When I renewed my passport through the mail they clipped a little corner off. That would symbolize to someone in-the-know that it's been in, and returned.
I did my own photo with DSLR, printed it at walmart for nine cents. Knowing I was getting a 4x6 print I cropped my original-- actually added a white border, so anti-cropped-- using the pixel position tool in Gimp (photoshop) to measure from the top of my head to the bottom of the chin. Math then got me to scale it to the right size, between 1 and 1.375 inches as printed.
Used a plain white background of poster board. Cranked up the contrast (curves) so a small shadow went away. Used a coffee filter a couple inches in front of the on camera flash for a diffuser. They took it.
I didn't want to start a new thread....
I did the above with a DSLR, for myself and my wife, no issues. My son, maybe 2017 as well.
During the pandemic, for the first time in my life, I let my passport lapse. So November 2022, instead of using the DSLR, I used my iPhone 13 Pro, front cam, and an app. I was in such a hurry to get through the process, which was online, that I literally took my pic wearing an undershirt. Class act. It is what it is. It worked, and the process was fast, I believe 5 weeks. Normal, not expedited.
One of our issues has always been a white background and shadows. The times we did have to go in person for my son, we were warned by the USPS the background is questionable, it's not white.
So I wimped out in 2023 for my son, paid $15 for the pics at FedEx. I see the passport is coming today, which means 6 1/2 weeks since we went to the USPS on 10/7. It's terrible trying to make an appointment. For whatever reason, when we went without an appointment, there were signs all over appointment is required. So I said to my wife I bet the website is wrong.
At any rate, we were 3rd in line. Upon leaving, it was 30 min. from closing, and there had to have been 12 in line. It's every 5 years for a kid unfortunately....
On a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 representing how difficult it is to recycle used motor oil in PA, this process is a 5....