Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News ......within a two-hour period on the same...
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One really bad thing about a lousy passport photo: You’re stuck with it for 10 years. We asked Travel staffer Anne McDonough to pop into five shops close to the Washington Passport Agency (1111 19th St. NW) within a two-hour period on the same afternoon. Her mission: to see what developed. If only she hadn’t been having a bad hair day . . . Pros and Cons Pro: Shooting digital means retakes don’t cost a cent; having eight images is good for a multiple visa trip. Con: Camera ran out of memory; shots were erased as taken, so there was no way to compare images. Pro: Shop opens early. Staffer later told us the pale image was due to variance in film, so shop would comp a retake (normally it shoots digital). Con: Otherwise, to reshoot runs $5 more. Pro: Shop opens early, plus it’s the closest one to the passport agency (it’s even got the same address). Con: That price, which staffer later told us was due to high quality of film. Vanity wasn’t deemed a good enough reason for a free retake on this unappealing photo. We blame our own sullen look for this one. Pro: We liked the honesty at this shop. The congenial owner told us later he usually refers squirmy babies and the, ahem, truly vain to digital shops. Con: Sadly, green’s not our color. To reshoot, it’s $5 more. Pro: Had we wanted to reshoot, it would have been free. Plus, you get a bonus enlargement of your passport photo. Con: You get a bonus enlargement of your passport photo. PASSPORT PHOTOS 101 Bottom Line The price was right, and we think the picture sort of looks like its subject. That’s the point, right? The cheapest photo of the bunch—even if we did go home looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost. We actually paid to look like this? It was speedy and a fair price, but we won’t be flashing this shot around. It’s digital and gives us that wry, mysterious look you want in a travel document. The Experience The first take looked goofy, so we tried again . . . and again . . . but the vendor was patient and the camera digital, so we didn’t feel bad. Within minutes we had two photos in a cute passport-lookalike folder. If we were going for the SPF 200 look, then this is the shot. The process took about eight minutes, from first snap to being handed dry prints. Even a full-blown studio didn’t help our cause—we call this one the Prison Break photo. Despite our pleading, we were told that we could get a retake only if the photo was sure to rejected by the Pass- port Agency (i.e., if our eyes had been shut). The picture was shot and blow-dried before we could say boo. Or even fully sit down for that matter. A peek in the mirror didn’t prepare us for the windblown effect we got with this digital Glamour Shot. We were channeling Mona Lisa, but the photog didn’t seem a fan. “I told you to smile,” he said. The Basics Photo taken at Ritz Camera (1750 L St. NW, 202-861-7710) with a digital camera. Price: Two photos for $15.81, eight for $21.09 Photo taken at ID Systems (1413 K St. NW, 202-265- 6500) with a conventional insta-developing camera (digital camera was broken). Price: Two photos for $12.50, four for $19.25. Photo taken at DAX Visa Services (1111 19th St. NW, 202-466-8300) with a conventional insta- developing camera. Price: Two photos for $24.27. Photo taken at Green Press (1107 19th St. NW, 202-785-3456) with a conventional insta- developing camera. Price: Two photos for $14.28, four for $19.56. Photo taken at MotoPhoto (1105 19th St. NW, 202-293-5484) with a digital camera. Price: Two photos for $15.85, four for $21.50. Prices include tax. For more information on passport photos, check out the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Services and Information Web site, www.state.gov/travel, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs Office Web site, http://iafdb.travel.state.gov.
Transcript of Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News ......within a two-hour period on the same...
One really bad thing about a lousy passport photo: You’re stuck with it for 10 years. We asked Travelstaffer Anne McDonough to pop into five shops close to the Washington Passport Agency (1111 19th St. NW)within a two-hour period on the same afternoon. Her mission: to see what developed. If only she hadn’tbeen having a bad hair day . . .
Pros and Cons
Pro: Shooting digital meansretakes don’t cost a cent; havingeight images is good for a multiplevisa trip.
Con: Camera ran out of memory;shots were erased as taken, sothere was no way to compareimages.
Pro: Shop opens early. Staffer latertold us the pale image was due tovariance in film, so shop wouldcomp a retake (normally it shootsdigital).
Con: Otherwise, to reshoot runs$5 more.
Pro: Shop opens early, plus it’s theclosest one to the passport agency(it’s even got the same address).
Con: That price, which staffer latertold us was due to high quality offilm. Vanity wasn’t deemed a goodenough reason for a free retake onthis unappealing photo. We blameour own sullen look for this one.
Pro: We liked the honesty at thisshop. The congenial owner told uslater he usually refers squirmybabies and the, ahem, truly vain todigital shops.
Con: Sadly, green’s not our color.To reshoot, it’s $5 more.
Pro: Had we wanted to reshoot, itwould have been free. Plus, youget a bonus enlargement of yourpassport photo.
Con: You get a bonus enlargementof your passport photo.
PA S S P O R T P H O T O S 1 0 1
Bottom Line
The price wasright, and wethink the picturesort of looks likeits subject.That’s the point,right?
The cheapestphoto of thebunch—even ifwe did go homelooking likeCasper theFriendly Ghost.
We actually paidto look like this?
It was speedyand a fair price,but we won’t beflashing thisshot around.
It’s digital andgives us thatwry, mysteriouslook you want ina traveldocument.
The Experience
The first take looked goofy,so we tried again . . . andagain . . . but the vendorwas patient and the cameradigital, so we didn’t feelbad. Within minutes wehad two photos in a cutepassport-lookalike folder.
If we were going for theSPF 200 look, then this isthe shot. The process tookabout eight minutes, fromfirst snap to being handeddry prints.
Even a full-blown studiodidn’t help our cause—wecall this one the PrisonBreak photo. Despite ourpleading, we were toldthat we could get a retakeonly if the photo was sureto rejected by the Pass-port Agency (i.e., if oureyes had been shut).
The picture was shot andblow-dried before wecould say boo. Or evenfully sit down for thatmatter.
A peek in the mirror didn’tprepare us for thewindblown effect we gotwith this digital GlamourShot. We were channelingMona Lisa, but the photogdidn’t seem a fan. “I toldyou to smile,” he said.
The Basics
Photo taken at RitzCamera (1750 L St. NW,202-861-7710) with adigital camera.Price: Two photos for$15.81, eight for $21.09
Photo taken at ID Systems(1413 K St. NW, 202-265-6500) with a conventionalinsta-developing camera(digital camera was broken).Price: Two photos for$12.50, four for $19.25.
Photo taken at DAX VisaServices (1111 19th St.NW, 202-466-8300) witha conventional insta-developing camera. Price: Two photos for$24.27.
Photo taken at GreenPress (1107 19th St. NW,202-785-3456) with aconventional insta-developing camera.Price: Two photos for$14.28, four for $19.56.
Photo taken atMotoPhoto (1105 19thSt. NW, 202-293-5484)with a digital camera.Price: Two photos for$15.85, four for $21.50.
Prices include tax. For more information on passport photos, check out the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Services and Information Website, www.state.gov/travel, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs Office Web site, http://iafdb.travel.state.gov.
