Passport Photo

[bjarvis]

I finally found a place in the greater DC area which will do photos in a format suitable for Canadian passports. With nothing else planned for this morning, I dashed out to University Blvd & Colesville Rd (about three miles from home) to get the photos while Kent was still getting dressed.



For what it's worth, I hate the new photo requirements. The specification that the picture be taken with a "neutral" (read: blank and/or stoned) expression is utterly unflattering, especially for an official document which has a lifetime of 5 years. What a great way to make a good first impression when visiting a foreign country. :-^ The part that irks me is that the requirement is essentially a concession to automated facial recognition systems and their inability to deal with three-quarter profiles, expressions of happiness/sadness/whatever and the inability of bureaucrats to consider more secure alternatives for official documents.



Now I just have to find a window of opportunity to get downtown to have my would-be guarantor can sign & initial on the dotted lines so I can drop my renewal in the mail.

Comments

[pectopah.livejournal.com]

My US passport is good for 10 years and I am reaching year 8 with it. I don't look like me anymore and the US Border Protection Agency has told me so--the glasses and beard are a big change.

It is funny how the system "works". I have a Canadian friend in VT who goes back and forth all of the time with his expired for-2-years passport. He's even renewed his visa using it--if he flew, he couldn't get on the plane with an expired passport, but with driving the rules are different.

I don't have my Permanent Resident card yet (any day, I hope), but I was told in no uncertain terms Not To Smile. On the other hand, I was encouraged to smile for my Quebec drivers license.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Both Ontario and Maryland have allowed me to smile for my photo... it seems only federal documentation forbids expressions of happiness and/or joy, which they reinforce with stupid pseud-security tricks when travelling. Apparently, if people smiled for their photos, the terrorists win. :-^