I can’t seem to get my photo on my phone to get better than a ‘Fair’. Not sure if it’s just lighting, or my wife’s photography skills or something else. I don’t really want to commit to the fee if there’s a chance it could get rejected and have the complete faff of that. Should I just go to a 3rd party for the photo, or is there an App that I could use? I seem to remember @Poet renewed his last year?
Thanks in advance.
Pre restrictions, we always went to the photo shop in town. Oz and UK required sizes are different and he just used to do us a set of both for about £8 pp. Never rejected and just saved hassle, albeit a bit dear.
Also struggled with phone pictures earlier this year, didn’t want to take risk so gave up and went to supermarket machine.
Do you have a white wall and portrait mode on your phone?
Took us a few goes, plus moving a lamp or three, but got there in the end.
I used the “okay/good” version and it was fine.
Turnaround was rapid, too.
It’s almost certainly just the lighting, wait until a sunny day.
Loads of them coming up right soon!
They seem to like Lockdown. 
I don’t think we even got that far for my partners passport and it got through ok. Not sure what that algorithm is based on.
Yeah spotlight to the face, not to the side, and try not to squint 
I had to get my <1 year old passport replaced after a washing machine incident so just sent them a copy of the same photo I had done previously - and they rejected it! Said it had to be a new photo. So they have an algorithm to compare to the previous photo at the very least.
I used the Post Office last time, it was all very straightforward. Cost £16 though + the usual renewal fee.
