Those of you who have read my two previous posts:
Photo Requirements
- required height and width of photo and height and width of face in photo
- be clear, sharp and in focus
- show a neutral facial expression (no smiling, mouth closed) and look straight into the camera with eyes open and clearly visible
- have uniform lighting – no shadows, glare or flash reflections
- show a full front view of the face and top of the shoulders squared to the camera (face and shoulders centered in the photo, head not tilted or turned)
- reflect natural skin tone and be taken against a plain white or light-coloured background with enough contrast between the background facial features and clothing, so that your features appear clearly in the background.
- be originals that have not been altered in any way and not taken from an existing photo;
- be taken within the last six months from the date the application is submitted and reflect your current appearance
I am a natural worrier, but I did feel that everything was on board this time.
Pushing through my Adult Abroad Simplified Passport Application to the other side of the window, I followed with the photos. The consular official momentarily placed the photos aside and went through the form to make sure that all was there. She then went back to the photos.
“Just a second. I have to check something,” she said, leaving with one of the photos. After a few minutes, she came back. “The automatic photo check is not up, but I see a problem with the photo.”
That is when my stomach fell and the trauma returned.
“You are not totally squared to the camera.”
“I’m not?” It looked kosher to me.
And then it came, after worrying all about smiling, mouth closed, proper contrast and measurements…
“I can only see one of your ears,” she said.
Ears? When did ears enter the equation?
“They won’t accept it,” she said, “you will have to have it taken again. You should be able to have it taken for free at the same photo shop.”
I carefully studied the photo.
“There,” I said, “I see a part of the missing ear.”
“That’s just a little dust on the picture.”
“No, I really think that is an ear.”
She did me the favour of peering over at the photo again.
“Even if it is, we need to see both ears equally.”
(You can see the passport photo at the top of this page.)
I began to wonder whether they keep making these things up. The idea of going back to Beer Sheva to get the photo taken again and waiting until next Friday to see if it was now okay was too much for me. I also was not in the mood to bring all this back to Boris at Photo Life. I don’t do well with Russian authority figures. Check out my blog on this subject: You want to leave Moskva!
“Is there a place nearby where I can have the photo taken? Where they really know what they are doing?”
“Yes, at the other entrance to the building. They are good, but expensive.”
“No matter. I am not leaving Tel Aviv today until everything is done.”
She put everything into an envelope with the Consular Section address stamped on it.
“You can put the new photos into this envelope and drop it into the Consular Section box.”
“No, I will come back with them this morning to make sure that they will be accepted this time.”
When I returned with the photos, I was directed to another consular official. I told her the story and she authorized the new photos and continued processing my request.
“What’s wrong with these photos,” she asked, referring to the old photos as she took the documents out of the envelope.
“The other official said it is not squared properly. You can only see one ear.”
“Oh. Okay,” she said.
So that is it. I am not setting out to make Photo Life famous among us Southerners. And if you are eligible for the Adult Abroad Simplified Passport Application, which most of you should be, then I suggest that when everything is ready, you go and have your photo taken at the place by the Canadian Embassy and submit your application directly after that. Take into account, though, that it costs 80 shekel to have the photo taken there. (It cost 29 shekel at Photo Life, but then, they weren’t worth anything in the end.)
I am sure that other Canadians would be most interested in hearing about your own experiences in this matter and tips for survival. I know that I would.
We've had similar experiences in Canada, but never had pictures turned away that were taken at Photo Doron (Palmach Street) in Jerusalem.
Dear DL, A few minutes ago I wrote about a photo of a woman with strange anatomical issues that appeared as I was reading your Post.
Now I have finished your post and can't find the woman, who was obviously not squared in the photo, allowing one to appear where there usually are two.
I have no explanation for this sighting, and none of my kids are going to canada in the near future. Yashar Koach…. Barry S