Getting a child to sit still in the pose required for a ID photo it is a very difficult task even for an expert photographer. Once you have chosen the best photo, you should also crop it to insert the white background.
It usually happens that you take the perfect photo of him while he is playing or we are chasing him around a room. The result is that there are furniture and various objects behind it. In short, taking a photo for a child's documents is a big job that cannot be left to passport photo booths.
Traveling with children and having to do documents
In the countries of the European Union today there are no controls, except at the airport, however it is good to have all the documents in order for entry. The risk, even minimal, is being rejected at the border. If you love to travel and want to continue doing so with your family, the identity card is necessary from birth. This document must then be renewed frequently until the age of majority.
In fact, for children up to three years old, the identity card only has one three year validity. After that, it must be redone every five years, just like the passport. Children's documents have a shorter duration than adults' because their appearance changes much faster. For this reason, it is necessary that the photo matches your current face as closely as possible.
What the photos of children's documents should look like
Passport photo dimensions are pretty standard, but still vary slightly depending on the documents requested, as well as the required pose. For example, for the identity card photo, the face must be taken in a frontal position, with both earlobes visible.
However, although it is specified that the image should not be modified to remove the background, it is also true that photographs with a visible background are not accepted!
How to take a photo for documents to a child
In theory, you can crop any photo to get the same result as a passport photo. However, I advise you to take a photo specifically for your child's ID or passport. In fact, with a neutral background, the work to correct the image is minimal.
The photo for the documents must meet the required standards. The format of a passport, visa, or residence permit varies from state to state. In any case, you always have to be facing, ears visible, head erect, glasses that do not cover the eyes and with a white background. However, re-reading the official sites avoids having to do the work again, make sure there are no more requirements.
Then sit with your child in a room with white walls, lit by natural light.don't use the flash because you run the risk of creating harsh shadows, red eyes or worse, irritating the child if he is still small. Trying to get a newborn baby to stop crying is a very difficult task when you're stressed out with a deadline to meet!
If your child is still a newborn, you can take a picture of him while he is lying down, placing it on a white sheet. You can sit on a chair and take a photo from above. It seems awkward to tell it like that, but it's the best method. Prevent an adult from holding him and trying to hide. This pose is uncomfortable for everyone and is much more difficult after the arm supporting the head is cleared.
If your child is older, ask them to stand against the wall chosen for the shot, but not too close to avoid shadows. A great way to avoid doing it all over again, especially with impatient young children, is to first check where the shadows are less pronounced. You can ask for the collaboration of a relative or put an object such as a doll or stuffed animal as a model for your attempts.
For a good result of the photo ID, and for it to be accepted by the competent offices, the child's face should not be covered with a pacifier or toys. Check again that the child's eyes are open and his mouth is closed, then take as many photos of him as possible to give yourself enough options. At this point, after a first selection, you should have at least one acceptable photo of the baby with a neutral background. You can then proceed to trim it to the correct size.