Bad ID photos are like a piece of gum that got on your shoe: they stick with you for a while!
Having a bad driver’s license photo can seem like an inescapable problem for the four years until you get it renewed, but that’s nothing compared to a bad passport picture!
And when you think of the ten years of having every airport worker holding back a laugh when you go through security, there’s a lot riding on one photo.
Thankfully for us, TikTok user @camlyn is here to show us how to get a passport that doesn’t make us look like a troll, and she says the secret is finding the right store to take it!
Check it out!
After her own passport photo fiasco, Camlyn starts off her video with a very clear directive on which store NOT to go to for a good passport picture: Walgreens.
“PSA if you’re about to go get your passport photo taken, do not go to Walgreens. Go to Staples!”
If I could add another little gem of advice to Camlyn’s warning: Whatever you do, do not get your photo taken at the post office. They will do you so unbelievably dirty. Trust me.
She then shows the “unflattering” picture that she had taken at Walgreens, which she said was a result of the poor lighting they used.
“They used a little handheld digital camera. No lighting, no flash, no anything.”
She said unequivocally that she “did not want this on my passport for the next however many years. I hated it.”
But instead of settling for a sub-par passport photo, she decided to shop around and see which store could get her the best photo.
And when she took her business to Staples, she finally found a set up she was happy with!
“They had a lit-up backdrop, they used a big DSLR camera, and they used the flash.
At the video’s end, she compares the two photos side by side, with Walgreens on the right and Staples on the left.
“Like look at this… Lighting makes a big difference!”
I hate to say it, but am I the only one who doesn’t think the pictures look that different apart from the photo from Staples being the tiniest bit softer?
Check out the video for yourself!
@camlyn Walgreens did me so dirty 😭😭 #passportphoto #passportmakeup
TikTok had a lot to say about this one, with this former Walgreens employee saying not to blame them for a bad picture!
A lot of people said while the Staples one may have been a better picture, it didn’t even look like her.
Another former employee confessed they were not paid enough to care how your pictures came out!
Some commenters took this moment to try and humble Camlyn.
And finally, this user asked why it even mattered in the first place.
Not to throw a wrench in this whole debate, but you could also just get a picture taken at the passport office.
It’s free!
If you liked that story, check out this video from a former Chipotle employee who reveals how the company cheats customers out of food.