I’m grumpy!

Benjy's passport application was rejected because of his photo's not meeting the requirements.
Grr, but I was half expecting it.
Today we trotted off to try again and what a stupid process it was!
The lady at the pharmacy looked at me with dread when I said it was for Benjy, sighed and said "ok we'll try"
I guess she's had a few wriggly toddlers in before!
Anyway, Benjy wasn't very happy to sit still looking straight ahead with his eyes open and mouth shut.
She tried to sell me on one with his mouth only slightly open but as you could also see my sleeve I decided no.
After about 10 shots she announced it couldn't be done and picked the most likely of the 10. One where his eyes are open, his mouth is shut and his expression is blank, but his head is not completely straight on and you can see a bit of the chair back.
And then she charged me another $15 for her efforts.
She got an older staff member to come and have a look when I expressed my doubts and the older person said "They'll accept it, they have to because its the best you can expect with children this age"
While I was paying, my favourite staff member came to have a look, she whispered to the photographer "They won't accept these"
I said "What? why am I paying for them then?"
The photographer said "It's okay, I trimmed the chair out of the ones they're going to submit"
I have so much doubt about the quality of the pictures, and it took 3 weeks for the rejection to come back first time. There is 2 months left to get the passport, I'm wondering if it is worth risking it being rejected again and then having to rush the application.
I feel really grumpy with the stupid pharmacy people, and grumpy with myself for not refusing to pay for the iffy photos and asking her to take more.
Argh! Rant over.

I argree with GandT that they shouldnt be charging you again. Keep your receipt this time and if they are regected again I would be going back to have them done again for free.

Go to your local camera shop they should be able to do it correctly. Thet should also be taking them with a digital camera so they can keep going till they get the right ones.. The new passport requirements are quite tuff as you found out. No smiling, both ears, looking straight, Nobody else in the shot, Both eyes open.

Try Camera House in Takapuna or Glenfeild or Milford photo Express or the lab in the Chemist at Milford Mall all very good labs.

Aw, I so hear you on this one -- Emma Rose's passport photos were rejected three times, and in the end, we had to pay extra to rush the application as time had run out.

The best piece of advice I can give is to physically go into the passport office on Queen Street and show them the photos. They can accept or reject them right there. If they reject them, there's a camera shop directly across the street from the passport office (on the side street facing the building, not on Albert Street) that does the best photos. Even the passport office recommends them (that's where we ended up getting hers -- the fourth set, which they accepted).

OMG, passport photos of babies/toddlers are a JOKE!! We took about 30 mins to get one of Ella, she looks like a convict! It is so silly, as she kept smiling but they wanted one of her with her mouth shut. I think she was 13 months when we got it done.. I hope they accept yours this time!!!

LOL busymum!

Its funny getting them done so young though, Kobe had his done around the same age and of course looks completely different now, by looking at him and then the passport you would never pick he is the same child!
My sister had to get my nephews done, he was only 30 weeks gestation and they had to do it when he was off the respirator for a few minutes at at a time....needless to say they had a couple of rejections before they got a picture that was accepted but its hard to get everything with wires and drips all over the place

why are they so strict with baby and toddler passport photos? is it a safety issue for the child-like if they suspect the child is a kidnap victim is the only way to tell by saying "ok, now dont smile for a minute" or is it cos of all those terrorist babies strolling down the aisle aiming their bottles of formular at everyone?

Caitlyn went to australia a few months ago and my gran took her photo, at her house lol and it was accepted, go figure