Renewing a UK Passport - photo problem

Went to a photographic studio this afternoon to get photos to send off with my passport renewal.


Beforehand I checked the passport website and printed off all the instructions to photographers, including the template which can be put over the photo to show that it's correct size, eyes at correct level etc etc. Went through these with the photographer and he assured me he had done lots of passport photos for British people and had never had a problem.


Photo taken, four prints produced, matched against template and... aarrrghh! Size completely wrong, eyes at wrong height etc. He continued to assure me that his camera software sorted it all out and everything would be ok. However, the passport website is very clear about the fact that incorrect photos will be returned [they retain the fee though] and the whole process has to start again.


Has anybody else had a problem, or can give me any advice? My passport has actually expired so I want to get this sorted asap.


Merci beaucoup!

I'm seriously impressed!

Got the photos done at Leclerc [thanks Lucinda!] and posted everything off on November 21. I was a little concerned as our tiny La Poste only had forms for recommandé sans avis de réception. Tracked the package via the Internet and heaved a sigh of relief once it arrived in Paris!

Brand new passport delivered by DHL this morning. I was expecting to wait a month or so but It's taken less than two weeks! Hats off to UK Gov. :-]

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Thanks Lucinda.

Ironically, I shopped at a Leclerc which has a photo booth this afternoon and then had to battle my way through a load of major roadworks and deviations to even get to the photographer. Could have saved myself a lot of time, hassle and temper!

I almost went to a photo booth in the first place but changed my mind when I read all the rules and regs on the passport website... thought it would be safer to get a professional to do it. Out of interest, Lucinda, when were your photos taken? Maybe the rules and regs [it's all biometric now] have changed? Do photobooths allow you to change the size of the photo? They have to be 45mm x 35mm... the ones taken today are 50mm x 40mm.

I've checked through the annuaire and there aren't many photographers in my neck of the woods. Found one in the second nearest town and he will be quizzed by phone in the morning... !

What worries me is the way the chap this afternoon was talking about the logiciel he uses that works everything out for him. Wouldn't that mean that other photographers in France [and the photo booth, for that matter] would be using the same software? Presumably something that is geared towards photo sizes required for French documentation?

Try another photographer and see if that sorts the problem? The one you've used clearly doesn't do it right. Never had this problem with my local man from Camara.