Take the passport photos yourself only if you are professional photographer. The requirements are hard meet on your own. There are plenty of places you can get your passport photo taken. Stores such as Walgreens and CVS are equipped to take passport photos. You can also get photos taken at designated Post Office facilities.
United States passports are required to be 51 by 51 mm. This translates to 2 by 2 inches. If you take the photograph yourself, you will have to find someone who can print out two color photos of this size. There is a website called On the Go Soft (see Resources) that can do it for you. They charge $9.95 per sheet.
If you are shooting the pictures yourself, you will need to have the camera 4 feet away from the individual you are photographing. You want to capture their shoulders and up. The lighting of the picture must be normal, with no shadows.
All backgrounds must be white or slightly off-white. Individuals must pose with their faces looking forward. Passport photos are required to show the individuals' eyes, and it is recommended that their mouths remain closed.
Individuals should not wear hats, sunglasses, scarves, face paint or anything else that may interfere with identifying the individuals. Passport photos can also not be retouched or altered in any way. The United States passport center will not approve these photos and will deny you a passport until you submit new ones that meet the requirements.
