Posted by
wcman
17 yrs ago
Hi all,
I'm trying to find a place (in west Kowloon) where I can take passport photos suitable for a British passport.
Reading the guidelines from the British Consulate, the photos cannot have marks such as watermarks ... I'm trying to find a place or machine that does this without me going directly to the British Consulate as it's a bit of a trip for me.
I did take some photo from my local 'photo' shop and I was assured by the guy that the photos are ok even with a watermark, but I think recently the rules have changed and they are doing the biometric passports.
Any ideas anyone?
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Surely by 'watermark' they're referring to something emblazed over the image itself, not just scralled across the back (i.e. 'kodak')
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Yeah, they have changed and are quite strict as to what photos they will accept for a biometric passport (the photo is now scanned in as part of the page in the passport), I had to renew my passport when I lived in another country and sent my application by post (the consulate was in a different city) three times before they finally accepted the photo I gave them. Its not to difficult to adhere to their standards, but the photographers in the country I was living in at the time were muppets.
I don't think a watermark will be acceptable. Just make sure the background for the passport photo is white. For some reason I didn't check the guidelines for photographs the first time I sent the application in, not realising the importance of the photo. And the tos$er photographer gave me one with a blue background. What kind of self respecting photographer takes passport sized photos using a blue background. Even worse what kind of idiot client (meaning me) doesn't even check when he picks his pictures up and attaches them to the application without first having read the guidelines properly.
Anyway the consulate promptly sent the application back to me as being unacceptable and did so on two other occassions. I finally found a photographer who did normal passport photographs a simple one taken on a plain white background (Something difficult to find where i was living.) and that did the trick.
The long and the short of it is, if you live in Hong Kong it should be fairly easy to get an acceptable passport photograph, No watermarks, and on a plain white background should definitely be acceptable
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wcman
17 yrs ago
>mod 83 - In the guidelines, they mean no marks on the back of the photo. I've never seen watermarks in front of passport photos ;)
>db - Thanks for the advice, I should be able to find a place but still looking. Do all machines print with their logo on the back or some kind of watermark? Also, remember the local guy who did my photos - he trimmed the photos manually to make it 45mm by 35mm, yet it states in the guidelines you can't do that. These new rules are turning out to be a pain...
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foxy
17 yrs ago
actually, the difficult part in having these pictures taken is that your face must be between 29 and 34 mm long in the picture... i went to a couple of places where they take passport pictures and they just couldnt get it right.
i eventually found a place in the united centre that knew exactly how to do them. i think its on the first or second floor.
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Now you can trim the photos, I trimmed my photos, and not all machines will print with a logo or watermark. To be honest I think you could get away with a logo backside as long as it isn't raised. because the photo actually becomes part of the page and is not stuck on to the page as it was previously. There is a photographer on Obrien Road Wanchai which is just off Lockhart Road that does pretty decent passport photo's. Come out the Lockhart Road exit of the MTR and its directly across the road. IF he is not suitable, there are a few other photographers in that area as well.
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I'd suggest taking foxy's advice, if she knows someone who knows exactly how to handle it then that would probably be the best place to start,
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lace
17 yrs ago
It's the Fotomax in United Center that does them right. They are "trained" by all the rejected photos from the German Consulate in the same building. It did happen to me too. I went to the shop and they had all the guidelines and got it right instantly.
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wcman
17 yrs ago
Hi everyone, thanks for the discussion.
The guy who is countersigning the back of my photos is a busy traveling guy so I need to get everything correct for the passport guys. I certainly don't want to run around wasting time.
Wow, thx for the lead about fotomax, I think I've seen a shop close to me so I think I'll go and try it!
Best!!!
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I think its probably best if you visit the one in United Center as posted earlier as they seem to have experience with biometric passport photographs. If you go to another one the staff might not know exactly what is required.
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cd
17 yrs ago
My familys had 3 of the new type of passports done in the last year. Had no problem with the usual little video shop that I normally go to in Sai Kung, where I've had the photos done for the last 6 years. Did have to get them redone once, but not because of any marks on the back of the photo, or size, but because my daughter was showing some teeth (i.e smiling), you're not allowed to smile any more in the photos.
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Have you tried the Fotomax in United Center, the local one might have a watermark, but if the one in United Center has experience doing passport photos for various consulates i.e. British and German, then they should be able to provide the desired photo. Worst case scenario if they dont, is you would have to go across the road to the British Consulate. All though I hate machine taken passport photos.
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cd
17 yrs ago
The place I use has the name of the paper on the back of the photo, is that what you mean by watermark? if it is then it didn't make any difference to being able to use it on the new type of passports.
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My kids both had new passports a few months ago ... had their photos taken in the photo machine at Airport Express Station ... had no problems with those unless things have changed since then.
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foxy
17 yrs ago
online alternative:
http://www.epassportphoto.com/
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