Canadian Passport photos are a little tricky.
I have been taking Canadian Passport Photos for over 20 years.
Here are a few tips:
The most important thing is not to smile! (that’s a tough one)
- The background should not be a pure white
- Better not to be wearing a white shirt without a sweater or jacket.
My studio pricing details for Canadian Passport photos are here.
Canada is particularly strict on the no smiling issue. So don’t even think of something nice because they can tell. Yes, I’ve photographed people that were not smiling and the photo was rejected because of the faintest smile:-)
Below are the particular specifications borrowed from The Canadian Gov’t website (link provided below).
Photo requirements
Your passport photos must be:
- clear, sharp and in focus
- taken with a neutral facial expression
- eyes open and clearly visible
- mouth closed, no smiling
- taken in person by a commercial photographer or studio with:
- uniform lighting and with no shadows, glare or flash reflections
- face and shoulders to the camera: straight-on, centered and squared
- a plain white or light-coloured background with a clear difference between your face and the background. Photos must reflect/represent natural skin tones.
- 50 mm wide X 70 mm high (2 inches wide X 2- 3/4 inches long)
- the height of the face measures between 31 mm (1- 1/4 inches) and 36 mm (1- 7/16 inches) from chin to crown of head (natural top of head)
- an image of your current appearance, taken within the last six months
- professionally printed on plain, high quality photographic paper
- we don’t accept photos printed at home and photos printed on heavy weight paper
- original photos that are not altered in any way or taken from an existing photo.
You can see more details on the Canadian Government’s website.