Friday, April 17, 2009

Worst Face Forward, Traveling the World

This has been my face for the past 5 years. Frozen at 18 years old, I traveled the world for the next few years, finishing off puberty (my face elongating) and switching hairstyles (my hair lengthening). Since that photo was taken, if I'm not mistaken, the Canadian government has required that the expression in the Canadian passport photo should not be smiling or happy, but neutral. Apparently a smile changes your facial structure.

Regardless of whatever the smile does to your face, one thing is certain, passport photos are invariably the worst portraits ever. And, of course, on the eve of the expiration of my passport, and on the day I planned to take my photo (the day before heading to the passport office), I had the flu. Great. Another fabulous photo, here we come.

I had taken a photo in September (before I set my hair on fire), stepping into a timewarp of a photo studio complete with an ancient Hungarian photographer, wedding portraits from the 70s and a fridge full of polaroid film. Another atrocious photo.

Maybe it's just an unspoken rule, ID photos of any sort can just not be pleasant. The unforgiving lighting, the subprime conditions, the blank stare.

Whatever they are, with a little bit of time, they sure are funny...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes Stef, they're funny right away! You should see Len's last passport photo - worried that he would blink, he kept his eyes "extra" open... they won't sell him tickets to ride a bus long distance anywhere!!!

You must remind us to show up next time we see you!!

(notice I craftily left out my own PP experience .. for another day!)

be well..
h

underneath said...

There is something rare about pass port pictures - you never see them anymore these days. Handsome man too!

Soren Lorensen said...

i think it's best to have a shitty photo and then people are all like oh you look better in person

whereas if your photo is great then people are like hmmm shame you don't look like this in person.