kids passport photos

[Hoogy]

Well we went ahead and booked a 4 day cruise for early Nov. but the kids don't have passports. I need to get their photos done but I'm not sure where the best place would be. I'm not worried about the 7 and 9 year old....its the 2.5 and 8 month old! The guidelines worry me....what kid doesn't make an expression or open their mouth for a picture (well at least when you don't want them too! )
Anybody have good experiences?

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Well we went ahead and booked a 4 day cruise for early Nov. but the kids don't have passports. I need to get their photos done but I'm not sure where the best place would be. I'm not worried about the 7 and 9 year old....its the 2.5 and 8 month old! The guidelines worry me....what kid doesn't make an expression or open their mouth for a picture (well at least when you don't want them too! )
Anybody have good experiences?

Should have seen the photographer with my ghostie white five year old...between trying to get the colour "dark" enough, getting no smile, and her head in the right place, it took about a half an hour. However, with digital cameras these days, it's not such a big deal...they'll just keep taking pictures until they get it right!

Good luck, but allow LOTS of time

Edited to add: We got ours done at Shoppers Drugmart...a little more expensive, but the only place that will do it in Tsawwassen without an appointment.
Heather

 

[tmli]

As someone who has had to take the pics I can tell ya its not fun! They are a little more lenient with very young children as far as mouth open etc. Make sure they are not wearing white shirts as they will blend into the background and be refused.

 

[disneypalgal]

I've had them done at Blacks and at our Superstore. Both did a great job, but Blacks "guaranteed" theirs.

Remember to fill in your passport applications online - much faster if you go in person!

p.

 

[myasmum]

Wal*Mart and Sears (portrat studios) both do kids passport photos. They seem to be less expensive when we went there.
Good Luck

 

[2forMe]

I think that most places that take passport photos can deal with how hard it can be to get little kids their pictures.. just be prepared to have many taken. Also when I had to get ds pictures done when he was about 8 months old we did not get perfect ones but they were OK for the passport office. Are you able to go in person to a counter.. that would be best

 

[squirrel]

I took my niece (3) to Shopper's and the lady said she would try to do it but they weren't really set up for doing small children.

I would go to Wal-Mart or Sears if you can. They have a portrait studio.

It took about 10 min to get my niece to stand straight and not have her hands up by her mouth, etc.

 

[dioxide45]

The best place to go is a place that is close to a passport office. I went to Windsor to apply in person and my photos were rejected. Was able to go to a local store. Since they were just down the street from the passport office, they get a lot of customers with rejected photos, so they know how to make them right.

 

[Hoogy]

The best place to go is a place that is close to a passport office. I went to Windsor to apply in person and my photos were rejected. Was able to go to a local store. Since they were just down the street from the passport office, they get a lot of customers with rejected photos, so they know how to make them right.

But don't you have to have a guarantor sign the back of the photo?

I think I will try Wal-mart. Shouldn't they all gaurantee their photos? Thanks for the tips on not wearing white!
I will definitely go to the office directly (probably London) since I don't want anything getting "lost" like birth certificates!

 

[blizzard]

Just did passports for my 2.5 year old and my 1 month old. Some tips that I have:

Pick a place where they put the baby on a board and take the photo down. This time we didn't, and it took forever to get a good photo without my hands and with the baby's head upright enough. Also the eyes have to be open. (When I did my son's original passport, Japan Camera did passport photos on a board for babies)

For the 2.5 year old, bribery works the best, but it is by no means foolproof. We also had to take several shots before we got one that worked. Give them a small candy to put in their mouth for the picture so their mouth is closed. Promise more when you're done.

Be prepared to spend 20-30 minutes to get both kids done, and look like a fool doing the "look at mommy! look at mommy!". It was a generally unpleasant, but necessary procedure.

PS. If you are also doing your own passports, fill out the online application. You can't do children's passports online (at least you couldn't a little while ago), so if you just have the kids you will have to go through the other line.

Good Luck!

 

[Aimerskoeh]

I've had them done at Blacks and at our Superstore. Both did a great job, but Blacks "guaranteed" theirs.

Remember to fill in your passport applications online - much faster if you go in person!

p.

I also agree with Blacks. I went to shoppers Drug Market first and they could not even get a good enough picture of me taken never mind kids, asked me to come back the next the day, and same thing shadows etc...
So I went to blacks, a bit more expense but they do guarantee their photos, and they also give you a passport holder for once you recieve your passport which is very nice and handy.

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

If you're a CAA member, you can also try there. It's been a few years since I did my passport, but that's where I had mine done.

 

[Charleyann]

But don't you have to have a guarantor sign the back of the photo?

We got our passports in March. One picture had to be signed by a gaurantor.

Charleyann

 

[disneyfan2]

I thought i read somewhere if you are renewing a passport you don;'t need a gaurantor any longer to sign.
However, my passport expired in Jan and now i am renewing, does anyone know if this still applies?

 

[jmtf2004]

I got passport photos done for my DS7 and DS2 when they were 5 and 9mo. I got the photo for the older son done at Blacks in Niagara Falls without any difficulties...but they said they could not do the baby (this may have changed by now). We tried Sears in St Catharines, the photog was useless - tried over and over (and over...) all to no avail - none of the photos was suitable and at that point my son was not having any more of it. Turns out (on another day) we ended up going to a photography studio that was close to the Passport Office (in St Catharines) - wasn't planned, just saw the sign outside the shop that said 'Passport Photos' and went for it. That photographer got the shot the *first* time! Took a couple others just in case, but the first one was great. So the tip about going near the Passport office worked for us. We did still have to get the photo signed by the guarantor, so it wasn't like we got the pic, then headed directly up to the Passport Office, but at least we got the photo! (I was beginning to think I was not going to be able to get it done).
So do allow yourself a lot of time...and perhaps you may have to try on more than one day to get it, so if possible don't leave it till the last moment.
The tip about giving a youngster a goody to have them keep their mouth closed (and then another as incentive to sit for the photo) is great! Something to keep in mind when I have to get my younger son's renewed.

 

[SherylR]

and they were great for our kids. AND they guarantee the pictures as well.
I think it was about $8.00 and we had them in minutes.
The pics were fine and we have our passports!

 

[LindaM]

I thought i read somewhere if you are renewing a passport you don;'t need a gaurantor any longer to sign.
However, my passport expired in Jan and now i am renewing, does anyone know if this still applies?

Anyone with a valid passport can now sign a new or renewed application. I just signed one for a friend, hopefully I did it all correct and she gets her passport soon.

 

[drag n' fly]

When we renewed and did the kids passports we went to Costco during one of those we need a few things from Costco trips and 400 dollars later

 

[Hoogy]

Well since Wal-mart was the closest we went there today. They gaurantee them....hopefully they are acceptable (they look ok to me but what do I know). Apparently with babies if they are under 3 months it is ok if their mouth is slightly open. Apparently after this 3 month mark babies magically listen to you and close their mouths?!?! The baby kept starting straight ahead with his mouth slightly open....we kept wiping it and even let him lick a sucker (gasp!) (thought he might close his mouth to savour the taste when we took it away. Eventually we got one. My 7 year old daughters photo certainly looks like a mug shot.....but then again so does my passport photo!
Oh and we gave a candy to the two year old to suck on....except he decided to bite and crunch....so we had to wait until he was done with the candy to get a picture!

I will post if they get accepted. Probably go tomorrow or Thursday.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

Getting a passport photo for our 13 month old has been a pain. He always has a smile on his face. I called Passport Canada and was told that they do give some allowances for babies and infants. We have a couple that might be acceptable -- but I'm not totally sure. I'm taking the application in this week and have my fingers crossed.

Anyone with a valid passport can now sign a new or renewed application. I just signed one for a friend, hopefully I did it all correct and she gets her passport soon.

You may want to check the passport canada site. The web site indicates that the simplified renewal process starts as of Aug 15 and the changes to the guarantor rules are effective October 1. When I called they said we still needed to have the guarantor from the list of acceptable occupations if we were doing an application before October 1.