Mommy’s experience sharing + professional advice from photographers. Take ID photos of your baby and get your ID card & passport ready.

Mommy's experience sharing + photographer's professional advice on taking ID photos for babies. If you want to take a good photo of your lively and active baby, you have to try several times before you can succeed. So, taking ID photos of your baby sounds like a huge and difficult project? Parenting Life Magazine found 7 amateur moms to share their experiences in taking ID photos of their babies, and asked experienced children’s photographers with many years of experience to give professional advice on taking ID photos.

How to take a baby’s ID photo?

It may only take a few minutes for parents to take ID photos. Young babies can neither understand the instructions nor look at the camera obediently. What should you do if you want to take ID photos for your baby? ? Some mothers choose to complete the process at home with the whole family, while others take their babies to the studio and hire professional photographers to do it.

Option 1. Do it yourself:

After seeing a mom on the Internet sharing her experience in taking ID photos for her baby, Mommy Tiny thought that she would use a camera every day to record every detail of her baby’s life. Therefore, I also tried to take ID photos for my baby myself. Tiny's mother said that by taking ID photos at home, the baby is familiar with the environment and safe, and there is less need to worry about environmental sanitation issues. She holds a camera in one hand and uses a sound toy to attract the baby's attention. Tiny’s mother’s daughter is most energetic and happy 30 minutes after she wakes up, so she seizes this time to take photos for her.

Cindy’s mother also referred to the experience of mothers on the Internet. She saw that some mothers mentioned that they asked photographers to take pictures, but the photos were not satisfactory, and the baby might even be frightened by the studio flash. There is a risk of return, so choose to take the photos yourself. Cindy’s mom said that in our house, dad takes the photo, and mom holds toys or makes faces to attract his son’s attention. Sometimes he sits and sometimes he lies down. It must be noted that there must be a white background behind the baby. . Because the baby has emotions and cannot communicate directly, we take photos in batches. If he is in a good mood today, take a few photos. After accumulating some photos, we can go back and choose.

Joycebe’s mother feels that her 6-month-old baby is not very active. In a familiar environment, it should be easy to take pictures successfully when the baby is in a good mood. photos, so I don’t want to spend extra money to hire a photographer to take ID photos. Joycebe’s mother placed a play mat in the living room with a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows (good lighting), and then spread a large pure white bath towel. When the baby is full, sleeping, and in a good mood, she can let the baby lie on it. From above, working with the husband from directly above the baby, one person makes a sound to attract the baby's attention, and the other person holds a camera and points it at the baby's face.

Rachel’s mom also took her own headshots of her baby. Firstly, it saved money, and secondly, she felt that taking the photos herself would create a precious memory. After the baby has eaten and drank enough, find a white wall, and the whole family will call his name crazily on the other side of the phone, so that the baby's attention is focused on the camera. The entire shooting took about half an hour. When I looked back at the photos, I realized that I had taken almost a hundred photos. Of course, there were many failed photos of babies crying uncontrollably. Rachel’s mom said that taking ID photos is just like taking photos of babies every day. As long as the light is sufficient, the face is facing forward and the expression is natural, it will be ok. The rest is done by retouching from behind!

Jiangniu Niu’s mother wanted to say that her baby was still young and she felt out of control when taken to a photo studio to take pictures, so she found suitable photos of daily life and used photoshop software to edit them as ID photos. Mommy’s experience sharing + photographer’s professional advice on taking ID photos of babies and getting ID cards & passports

Key points in taking ID photos

Point 1. Master your daily routine

Parents must know their baby's schedule very well and take ID photos when the baby is in good spirits. Only then can they take photos of the baby looking at the camera (Tiny Mommy).

When the baby is in a good mood after eating, drinking, and sleeping, it is the best time for the whole family to take ID photos (Rachel’s mom).

Point2, hurry up

You should also hurry up when shooting (about 10 minutes). If the time is too long, the baby may feel impatient and cry (Joycebe mommy).

Point 3. Press the shutter button

When the baby looks at the camera, press the shutter button a few more times to ensure that there are more photos to choose from and the success rate will be higher (Joycebe’s mom) ).

For one ID photo, I took more than 100 photos because the baby is still young and cannot communicate. If you want the baby to look directly into the eyes and close the mouth, you need to capture that moment (Tiny Mommy).

Experienced parents will say, "Just keep pressing the shutter button." You can always choose a satisfactory picture among hundreds of photos (Cindy's mom).

Professional advice from child photographers

After reading the practical experience sharing of mothers, let’s also take a look at what professional child photographer Li Shirley has to say about taking ID photos of babies at home. Any tips you need to pay attention to?

Point 1. Prepare a white background

Depending on the baby's development, decide whether to lie down or sit to take pictures. Young babies can only take pictures lying down, which is relatively simple. The baby is lying on the bed covered with white cloth, and the parents can take photos from top to bottom. If the baby is able to sit on his own, find a white wall and let the baby sit in front of it for photography.

Point 2. Avoid too strong light.

The most difficult thing about shooting at home is the light. In addition, parents must pay attention to not blocking the light with their own bodies to prevent shadows from appearing on the baby's face.

If the light is too strong, the shadows will be more obvious. If the baby is photographed lying down, the problem is less, because there is usually a fluorescent lamp at home, and the light is softer when photographing from top to bottom.

The second thing is that the color of the lights at home is often yellowish. You can use post-production software to lower the color temperature and it will look whiter.

Point 3. Pay attention to the eyes, mouth and ears

Always pay attention to the baby’s eyes to be open, the mouth to be slightly closed, and the ears to be exposed. If your baby's ears are too close to the ears and difficult to photograph, you can use a small piece of cotton or toilet paper to pad the ears behind them so that the ears are clearly exposed.

Point 4. The shutter speed should not be lower than 1/125.

If you use a camera to take pictures, it is recommended that the shutter speed should not be lower than 1/125. Let the faster shutter condense the baby's movements and make the photo more accurate. Clear and no shaking. Mommy’s experience sharing + photographer’s professional advice on taking ID photos of the baby and getting the ID card & passport done

Option 2. Leave it to the professionals:

Xigua Mommy took her to apply for the first time I took my ID photo myself, but it was shot by the staff of the Household Registration Office (sigh), so I took my baby to a special photo studio (Kodak Photo Studio) to take the photo. The baby couldn't sit on his own yet, so the father put on a white cloth as a human background and held the baby in his arms while sitting and filming. However, the 2-month-old baby was really not easy to tease, and his head was shaking crookedly. , the photographer and mommy worked hard to clap their hands, ring the bell, and make all kinds of strange sounds, and finally managed to take 1 or 2 photos looking at the camera.

Wendy’s mother, who hired a professional photographer (Happy Time Wedding Photography Team) to take her baby’s ID photo when she was engaged, said that the photographer Liqun was as friendly as a big brother next door, and he also took photos Technology is reassuring, so when I decide to take ID photos for my baby, he is the first thing that comes to mind.

On the day of the shooting, Wendy’s mother brought her sleeping and well-fed baby to the studio. Dad turned sideways and let the baby sit on his lap, with the baby facing the photographer. The mother waved the baby's favorite red bear doll and bell, and the aunt, who always made the baby laugh, used her voice and exaggerated expressions to attract the baby's eyes to the camera. The photographer seized the opportunity and took more than 10 photos in 15 minutes. Take a photo and finally choose a photo that shows a smile but no teeth.

Professional answers from child photographers

Dad wants to know more details than mommy about taking the baby’s ID photo in a children’s studio, please ask tinyck. Photographer Li Xueli of Xiaoshiqi Image Gallery will answer the question.

Q1: At what age will babies take ID photos in the studio?

A:

●0～1 month: Babies who are not yet one month old usually return to the country with their foreign parents or visit relatives and need to take ID photos. They can also take photos on the way. Get a health insurance card. Or when taking a newborn baby photo, take a photo that meets the specifications.

●10 to 24 months: Taiwanese parents want to take their babies abroad for sightseeing while they still enjoy discounted air tickets for those under 2 years old, so they need to take photos of documents and apply for passports.

Q2: What is the process for taking a baby’s ID photo in the studio?

A:

●Step1. Communicate the shooting precautions

Different from ordinary *** photos, ID photos have their own requirements, such as the baby’s eyes The important thing is that the facial features should be clear, such as not being able to close, not opening the mouth too wide, and having both ears exposed. The photographer will explain this to the parents first.

At this time, ask about the baby's characteristics or habits, such as being in a good mood when hearing a certain song, or laughing when seeing something. If the baby is afraid of birth, dad or mommy will be asked to guide the baby behind the camera during filming. If the baby is in good condition, the adult can actually rest aside (with legs crossed~).

●Step2, choose the color and style of the top and change it

The background of the ID photo is usually white. It is recommended to avoid wearing pure white tops. Pink, pink-yellow, pink-blue and other colors are suitable. is a good choice. The baby is wrapped in a wrap and can be photographed after being comforted. The baby wears a collarless one-piece bunny suit, making it easy to lay flat for filming. If you wear clothing with a collar, it may cover your neck, making your head look big and your neck short, which is not a good proportion. Babies over 1 year old can wear plain shirts or clothing with collars.

● Step 3. Choose whether to lie down or sit down according to age.

Babies under 6 months old will be photographed lying down, while babies over 6 months old will be photographed sitting down. If the baby is unable to sit firmly on his own, you have to put a white cloth on the mother or father, and then let the baby sit on the adult's lap and take pictures.

●Step4, guide the baby to look towards the camera for shooting

After the background and lighting arrangements are completed, start shooting. Usually the photographer holds the camera and is responsible for shooting, and the guide (another staff member) uses props or cookies to stabilize the baby's posture and make it look towards the camera.

Newborns can use contrasting black and white cards to attract the baby's attention to the camera. Babies aged 4 to 10 months hold toys that make noise or light to attract attention. The favorite items for babies over one year old are not necessarily toys, but may be the remote control at home or daddy’s keys.

●Step5, select photos for post-production editing and output

Use the large computer screen to let parents select photos, and then perform post-production editing for ID photos to remove small facial flaws, Wear the upper part to remove the back, skin color or other specified requirements. After proofreading is completed, it can be output according to the required document format, and the finished product can be cut and submitted. The electronic file can be submitted in the cloud on the same day.

Q3: How long does it usually take to take a ID photo?

A:

It takes about 10 minutes to communicate, prepare and change clothes

The shooting process takes about 15 minutes

15 minutes of communication and post-retouching ~20 minutes

It takes about 10 minutes to output the finished product

***It takes about 50 minutes to complete the output and get the finished product

Q4: Compared with helping the baby at home When taking photos, what are the advantages of taking your baby to the studio to take ID photos?

A:

● Compared with taking pictures by yourself, which takes some time (especially if you have a big baby at home, you are usually in a hurry), under the guidance and shooting of a professional child photographer , the baby's expression is natural and the shooting is fast and efficient, without wasting too much time.

● The continuous light in the studio is bright enough for shooting, and the light is soft and does not hurt the eyes.

● The camera, computer and output printer have all been color calibrated, so there will be no problem of output color gap. It can also meet the needs of outputting various ID photo formats, which is fast and convenient.

Most babies don’t understand the situation when they come to a strange studio, and their expressions are usually frightened or expressionless. However, photographer Shirley Li once met a 2-year-old baby who laughed for 40 minutes. Not only that, but in the end, when the baby was tired from laughing, I took 200 photos and only managed to get a few without smiling. Mommy’s experience sharing + photographer’s professional advice on taking ID photos of babies and getting ID cards & passports

Baby’s first ID card

Babies usually use their username book as proof of identity document, why does mommy need to go out of her way to apply for an ID card for her baby? Is there anything I need to pay attention to when applying? Let’s take a look at Mommy’s experience!

As a first birthday gift

Rachel’s mom saw her mother sharing the baby’s ID card photo in the club, and felt that the baby’s immature headshot was a strong one when placed on the ID card. The comparison is not only novel but also has commemorative value, so I applied for it when the baby was 11 months old as a birthday gift (laughing ~ it was basically what mommy wanted).

Put it in your wallet for easy storage

Mommy Cindy saw other moms sharing that they can help their babies apply for ID cards. At first, they thought it was cute, but later they found that it was difficult to apply for documents with their babies. It is really troublesome to need a household register or a copy of the household registration. So I decided to get an ID card for my baby. I usually put it in my wallet with my mommy’s ID card, so it is convenient to store and not easy to lose.

Taking domestic flights is very convenient

Wendy’s mother and her family often fly between Taipei and Taitung. Although babies under 2 years old can fly for free, they need to provide relevant documents when checking in. Before They all used a username book, but they always found it inconvenient to carry, so they applied for an ID card when the baby was 9 months old.

Applying for an ID card was full of twists and turns

After going back and forth three times, Mommy Xigua finally successfully applied for it when her baby was 2 months old. The first time I applied was to bring a photo of myself. The staff had never encountered a case of applying at such a young age. After checking the regulations, they confirmed that the application could be applied. However, they said that the photo must be taken in a photo studio to be considered an official photo.

The second time, I came to the household registration office with my ID photo, but Xigua’s mommy forgot to bring the person who applied for the ID card, that is, the baby, so she had to go home again. The third time, I prepared the photos and brought the baby, but I forgot to bring the household registration book. Fortunately, I was at the household registration office, checked the information immediately, and finally successfully brought back the baby’s ID card (I almost came here for the fourth time) @@).

After getting the cute baby ID card, you don’t need to carry your household register when going out. Every time you take out the baby ID card, you will always get a burst of exclamations of "so cute", Xigua Mommy said, A baby's ID card is the most authentic record commemorating her arrival in the world.

Mommy’s experience sharing + photographer’s professional advice on taking ID photos of the baby and getting the ID card & passport done

How to apply for an ID card

After the birth registration within 60 days from the baby’s birth date , you have your ID card number, and you can go to any household registration office to apply for it.

Required documents:

1. National ID card, seal or signature of dad (legal agent).

2. The original copy of the baby’s household register or identity document with a photo.

3. One photo or digital photo of the baby that meets the specifications taken within the last 2 years.

4. There is a charge of 50 yuan for each first-time ID card (paid at the counter or with an Easy Card).

Photo specifications:

● Photos must be 4.5 cm in height and 3.5 cm in width.

● The length of the portrait from the top of the head to the chin shall not be less than 3.2 cm and shall not exceed 3.6 cm.

● A frontal half-length photo taken on a white background.

● When shooting directly into the camera lens, your eyes must be open and clearly visible, and cannot be covered by hair.

● Show clear facial contours and do not tilt to one side or tilt.

● Both sides of the face, the contours of the ears, and special moles, birthmarks, and scars must be clearly presented, and the photos will not be modified.

● Naturally reveals skin tone, with appropriate brightness and contrast.

● The light source must be uniform and there must be no shadows or flash reflections on the face, and no red eyes.

● Focus needs to be clear and distinct, high quality, without ink marks or creases.

● The baby has no special expression and his mouth is closed, which means the expression is natural and not exaggerated, and there is no restriction on smiling.

● The photo must show the baby alone, without the back of the chair, toys or other people.

● If you submit a digital photo, it must be in JPG format, the file size must not be larger than 5MB, the resolution height must be at least 531 pixels, and the width must be at least 413 pixels. Mommy's experience sharing + photographer's professional advice on taking ID photos of babies and getting ID cards & passports

Key points in applying for ID cards:

Point 1. Prepare several sets of photos for backup

In order to avoid being photographed, it’s better to take photos outside (Watermelon Mommy)!

Develop a few more sets of photos and bring them to the site for the staff to select. Because the standards recognized by the general public may still be slightly different from the regulations, just bring multiple sets of photos with you and ask the handling staff to help select. You should not be rejected (Cindy’s mom).

Point 2. Upload file-free photos

The ID photo does not have to be developed. You can go to the Global Information Network of the Department of Household Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior (: ris.gov) and click "Online Application" ” → “Upload National Identity Card Image”. After the upload is successful, go to the Household Registration Office to apply for a National Identity Card over the counter. After uploading, the file will only be kept for 5 days, so it must be processed at the household registration office within 5 days (Wendy’s Mommy).

Point 3. You can reserve a time slot online in advance

Moms who do not want to spend time waiting on site and save time at the counter can make an appointment online in advance. Go to the global information website of the Department of Household Registration of the Ministry of the Interior (: ris.gov), click "Online Application" → "Online Appointment for Household Registration" and select the household registration office you want to make an appointment with.

Point 4. If you are unable to attend, you must fill in the consent form

To apply for the baby’s ID card, both parents need to be present at the scene. If they cannot attend together, those who are not present must fill in the consent form. , hand it over to the other party.

Baby’s first passport

Of course, a baby’s passport is for traveling abroad. When Joycebe’s baby turned 7 months old, she went on a 5-day trip to Kansai, Japan; Tiny Mommy took her baby to Okinawa when she was 11 months old; Mommy Cindy’s baby traveled to Japan for 6 days and 5 nights when she was almost 11 months old; Mommy Jiangniu took her baby abroad for 4 days and 3 nights for the first time. Travel to Korea.

To apply for a passport for the first time, you must go in person

Starting from July 1, 2020, people applying for an ordinary passport for the first time must go to the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Central, Southern, and Eastern Branches of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in person. If it is inconvenient to go in person, you must first go to the household office to complete the "identity confirmation" before you can entrust an agent to apply for a passport from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on your behalf.

In other words, to apply for a baby passport, the baby must go to the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the local offices to apply for it. If the baby cannot go in person, he must also go to the household registration office to fill out the passport application form and accept the "Person ID" Confirm" and then entrust a relative, friend or travel agency to apply for a passport on your behalf.

The "Person Identity Confirmation" means that the household registration office personnel will check the national identity card information of the person applying for a passport for the first time with the relevant information filled in the passport application form. After the comparison is correct, the facial appearance will be checked. If all are confirmed to be correct, the household registration office staff will stamp the applicant's passport application form.

Babies who are under 14 years old and have not applied for a national identity card must submit a household register or a copy of the household registration applied for within the last three months.

Save time by making an appointment online

Passport applications must be processed on-site. If you go to the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you can make an appointment online in advance for different time slots within 10 working days (to On the website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, click "Passport" → "Application for Passport: Online Appointment/Online Fill-in Form" → "Online Appointment to Apply for a Passport"). The appointment method is used. Each appointment quota can only apply for one personal passport application. , you must go to the site according to the appointment date and time. If you cannot make an appointment for the date you want, you can also go directly to the site to apply. Mommy's experience sharing + photographer's professional advice on taking ID photos of babies and getting ID cards and passports

Baby passports are NT$900 each

The passport fee is NT$1,300 each, but Since the validity of the passport of those under 14 years of age is reduced, the fee is 900 yuan per copy. Applications for new licenses can be collected 4 working days after acceptance. If the application is accepted on the morning of the 1st, the application can be collected on the morning of the 5th.

If the passport application requires expedited processing, an expedited processing fee will be charged. If the shipment is made 1 working day in advance, an additional 300 yuan will be charged (if the advance time is less than 1 working day, it will be counted as 1 working day). 2 working days in advance, an additional fee of 600 yuan will be charged. 3 working days in advance, an additional fee of 900 yuan will be charged.

Required documents:

If the child is under 14 years old and has not applied for an ID card:

1. The original household register with detailed notes and Attached is a photocopy or a copy of the original and photocopy of the household registration within the last three months.

2. Two color photos with white background.

3. The original and a photocopy of the front and back of the parent’s or guardian’s ID card.

Photo specifications:

Same as the photo specifications for applying for ID card mentioned above.

Key points in applying for a passport:

Point 1. Prepare several versions of photos as backup

We recommend photocap, a free photo editing software, which includes passport size templates , parents take photos and retouch them at home and then send them to be developed. They can also develop 2 more versions in case the photos fail, which is convenient and saves money. (Joycebe’s mom)

Point 2. It is best to make an appointment first and fill in the basic information

It is best to make an appointment online to apply for a passport. At the same time, you can fill in the basic information on the application website and print it out. After that, I took it to the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for a passport. I followed the staff's instructions and also assisted me in selecting photos of my baby. The delivery went smoothly, completed in less than 30 minutes, and I could collect it in 4 working days. (Cindy’s mom)

Point 3. Apply within 6 months after completing the identity verification

If the passport application form is “identity confirmed” by the household registration office, it must be Renew your passport application from the Consular Affairs Bureau or the Fourth Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 6 months. If it is overdue, it will be deemed that the identity confirmation has not been processed.

Point4. Keep the receipt! The passport can be collected by an agent

You can collect it in person and bring the original ID card and the original payment receipt to collect the passport. If I am unable to collect the passport in person, I can entrust a capable agent to collect the passport on my behalf by bringing the original of the agent’s ID card and the original payment receipt.

Li Shirley

Current position: tinyck.

Photographer of Xiaoshiqi Film Studio