ID & Passport Photos - how do you wear your hair?

**enfys** · July 30th, 2009, 12:51 PM

Haha funny this should come up, I'm taking my new passport photo tomorrow!

I'm gutted, I looked stunning in my last photo, don't know how that happened but my face looks really warm and tanned, with really smoky eyes. I still look the same, why do I need a new photo? It's only two years old.

Anyway.

I will just have my hair back in a bun of some kind, either with an alice band or natural pouf. I'm more bothered about avoiding messy behind-the-ear whispies.

**enfys** · July 30th, 2009, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by WavyGirl

I was reading on a site about reading peoples faces and they pointed out that most ID photos look bad because the subject is not really into getting their picture taken "I'm doing this because I HAVE to..." and it shows in the staring eyes and set features. So my tip is to think of something happy even if you're not smiling. It will still show.

Yup. I agree with this. Also, while smiling isn't allowed you can get away with your best pout. You just have to pucker up a bit on any borders you cross. I look like I had a bit of collagen to inflate me, and it's much more flattering.

**Copasetic** · July 30th, 2009, 01:01 PM

I just go with how I normally wear my hair. In my driver's licence and health card photos my hair is just pulled back with a side part. I've thought about trying to looking decent in ID photos, seeing as I am stuck with it for 5 years, but I generally end up renewing ID during my lunch hour, or on my way to work so I don't have time to look nice :P

**florenonite** · July 30th, 2009, 02:11 PM

Sometimes I wear it down or in a half-up, but I also often do a French or fishtail braid. With these, the hair is somewhat loose above my ears (it's hard to explain;it's not pulled taut like it would be in a bun) so it doesn't look as severe as it would in a bun.

**Eden_Rayn** · July 30th, 2009, 08:49 PM

I wore my hair down for my DL (it was a year ago and it was just hitting my chin). I could not do much with it at the time and I look totally different however it is by far the most flattering photo I took for my DL. All I have to say is think about puppies and one does not have the "I hate my life" or "I don't want to be here" look on their face. LOL

**noelgirl** · July 31st, 2009, 09:24 AM

I usually wear my hair down for ID photos. One time I was carded for wine and I was wearing my hair up, and the guy looked at the photo and asked, "What happened to all that beautiful hair?". So I turned around and showed him the bun

I guess because it was a low bun and some front layers were coming out of it, it looked short from the front.

**SimplyLonghair** · July 31st, 2009, 09:34 AM

In my last passport I have my hair down and Blonde!!!!! So it really doesn't look like me. I think this time I am going to do a gibson girl bun, flattering but not hard to live with for a days work. I have to get a new on as mine just expired.

**Themyst** · July 31st, 2009, 09:46 AM

I've been questioned before because my ID photo didn't look 'anything like me'. I'm one of those people with many different looks. I got my passport cards done oh, about two months ago and I look completely different from my card pic now. People get all suspicious ... and since I cross the border a lot, it is a real bother.

It's the same with my signature. I don't have a consistent signature, I never have. So I am always flagged when I have to sign a credit card receipt with those places that have the sig recognition software. Then I have to rip my whole wallet apart with things that have sigs on them to compare.

I get hassled a lot. Yay for technology.

**windinherhair** · July 31st, 2009, 10:25 AM

These pictures I don't even try for anymore. I am usually always disappointed anyway!

My passport photo I just wore my hair straight down, and my recent driver's license photo wasn't much different although now I have bangs which I think adds a little something.

**florenonite** · July 31st, 2009, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Themyst

It's the same with my signature. I don't have a consistent signature, I never have. So I am always flagged when I have to sign a credit card receipt with those places that have the sig recognition software. Then I have to rip my whole wallet apart with things that have sigs on them to compare.

I get hassled a lot. Yay for technology.

I panicked when I sent off the form for my provisional driving licence because my signature on the form is totally different from the one on my passport. I got my passport two years ago, and there's a tiny space for your signature, so my signature there is all cramped, and it has my full last name (now I kind of get the first letter and the last two, the rest is a burbled mess

). I was worried that they wouldn't believe it was me because my signature was so different. I also look totally different in my passport as my hair's shoulder-length and blonde, and I was really tanned (it was the end of the summer). In the picture I sent for the licence, I'm not tanned, and have long brown hair which I had back in a braid.