DIY Passport Photos $0.29

[jim584672]

So being the cheapskate that I am I saw USPS charging $15 and Walmart charging $7.95 for passport photos. I am not paying that for a picture. So I took my picture with my camera. Went to https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/photos/photos.html and used the photo tool to zoom/resize appropriately. Used Gimp free imaging software to get the image to do a 3x2 image map to a 4 by 6 inch print. Took the photo to Walmart and had it printed for $0.29 plus tax.

 

[audreyh1]

How about $0.00?

The last passport photos for each of us, we took ourselves. Printed out to spec on our printer with paper we already owned, ink already paid for.

But we do already have stuff set up for cameras and fine art printing, so that was just lucky .

I actually tried first to get a passport photo at Walgreens, but it was out of focus! So I refused it, and did it myself as my husband had two years earlier.

What a waste that trip to Walgreens was - we even had to wait quite a while for the photo - had to go to lunch and return. I just couldn't believe how badly they did it.

 

[Senator]

I paid the $10.00. I did not want any issues with a picture not being the right size, color, format, etc.

The county had a good camera, a blank wall, and a printer. Everything was there.

Of course, after I saw it was just an amateur picture of me, taken against a white wall, by someone that was just the clerk (not a professional photographer), I figured I could have saved the $10.00...

 

[Beldar]

Free if you have a AAA membership.

_B

 

[ziggy29]

We really need to do this. Our passports expired in November 2013, and as long we get pictures taken and sent in by November 2018 (assuming no international travel before then), we're fine. I just hate that it will cost us $220 (plus picture costs, plus certified mail costs) to renew it for another 10 years when we have no immediate plans to travel aboard.

 

[braumeister]

we have no immediate plans to travel aboard.

You might want to think about that.
Right now, the US Dollar is strong against major currencies like the Euro or the UK Pound, so this would be a pretty good time to take advantage of it.

 

[athena53]

I took the picture for my first passport in 1977. No digital technology then; I took the camera into the bathroom, posed in front of the mirror, then lowered the camera enough that my face wasn't blocked. I used black and white film and developed and printed it myself.

I may do my own again when I need one but that won't e for a few years. It will have to be an improvement over some of the Walgreen's versions I've had in the last few passports.

 

[sengsational]

I printed mine, DW, DD0, DD1 at the drug store from my own digital photo. I used my feet to get it sized right.

 

[rodi]

Yep - we did the whole family ourselves 8 years ago. And redid the boys last year (kids expire every 5 years.) We even made sure to print them all on one sheet of photo paper to save $

 

[akck]

We also took our own pictures, I sized them to meet requirements and printed them on photo paper we had. Very easy process, except for the number of pictures I had to take before my wife found one acceptable.

 

[bizlady]

Free if you have a AAA membership.

_B

How and where?

 

[Nunthewiser]

I completely did it myself last year including the at home printing and it went fine. When it was time to renew the almost 16 year old daughter's we had the good fortune of having the clerk at the small post office shoot it. Avoiding the fight was worth the $15. Next time that kid can renew her own.

 

[RonBoyd]

This Google search shows there are many free software programs that make this process mistake-proof.

 

[donheff]

I did my DW's and my own a couple of years ago. Just get the size right and use good paper. I have a cutting board so the edges were sharp.

 

[CRLLS]

I just did this yesterday for DW's renewal. Digital camera shot, cropped it in Paint, inserted into Word and adjusted the size 2x2. Head shot height has to be 1"-1-3/8". I adjusted it to 1-1/4". I then printed on photo glossy paper with my inkjet printer and stapled it to the application.

 

[Gotadimple]

Or Costco. $4.95 for 2.

 

[mn54]

Or Costco. $4.95 for 2.

+1. Just did this a week ago. Very fast. No waiting to have the picture taken and out the door in 10 minutes.

 

[Fedup]

Costco is cheap enough for me.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Beldar]

How and where?

Just go into any AAA office and the pics are free (show them your membership card). It only takes a few minutes.

_B

 

[Raymond01]

Sam's Club also does them for $4.95

 

[braumeister]

Just go into any AAA office and the pics are free (show them your membership card). It only takes a few minutes.

We used to be AAA members, and used their passport photo service many times, in several different cities. But never was it free. They do it free if you're at one of their higher tier (fairly expensive) levels of membership, but not the basic membership.

 

[Beldar]

We used to be AAA members, and used their passport photo service many times, in several different cities. But never was it free. They do it free if you're at one of their higher tier (fairly expensive) levels of membership, but not the basic membership.

I've never paid attention; we are at one of the "arrogant bastard" levels of membership (out here, a tow can be over a hundred miles, not covered by the basic membership.)

_B