian Passports can be very expensive and the officials that judge the pictures are very picky about following the rules and doing it correctly. So much so that they require a professional to create it. The second reason people come to us is because they had someone else do it and it was rejected and they don’t want to waste their money again.
Here are the requirements for a Canadian Passport Photo
- clear, sharp and in focus
- taken with a neutral facial expression
- eyes open and clearly visible
- mouth closed, no smiling
- taken in person by a commercial photographer or studio with:
- uniform lighting and with no shadows, glare or flash reflections
- face and shoulders to the camera: straight-on, centered and squared
- a plain white or light-coloured background with a clear difference between your face and the background. Photos must reflect/represent natural skin tones.
- 50 mm wide X 70 mm high (2 inches wide X 2- 3/4 inches long)
- the height of the face measures between 31 mm (1- 1/4 inches) and 36 mm (1- 7/16 inches) from chin to crown of head (natural top of head)
- an image of your current appearance, taken within the last six months
- professionally printed on plain, high quality photographic paper
- we don’t accept photos printed at home and photos printed on heavy weight paper
- original photos that are not altered in any way or taken from an existing photo
What is an altered photo?
An altered photo refers to any photo that has been edited or changed in any way, by any means, and includes:
- technical corrections or enhancements, such as:
- adjustments to colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness
- cropping around the subject’s head and shoulders, including:
- cutting and pasting the subject against a white background
- editing of the facial features, such as:
- changing size or shape of eyes, nose, mouth or ears
- editing to improve the appearance of the subject, such as:
- removing glare
- removing red-eye
- changing hair colour
- eliminating wrinkles, blemishes or birthmarks
- editing the subject’s clothing, including changing colours
- changing the background, including eliminating shadows
Extra details
We accept photos with:
- glasses worn if:
- your eyes are clearly visible
- there is no glare on the lenses
- hair down or up
- hats and head coverings worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons if:
- your full face is clearly visible
- the head covering doesn’t cast shadows on your face
Photos may be in colour or in black and white
We don’t accept photos with:
- sunglasses or tinted eye glasses (even when the eyes are clearly visible)
- red-eye effect or red-eye alterations
- hats and head coverings not worn daily for religious beliefs or medical reasons
- shadows, as lighting must be uniform to avoid shadows:
- around the ears
- in the background
- across the face or shoulders
That’s quite a list isn’t it. So if you would like to save money now you can try CVS, Walgreens, Costco, walmart, AAA,UPS Stores and some USPS. The cost will be 10 to 15 dollars. The cost for the application is around $120 or $160 depending on if it is a 5 year or ten year passport. So while the cost is low, you flip a coin with how much the person knows about your passport picture creation.
Here are some examples of successful Canadian Passport Pictures.
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