Personnel Identification Photography

articles should be worn when the photograph is made. Dark glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable, unless required for medical reasons. Photographs should be made in normal street attire without a hat or other headgear that obscures the hair or hairline. Only applicants in the active service of the armed forces and who are proceeding abroad in the discharge of their official duties may submit photographs in the uniform of the U.S. Armed Forces. Other uniforms should not be worn in passport photographs. Photographs should be able to withstand temperatures up to 225°F (107°C) for 30 seconds. Photographs must be printed on thin paper so the seal and legend can be applied to the photograph. Automatic and self-developing prints are acceptable for passport photographs, providing they meet all other photographic specification. SX-70 and black-and-white Polaroid prints are not acceptable. Matte- or dull-finished photographs are pre- ferred, but shiny or glossy prints may be accepted, provided the signature ink will stick to the surface of the photograph. Matte or other sprays designed to produce a dull or nonglossy finish should not be used. PERSONNEL IDENTIFICATION PHOTOGRAPHY The requirement for speed in identification photography makes it impractical to produce the same quality expected in portrait work However, with a little attention to the details of lighting, posing, and exposure, high-quality photographs can be provided. Occasionally, a profile or three-quarter view may be required for naturalization photographs. However, most identification photos are made with the subject facing the camera and looking straight into the lens. Since identification photographs must reveal as much facial detail as possible, very few are flattering pictures. 7-20