ID photos and glasses — the basics of a clean shot

Basics of photographing with glasses

Lights and windows can reflect on the lenses and make reflections noticeable. If reflections are noticeable, reduce them by slightly changing the light position or the direction you face.

Check that frames and reflections are not making the eyes hard to see. Thick frames and tinted lenses tend to hide the eye area, so take care.

After shooting, zoom in on the area around both eyes in the preview and confirm the eyes are clearly distinguishable even on a small screen.

If reflections or frame obstruction cannot be eliminated, reshooting is safer than editing the image.

Whether glasses are allowed or restricted differs by procedure. Some procedures require glasses, while others prohibit or conditionally allow them. Confirm the wear rule in the latest official requirements for your target procedure.

Arranging hair and bangs for the photo

For an ID photo, arrange your hair and bangs so they do not unnaturally cover your eyes or face outline. If bangs fall over your eyes, identity verification becomes harder, so before shooting, move them so the eye area is clearly visible.

Check that hair does not largely obscure your facial outline. When the outline is hard to see, identity matching becomes difficult, so adjust hair that sits too heavily along the outline.

After shooting, review the preview to confirm the area around both eyes and the facial outline are clearly shown (if you clean up the background with an app, lightly check that the hair edges are not unnaturally cut).

Head coverings and hats (including religious or medical) are handled differently by procedure. Confirm the rule in the latest official requirements for your target procedure.