Tips for Taking the Perfect Baby Passport Photo: Real-Shot Techniques

I planned to take Mini Yuan back to Malaysia during the winter break, but getting the essential passport ID photo turned out to be quite a challenge. It’s said that baby headshots aren’t too strictly regulated—many parents online have taken them themselves using just their phones, so I decided to do it myself too!

I wanted to take the photo while she still had some hair, so we did it the day before her full moon. I used a Nikon D3100 DSLR with a fixed 50mm f/1.8 lens. We laid down a white cloth, but the lighting in our Kaohsiung room was too dim. The baby was so tiny and I didn’t dare use the flash, so I had to boost the ISO and do post-processing. There were all kinds of failed shots—the baby’s neck just couldn’t stay straight for a shot, so we could only take them while she was lying down. Also, her eyes rarely opened, so we chose to shoot right after her bath when she was more alert.
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They all turned out pretty cute, but none of them were usable!!!

Later, I picked one, cropped it, and set the dimensions to 4.5cm x 3.5cm using Photoshop. For areas where the background wasn’t white enough, I adjusted the exposure in Lightroom to brighten it up. It’s not perfect, but it’s passable (there’s even a bit of milk spit-up in the photo!)

I got it printed at FamilyMart for just 80 NT dollars—and you can hardly tell the background isn’t perfectly white.

Then we happily headed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!

Mini Yuan slept soundly in the baby carrier for three whole hours without waking up once.

1. One completed application form
2. One copy of either parent’s ID card/residence permit
3. Two 2-inch photos
4. Original household registration booklet + 1 copy
5. 900 yuan

All done!You can pick it up next Wednesday!

Further reading: