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I made a resolution this year to get all of the annoying bureaucratic stuff out of the way as quickly as possible. As soon as the idea comes up, follow through with it, don’t wait months until you start getting ulcers and ripping your hair out from stress.
Getting my son a new passport is one of the things on that list. After making an appointment at the prefecture (check) and requesting a copy of his birth certificate (check), next item on the list: passport picture.
I remembered there was this photo shop by the Jacques Bonsergent metro. Had never been, didn’t know their offerings, but I headed over on a Saturday afternoon with my kid hoping to get a quick and lovely portrait taken of him.
The owner escorted my son over to the little photo station, a corner of the shop with a stool, and two light projectors. He took one decent photo, and then the sun came shining through the window, so we had to take a 5-​minute break until it clouded up again. Not sure why he doesn’t have a screen or filter for such sunny occasions.
After a few more shots with my son making a weird semi-​smile, the photographer told my son not to smile but to make an expression like his, and my son’s lips turned downwards into a horribly sad frown. Apparently, that was satisfactory for the photographer who said, ok, we got it, and went to the computer to start printing.
I said, «Wait which one are you going to use?» And he was like «The one that conforms the best to the criteria.» And I said, «I’d like to chose if that’s ok.»
I passed over the frowny shots and found a flat smile picture that passes the criteria but doesn’t make my son look like a grumpy, 50-​something French man.
Overall, the pictures are printed well and the results look good. The 4 passport pictures were 8E and if I want more prints it will be 4E for an additional 4.

Des photographes sympas et très pros