Thursday, June 18, 2009
Have they retouched your passport photos, too?
A few months ago a Canadian teacher here came up to me in the supermarket and asked me if I knew anything about this, and I said I didn't. He said that his friend got some passport photos taken in town and the guy at the studio touched them up. I didn't think about that again until I myself had some taken yesterday. Sure enough I watched as the guy used the paintbrush tool to eliminate most of the space between the outer edge of my glasses and the side of my head. I actually just needed passport-sized photographs for an application, so I didn't press the issue, but because I simply asked for passport photos I wonder if this is a common practice.
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Yea all passport photos here are 'photoshopped'. All my korean friends ID photos that I have seen are almost unrecognisable. I plan to get some taken before I go home hehe...
I had some taken two days ago, and they took away some crow's feet, erased a few scars and a pimple or two (Jesus, I sound like a total freakshow) in Photoshop right after they were taken. The guy even asked me if he should keep going.
Another place I went to tried to entirely erase my five o'clock shadow, and ended up giving me this weird Punch-and-Judy chin. They were garbage.
Yep, they did that to mine, and to my ARC photo. I look totally airbrushed.
This post cracked me up. When my husband and I went to China last year we stopped by the local photo studio to get photos for the visa. When my husband glanced at my photo she said, "wait, he gave us the wrong photos..." When I looked at them I was like, "sadly, no... that is actually me with some major work done!" When I asked my co-teacher about potential photoshopping she said it was illegal, but it looked enough like me that the Chinese wouldn't notice!
Same here. Passport photos taken in Korea in 1987 they airbrushed out a mole just above my mouth.
Maybe I should have the mole removed for reals...
I have a collection of passport photos of Korean people I knew way back when. It is funny to look at them now.
Same for me. I'm 26 and I looked like a 14 kid who has never seen the sun after they finished with my pictures.
Agree. Once my wife was asked by the photographer whether she wanted her photo tweaked, she went for it. I lost it on her, she was almost unrecognizable, but she said it was common practice. Fortunately she was never challenged at any border but I was nervous the first few times we traveled while she carried that passport. Thankfully she refused to have it done last year when she replaced it.
Yup, they did that to my ARC photo. I look pale and somehow my face seems wider/flatter. I didn't have time to complain and get them to do it again, so I just kept it.
I once needed some photos for on a rough unshowered morning, so I went to the Homeplus as there was not one photobooth I knew in town.
Not only did they remove all blemishes from my face but they also somehow managed to brush my hair a bit.
Got my picture taken in a department store last year. It's still very much 'me', but I look a lot better in the picture!
they always photoshop out the vestigial eye in the middle of my forehead.
Can they make me look Korean?
I work for IELTS in Australia and pretty much all the Korean passports that I check at registration and during the actual tests look very airbrushed to me. They look so nice and perfect in the photos and then look quite different in person.
For Canadians - you really have to insist that they *not* airbrush your photos (ask for the originals) as it is illegal to have retouched photos in your passport.
I'm surprised that any of the other people commenting here just laughed it off and accepted them??? I would have assumed that other countries would have the same laws governing official ID photos....
My photos were for an application, and not actually for a passport. So when I got to the studio I was reminded of what that teacher said to me, and I was a little curious to see if it was true.
I really don't understand why they do this, though, and yeah I don't get why people don't make a stink about it when they're getting passport photos. I can only assume Koreans aren't getting stopped at the border because of this issue, hence it continues.
"They look so nice and perfect in the photos and then look quite different in person."
Soju solves that problem. In fact, these shops are providing a useful service by adding the soju goggles directly to the photo. Impressive, when you think about it. Though I can see how it would be a problem in non-soju consuming countries.
On a perhaps not unrelated note, I was recently informed that every prospective Korean groom sees his bride-to-be one time without her usual makeup before their wedding. Apparently it's a rather serious occasion, ripe with danger. The Korean word for an unmade up or natural face is 쌩얼 (ssaeng-eol).
I should add that the irony (of course) is that young Korean women are almost always more beautiful without their makeup. It's too bad they can't have more confidence in their looks, which are quite nice.
Yeah, I've noticed this. Waiting in line at Emart or LotteMart, taking taxis, etc. I've noticed Koreans behind the counter or wheel always have GREAT id photos. In the west we all tend to look like greasy faced criminals. I didn't actually realize Koreans photoshopped their id photos. I just thought they were good with lighting.
I work for the US govt' and do a few passports during the year for the military. It is stated that "Photographs retouched so that your appearance is changed are unacceptable." Says it right on the passport application. You are legally not allowed to touch the face. I can do amazing things in Photoshop, but when it comes to passports, it's no time to show off my talents.
Haha so bizarre! I got some done for my ARC and they got rid of some moles and made my eyes brighter and bluer. I was so surprised!
Sounds good! I need all the help I can get in photos . . .
But, yeah, I'm pretty sure they shouldn't be doing that with passport photos. We know the practice is widespread, but I wonder if there's ever been any instances of this vanity getting someone in trouble?
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