Funny Passport Photos
By Anna Warwick
Last Week's Blog: Passport Photos
For the past ten years the most exciting moments of my life have also been the most embarrassing. Whenever I was about to board a plane for an amazing adventure - out came the passport, with a photo of me looking like a prison matron (no offence to any real ones out there).
In this photo I was in a high necked khaki green tie-dyed t-shirt, with no makeup and some kind of leather necklace on (it was the grunge era). I remember it was taken at the student flight centre of my uni, just after I’d swum 2.5k in the pool. My wet hair was SLICKED back in a pony and I still had goggle marks around my eyes. Plus I hadn't learned to pluck my eyebrows yet.
Oh how many squinting, smirking immigration officers felt the need to comment on that one? And how hard was it keeping that photo away from boyfriends?! For TEN YEARS I suffered until at last the bloody thing expired.
Knowing that this time I would get a new, hot-but-generic photo that actually looked like me, I was feeling quite nostalgic about the whole ten-year-cringe thing. I thought back to my very first passport – the one where I had a spiky fringe, a white terry-towelling headband on my forehead and was wearing a white sweatshirt with fluoro palm trees all over it – and I decided to wear something 'trendy' in my new 2007 passport photo that would get funnier and funnier each year.
So I picked my funky Sarah Design earrings (see fashion story). These, I decided, would be still be tastefully fabulous but funny in a non-embarrassing way in five years time.
But did I take advantage of the new digital technology which gives us options of which photo to pick? NO. I went to a photo shop and let a guy take ONE shot of me. He assured me that if I smiled I would not be let into any foreign country on earth. So I didn’t. And look at the photo! It's totally boring. The earrings look FINE and will not date after all, but I just look like someone who is totally uptight about their passport photo! I could have at least had big hair or something...
Oh well. At least I don’t look like a hit man this time.
READER RESPONSES
* We are heading off overseas in a couple of weeks and my hubby is convinced I won't get through customs because I look nothing like my passport photo. I had it taken three months ago. At the time my hair was longer and a different shade, I'd been sick so my face was very thin and I had a broken rib so I was doped up on pain-killers. Even if they believe it's me, they probably won't let me through for looking so miserable!
Lorraine
* I got my first passport 2 years ago and I had the same situation where they took the photo and didn't give me a choice so now I am stuck with a photo where I have a big wisp of hair sticking up over my head. It looks like a bad comb over.
And I think Anna's photo is nice, if thats the one from her passport.
They should allow changes to photos, come up with some system to be able to get a new photo put on there. What if people drastically lose weight or their appearance or something?
Regards Lauren
Haha, thanks Lauren. I am actually pretty happy with that photo – it could have been a lot worse. You should be able to change your combover one though!
Anna.
I found out that you get a free replacement passport when you marry, divorce or your husband dies, so all I need now is to find a husband! (otherwise it will cost $200 for a new passport)
Lauren
I know - it's exe, but hey it's cheaper than a wedding dress ;)
Ax
*A funny story regarding official photos. I was going for my Learners permit after many years of avoiding it like the plague - not sure why… Just had a feeling I would not pass. Silly me, I am sure I would have passed in a flash. So in order not to be superstitious, I refused to dress up or wear any makeup as I believed by doing so I assumed my photo would be taken, hence I would pass. So as not to tempt fate I wore no makeup and old t-shirt. Much to my joy I passed my exam and then I had to have a photo taken without makeup. But it did not matter - I finally had my learners permit at the ripe age of 27. Needless to say I did the same thing with makeup and clothes when I went for my drivers test.
Regards
Karlene
READER EMAIL OF THE WEEK!
Hi Anna
Your "Passport Photo" story made me chuckle. How vain we women are ... my passport was due for renewal a couple of months before I was departing to lead a Rotary International sponsored month-long vocational exchange, and since I have been and intend to continue to be an avid traveller, it was important to me to look attractive in my passport photo. So, off I go to local photographer's photo processing shop and have a lovely picture taken. (I rejected the first solemn image, then smirked nicely for the second.)
I have always been very good about hanging onto my belongings throughout my travels within 22 countries on five continents (often as a backpacker). Yet, on this trip - where it was my role to ensure all went well for the four (4) other participants, I am embarrassed to admit that within 30 minutes of deplaning my small purse was MIA.
*LOL* -- I had it over my shoulder as we exited the terminal, yet it was not in the van when we arrived at our lodging destination, 1.5 hours from the airport ... I believe the shoulder strap on my handbag came unhooked and dropped onto the roadway between baggage claim and the van as no one else was too near me and such accidental release of the strap had occurred before.
We immediately notified the airport police and US consulate about the missing passport and driver's license. In the passport and visa application department at the US Consulate, there was a photo-booth. I leaned forward to insert my money and was not yet sitting fully upright when the camera snapped my photo. Due to the convexity of the camera's lens, my face is distorted, similar to looking in a fun-house mirror. In fact, the photo is so unrealistic, that immigration inspectors take considerable time before allowing me to proceed.
I've thought about getting a new photo and again requesting a replacement for my current passport. Yet, I sometimes wonder if the added adventure due to the missing passport was near instant karma for my trivial vanity.
Bemusedly -
Jillian Alexander, MBA, CM&AA, CHRC
Thanks Jillian you get a prize for sharing your excellent story. :)
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