NZ Passport e-photo fail

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Reply # 967574 15-Jan-2014 14:30

timmmay:
clicknz: edit - I see Timmay has already provided all the helpful info... (took a long phonecall after starting this post!).

I learn lighting from some good people, including by assisting a great commercial photographer take some publicity photos in a boxing ring in Miramar! Catch you at NZIPP some time :)

Hah - (excuse the hijacking of this post) - thanks, Tim... I didn't know it was you....., I was just aware that Timmay knows a lot about photography (and things of a geek nature)!

Nice to put a name to the non-de-plume, yep - catch up soon.

Cheers,
Mike

iPhone photo/general blog - here

timmmay

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Reply # 967576 15-Jan-2014 14:37

Oblivian:

RealMe uses a little Canon Rebel with the built in flash. They don't show you the photo online though so no idea how it came out. I tried to get it from there to use for my passport, but it's just not available anywhere I could find.

50mm 1.8, but no, NO built in flash (if they are the store is doing it wrong). There are 2x Rotating flourecents top and bottom that the button behind the counter turns on and flipts the protector guard. Then taken in P (to handle the change of natural light in store also) *shudder* against an about 6% grey background :)

Good point - I forgot about that. Duh.

clicknz: Hah - (excuse the hijacking of this post) - thanks, Tim... I didn't know it was you....., I was just aware that Timmay knows a lot about photography (and things of a geek nature)!

Nice to put a name to the non-de-plume, yep - catch up soon.

I generally stay incognito, but good to know who some people are, and I've met Mauricio and a few others from here :)

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nova

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Reply # 967577 15-Jan-2014 14:39

mattwnz:
I think it is potentially far more secure than the passport process. I don't really know why we need two different organsiations now, it could save tax payers a lot of money by having a single system, plus save on passport costs too, especially as NZs one is one of the more expensive passports to get as it only lasts 5 years, as most other countries it lasts for 10 years.

It is quite frustrating that it is still 5 years. They are still ruling out changing this, but Chris Tremain did announce that they would at least be adding on the unused time if you renewed early (up to an extra 9 months):

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/passport-validity-period-extended

It should be in place by now according to the release, but can't see any reference to this on the DIA website. Also no reference to it in the Passports Ammendment Bill 2013, which took effect back in December.

Does anyone know if this is still happening?

mrphil

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Reply # 967592 15-Jan-2014 14:56

i just did mine and took the photo with a iphone

just have natural light and stand about 1 meter away from the wall to get no shadowing

rayonline

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Reply # 967624 15-Jan-2014 15:31

Got it done, thanks Timmmay. I used the D600 at F8 at the same white frost wallpaper at the beginning. 85mm. I used the 50mm on my crop sensor D70 camera and that got turned down again, F5.6. In future maybe a cellphone would be easier ... I think maybe its geared towards smaller apertures?

Checked the past passports we submitted with prints - F2.8, F4 etc. The one done via online renewal was F3.2. The same spot but with the older camera. But I just took it then at F5.6 and it got turned down.

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Reply # 967676 15-Jan-2014 17:10

Very strange, but good you got it done :)

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darkasdes2

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Reply # 968760 17-Jan-2014 10:58

I used my HTC sensation which worked a treat.
I tired with 2 different Sony digital cameras and the photos kept on getting rejected.

I was very surprised the smartphone camera worked

Oblivian

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Reply # 968853 17-Jan-2014 13:09

If the results have very little texture details on the face (washed out or dark across it) and you can't see cheeklines etc itll get rejected, has to be able to take clear measurements between facial features and the likes too :)

joker97

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Reply # 968862 17-Jan-2014 13:13

i've done 15 in the last 10 years all no problems ;p

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Reply # 968863 17-Jan-2014 13:14

understanding of lighting is key :D

(no i didn't use any artificial lights. on a really bad day i might use some mirrors)

old3eyes

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Reply # 968935 17-Jan-2014 14:44

nova:
mattwnz:
I think it is potentially far more secure than the passport process. I don't really know why we need two different organsiations now, it could save tax payers a lot of money by having a single system, plus save on passport costs too, especially as NZs one is one of the more expensive passports to get as it only lasts 5 years, as most other countries it lasts for 10 years.

It is quite frustrating that it is still 5 years. They are still ruling out changing this, but Chris Tremain did announce that they would at least be adding on the unused time if you renewed early (up to an extra 9 months):

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/passport-validity-period-extended

It should be in place by now according to the release, but can't see any reference to this on the DIA website. Also no reference to it in the Passports Ammendment Bill 2013, which took effect back in December.

Does anyone know if this is still happening?

Don't know the answer to your last question but it erks me that it is still a 5 year passport. When the Clark Gov introduced it they said that our trading partners required a 5 year passport as they were moving to it as well. Well so far no one has they're all still on 10 year ones so it was a great con job to double the passport costs and sucker NZ fell for it. Imagine the out cry if your 30 bus pass suddenly became a 15 day one but still cost the same amount. Same goes for a passport but as the government has a monopoly on these things they can get away with it..

Regards,

Old3eyes

Jaxson

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Reply # 969024 17-Jan-2014 17:28

Yeah they're no doubt looking for a very detailed and evenly lit head shot, rather than a visually appealing narrow depth of field portrait etc.

All this talk of 5 year passports (which I agree is a stupid idea/hassle) reminds me of recently renewing my drivers license after 10 years, despite having been issued a 'lifetime' version some years back...

alasta

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Reply # 969066 17-Jan-2014 19:11

I have done my own photos from my last couple of passports. It took a few tries to get lighting that I was happy with, but on both occasions the photos were accepted without any problems.

Daff

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Reply # 976206 28-Jan-2014 20:22

I see the Passport site now has a 'Check your photo before you apply service', handy:
http://www.passports.govt.nz/Online-Photo-Checker

My brother overseas has had three professional photos declined when he's been logged in to submit them.
He uses a European keyboard with a different language setting (apparently causes issues with overseas photo submissions) and he's been told to change to the NZ english setting in his preferences, which he did, but the photos still failed to get accepted with a wrong aspect ratio error, which is not true.

I just tried the same photos using the link above and they were accepted for me.

Jaxson

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Reply # 976435 29-Jan-2014 08:56

Just as an aside, the proportions you chose to keep in your image may play a role in it's acceptance. I remember dragging the demo guide into photoshop and cropping my photo to try and match the demo. Not stretching anything, but cropping so what I submitted matched the reference guide as much as possible. From memory that guide person had a pretty big head!

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