7 Tips to Make Your Baby Passport Photo Session Easier
Spring Break is coming up and for some families this means they’ll be ‘leaving on a jet plane’–not mine but maybe yours–perhaps you’ll be visiting family or venturing to warmer climates. Before you board that plane you and the rest of your family need to have your passports and that includes babies too.
Getting a baby passport photo taken can prove to be a difficult task but it doesn’t have to be if you prepare by following these simple tips.
- Call ahead. Two reasons - Make sure the place you going will take a baby passport photo and the person working has experience. Someplace will charge extra for babies so ask ahead if there’s an additional fee.
- Nap, feed, burp, change. No one likes to be tired, hungry, gassy, wet or stinky…especially babies. A good sleep, full tummy and clean diaper can help something that may take 15-30 minutes only take 15-30 seconds.
- Colour does matter. Light clothing against the required white background tends to wash babies out, causing ‘hot spots’ where they wouldn’t usually have them. Bright, vibrant colours photograph best and they can make a baby passport photo a little more flattering.
- Plain shirts are best. No turtlenecks, no sleeveless shirts and no hoodies…nothing that can obstruct the face. Sleepers for non-sitters are a big no-no. Plain shirts or diaper shirts, something you’re able to put one hand up the front of the shirt and the other up the back will help babies with no neck support and keep your fingers from being visible.
- Bring snacks or a pacifier. Yes, I mentioned above your baby should be fed before you go to your photographer but you never know when there little tummies will start to grumble or you need something to help get their little mouths closed.
- Let your photographer do the work. It can be frustrating for your photographer and your baby to have too many people trying to get the babies attention, this can result in your baby not looking directly at the camera or being too visually stimulated and crying instead. Let your photographer use whatever tricks they have and wait for them to ask for your help.
- Bring your patience. Don’t expect to walk in to the photography studio and have everything go smoothly with your baby passport photo because when it doesn’t–which 9 out of 10 times happens–you’ll be stressed and then your baby will be stressed, resulting in more tears from both of you.
Have you had your baby passport photo session yet?
Now I want to live vicariously through you…Are you planning on going away for Spring Break? If so, where to?
21 Comments
Dawn @Simple & Savoury
Great tips! I think letting the Photographer do the work is pretty important, kids always behave better for other lol
Amanda Komoski
I know mine certainly do Dawn 😉
Heather Lynne
This kind of information is so helpful for your first time doing something like this! Great list. 🙂
Amanda Komoski
Thank you Heather! I find myself having to turn parents away or ask them to come back because they weren’t aware of these before they came in.
Angela V
Great tips! I remember getting passport photos for both of our boys when they were very young, took a long time but we finally got them right!
Amanda Komoski
I’m glad to hear you were able to get them done Angela! There’s nothing worse than not being able to go n vacation because the little ones won’t sit for a quick snap.
Monica
Great tips! I have never had to have passport photos taken of my kids when they were infants but for anyone who does, your tips are invaluable!
Izabela
Great tips. I don’t have kids so I can only imagine how difficult it is to take passport photos of your offsprings when they’re little.
Joely Smith
Great tips! I worked as a travel agent for a few years - MANY Years ago and no one even thought about great tips like this. Now if only I could get motivated to go get my own passport ! LOL to think there are babies with them and I have not haha
Amanda Komoski
Don’t feel bad Joely, I don’t have one either. I keep telling my hubby that we need to get them just in case and it doesn’t look like it’s happening anytime soon.
Elizabeth O
These are all great reminders and wonderful tips to use when taking that precious photo. I like the way you lay it out.
StylishGeek
My friends are visiting me with their 4 month old baby and she was just relating to me the passport photo experience! Bringing the pacifier, just as you mentioned, really helped. Thanks for sharing your wonderful tips!
Nikki
These tips are very helpful when someone getting a baby for travelling” Its so hard to take a nice passport photo especially when the are little”
April G
These are all great tips. i would love to tell this to my hubby and make this for our son, Love the ideas
Carmela Mempin
This is a huge help for me since I’m not still a mom. I can relate on this soon.
Rosey
We saved my son’s first passport picture because it was so cute.:) These are good tips.
Elizabeth Matthiesen
Marvellous tips. I remember having to have a passport photo taken for our youngest (9 mth old). We didn’t need them in Europe for babies. It was not easy by any means.
Amanda
It never is 😉
Victoria Ess
Great ideas!
Photo Stop
All the tips are impressive to make photo session easier. Definetly, it will help the people to make the baby passport photo task easy.
Amanda Komoski
Thank you!