Passport to travel – the first photoshoot

I hate having my passport photo taken. Loathe it. Inevitably, I always look dreadful, especially since they stopped you smiling – either pale and wan, boggle-eyed, seriously grumpy or just mildly alarming. And then I’m stuck with it for 10 years.

But having my photo done pales by comparison to getting Minnie’s first photoshoot sorted for hers. (No, that’s not her on the right…) The Passport service has its usual string of regulations for baby photos, and while you could attempt it at home, I didn’t even bother in the knowledge I almost certainly wouldn’t tick all the official boxes.

Instead, Minnie and I headed to Snappy Snaps while she was in a relatively good mood after a nap during a wander around the park in the sunshine. In fact, she was so tolerant of the whole palaver that she even kept her eyes open, despite the regulations saying that babies under one are allowed to have them closed – and children under five don’t have to keep the prescribed neutral expression.

Trickier is the note saying that ‘if the baby’s head needs to be supported, the supporting hand must not be seen’ – luckily the photographer did a very good job of photoshopping out my bit of arm involved in keeping her head up straight. A squeaky green toy waved enticingly in front of her secured a slightly puzzled gaze into the camera, and 20 minutes later we left with four perfect passport size photos, ready for her first application before our trip to Lanzarote.

Needless to say, the usual rules apply and even my gorgeous daughter looks like she could do with a holiday in her photos. Which is nothing to how I’ll look as I try to get the forms filled in, signed and jump the hurdle of the Post Office queue and checks.

Image: t0msk/Flickr