Instant Photographs - Including passport photos

Instant photographs have always been interesting. Quick snap shots into peoples lives, a moment that might not of being captured, but thanks to instant photography people can get photos when they want and take images that they want to keep forever.

 

Polaroid cameras when released became an instant hit. Anyone could take a photo and have a copy of that image in less than a minute, they might not all of being high quality resolution images, infact a lot of photographs came out blurry, over exposed or under exposed but the point was instant photography had been made.Since then polaroid over the decades took a huge step forward. Instant throw away disposable cameras were made and soon photographs were widely avaliable to anyone who had a camera. As well as this photo booths were thriving although it did take a turn for the better when colour images were finally being produced in them instead of just B&W images. 

Instant photographs have become so popular now with modern culture as digital has made it a lot easier to see what you've taken before you print it. One hour photo printing and even instant images as well as print in less than 24 hours have all taken over for the better and made photography an easier pass time for the modern generation.

Passport photographs are now more easily taken. It can take only a minute before someone can have four identical images of themselves taken ready to be used on any number of government identification forms they may want for ID themselves. 

 

Photobooths

A photo booth is a vending machine/kiosk that has an automated, coin operated camera and film processor inside the booth.The majority of modern day photo booths are now operated digitally, traditionally the booth has a seat inside that can fit up to two people. Once payment has being made by whomever may be using it a series of photographs will be taken by the booth. Before each photograph is taken there will be a signal given, sometimes this can be a light turning on or a buzzing sound.
Photo booths then print the photographs out in strips these then come out of the outside slot of the booth and can be taken away once printed. The printing of the photographs usually takes up to about a minute.

 

Both B&W and colour photo booths are still in use in the United States Of America although throughout Europe practically all B&W photo booths have been wiped out by the invention of Colour photo booths.
Photobooths have become a popular way to take photographs throughout the decade because of there ability to produce good quality images, fast.Over the decades it has become popular for couples on dates to go into photo booths to have their photograph taken together.

Examples of passport images

All passport photographs should be taken in front of either a blank Grey background or a blank white background with no glare on the image as well as being free from marks, creases and tears of any kind. 

Some passport photographs are given leeway for instance young children and babies have slight leeway as it can be hard to get children especially babies to stay still or even if traveling abroad very young to support their own head.

Passport photographs should have the subjects head directly in the center of the image and shouldn't show any real facial expression. The above photograph although taken correctly would not of been allowed because of the subjects eyebrows being raised and the fact the subject is smiling.

How to take a passport photo video

       

I found this video very useful in finding out how people at home instead of in photo booths can get a clear image for a passport. I now know that someones face shouldn't be covered by hair, which i didn't realize before watching this video, so i now know that if i need a passport photo taken i should pull back my fringe to prevent it from making the image unlike how the government want your ID to look.

My Passport Photo

When i take my passport photograph i will have to be careful to abide by all the strict guidelines that have being set out and that regulate how a passport photograph can be taken.

Passport Photograph Do's:

• Show a neutral expression .
• Sit alone in the photograph.
• Make sure the image is in color.
• All copies of the photograph should be identical .
• Taken within the last month of you .
• be 45 millimeters high x 35 millimeters wide - this is the standard size when you have a passport photo taken in a photo booth or studio.
• Be sharp, clear and in focus.
•  Eyes open and clearly visible.
• Facing straight into the camera.
• Taken against a plain white background.
• Be printed on plain white photographic paper.
• Be printed professionally.
• You should make sure nothing covers the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Be a close-up of your head and shoulders.
• Not have any writing on the front or back - except when one of the photos needs to be certified

Passsport photograph Dont's:

• No grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows.
• Don't be with anyone else in the photograph.
• Don't put the photograph in Black and white.
• Don't use an old passport photograph of yourself .
• Mustn't be bigger than be 45 millimeters high x 35 millimeters wide.
• Not blurry or have anything covering your face or eyes.  
• No sunglasses, glasses etc. 
• No red eye.
• Don't face sideways 
• Image must not be creased, torn or marked in any way.
• No shadows
•  Show full head nothing covering it

Passport Photo

One of the earliest known reference of a passport was in the Persian empire in about 450 BC, it is said that, an official serving the King in Persia, asked  to travel to Judea, and the king granted leave and gave him a letter requesting safe travel for him as he went through their country.

However King Henry V of England is credited mainly helping with the popularity of the passport. Giving his subjects written proof on paper to take with them to foreign countries to prove who they were and to keep them safe.

Passports can come in all different colors and are often written in the countries language a person is from.

Passport photos are now used not just for passports but for a lot of other government issue Identification cards as well as driving licenses across the world. The main points for a passport are to tell the country your traveling too which country your from, what nationality you are, your age, gender and birth date as well as Photographic ID given to you by your own countries government which says you are who the identification says you are.

An example of the driving license identification.

Another example of Identification, a passport.
 

 Passports are commonly used in every country to be able to travel abroad from one country to another freely. Identification has become very important in modern day societies as without ID people can become vulnerable to such things as fraud, theft, their identities being stolen and such.

George Orwell's 1984 - Big Brother

A Novel written by the great George Orwell. Ahead of it's time this political piece of fiction made one of the truest statements about the future. George Orwell wrote 1984 about how a world of perpetual war and government surveillance and mind control of the masses that one day everywhere could become a controlled environment in which the rebels who stood out against the establishment would be tortured and made to either love the establishment or wither and die but not before they completely obeyed. 

In a world where surveillance of the masses is starting to become true, Big Brother is watching us all and although many would like to believe otherwise people are being controlled by the media and the government, not in as much the way 1984's story tells but the media does have some control over the public.

Having read George Orwell's 1984 myself i feel that a lot of what is written is becoming true, although i do feel that we are along way off torturing and murder for our establishments power. 

Big Brother at the top (Establishment) , The Party in middle (Government Officials and a like), the Proles (People not worth controlling as they'll do whatever their told to do) at bottom, in 1984.

However now George Orwell's 1984 has been interpreted by the modern day world and has been made into a 10 year long television programme appropriately called Big Brother.  

Big brother started in 2000 and ran until 2010. The television show was popular throughout the public in the United Kingdom as well as around the world. It become iconic in making memebers of the public "Celebrities" when they'd won the tv show by giving them publicity deals and a like. 

The television show become notable for controlling all aspects of the game shows contestants life whilst they were in the show they were taken away from all their family and friends and place in an artificial house with ten other contestants they then had to complete tasks for a food budget and tokens which could be exchanged for treats such as hairdryers and hot water.

Contestants had to give their phones and electrical outside equipment to the show as well as any books or other contraband the show deemed they wouldn't need in the house as they were a luxury.