Smile for the Camera!

[Reyneth]

I also get this with taking passport photos, which for the record I hate doing.

I also hated them - so specific and people wouldn't believe you that they couldn't do X or Y. ugh.

When you look like your passport photo, it's time to go home.

[Setsunaela]

I am incredibly pale, so the flash for my DMV pictures always does one of two things.. If I put foundation/makeup on, I come out looking ghostly white with a floating mouth and eyes. If I have no foundation on, I am red in the cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose. Can't win, really.

[Mondestrucken]

Years before I came to work here, my mother had the absolute worst license photo I have ever seen. She looked like she had been dead for three days, badly embalmed, dug back up and stuck in front of a camera.

With her jaw hanging slackly, her face devoid of any expression, eyes dead, and a weird mottled complexion, she could have starred in a zombie movie.

To this day, any mention of the photo causes the family to scream with laughter, especially if you try to capture the dead eyes pose. It is extremely hard to look dead when everyone around you is laughing.

[Pagan]

My license doesn't expire for another year, but lately, I've been getting some double-takes when I get carded. My license is 3 years old and at that time, my hair was short and spiked. I started growing it out again 2 years ago and it's now down to the middle of my back. I've run into people that haven't seen me in 2-3 years not recognize me.

This is a live field mouse she keeps in her bra. The woman wanted to have Mr. Jingles on her head, with the tail draping down the side of her face.

This made me laugh so hard just picturing it!

About an hour later (my phone battery all but dead by that point), they were just about to give up and issue paper versions until the cards could be printed... the machine gods stopped laughing and the computer and printer synced up. We got our freshly printed license cards and were happy to leave, but I don't think anyone knows why they took so long to connect up.

At least you get to walk out with your new one in hand. A few years ago, our idiot state decided that it was a good idea to move all the printing of new licenses out-of-state. Now, you walk out with your old license (with a hole punched in it) and a paper license. Then you wait for about a month for your new one to get sent to Santa Fe and then they send it on to you.

The only people who are ever going to see that picture are cops who pull you over and stores that sell age-restricted items like cigarettes and alcohol...and if you're freaking SEVENTY-TWO, I don't think you have to worry about being carded that often.

Or the places that ask to see an ID when you use a debit/credit card.

One of the few good things about the UK's restrictions on how you can look in pics - no mice, no pushing up jowls, you have to just look straight ahead & not even smile.

The fact they're printed in black & white on out licences just helps really.

Another stupid thing our state did. Even when you have to wear glasses for driving, they no longer want them in the picture, for the facial recognition software that they supposedly have now. They used to get mad if you took your glasses off for the picture!

[Chromatix]

As the old joke goes - if you actually look like your passport photo, you're probably not well enough to travel.

[Rhania506]

I hate my new DL photo. But to be fair, I hate all photos of myself. I like to live in a fantasy world where I look like Kate Beckinsale.

[Dreamstalker]

My NM ID photo actually looks normal. I was told to take off my glasses and just do a neutral expression.

My MA photo--holy cats it's bad. I can't wait to get it renewed. I had already been in line for 2 hours and was annoyed at the clerk for insinuating that my travel mug had something stronger than coffee (wanna know why I seem stressed? Because I just had to play phone and fax tag with the social security office for 30 minutes--AFTER waiting here for an hour initially--because after telling me you don't need the card you suddenly do). The photo on my transit pass looks better.

[Dentarthurdent]

One time I was on a train from Seattle to Flagstaff, AZ and was paying for my meal in the dining car via debit card. Note that I had brought no food with me and had no other way of getting food as I was on a train.

"Can I see some ID please?"
I hand him the ID.
"That isn't you."
"Um. Yes it is."

I had a hobbit fro in the picture, and was mostly bald at the time, so I can see that my hair was different, but...I had the same freaking glasses and the same facial structure. It wasn't THAT bad of a picture. I really went nuts on him because there was no other way for me to procure food and I wasn't arriving at my destination for over a day.