# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Prepare a Passport Photo With a Digital Camera

An essential component of a passport application is a picture of the applicant. In years past, passport photos needed to be taken by a professional source, such as at the passport office or at the local camera store. The advent of high-megapixel digital cameras and good-quality photo printers changed all that. Today, with a little bit of planning, you can take your passport photo in your own home.

A passport photo must be an accurate representation of the applicant, well-lit, sharply in-focus and made into a high-quality print.

Lights
Computer
Photo printer

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a location with a plain white background, such as a wall.
- 2
  Set up lights on either side of the subject. Make sure the person's face is well-lit without strange shadows. Do not allow the person's head to cast a shadow on the wall behind him. A third light placed behind the subject and facing upward will help eliminate such shadows.
- 3
  Tell the subject to look straight at the camera and not to smile broadly. The facial expression should be natural and neutral.
- 4
  Hold the camera at the subject's eye level and shoot the picture straight on, about four feet away from the subject. The person's face should be center in the picture.
- 5
  Create a photo print that is 2 inches square and in color. Make sure the subject's head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inch tall. The person's eyes should hit between 1 1/8 inch and 1 3/8 inch from the bottom of the picture.
- 6
  Print a high-resolution picture on thin photo paper.