Adventures in passport-getting

I'm trying to apply for my passport so I can go to England in the fall (see post below). Part of this process, of course, involves submitting pictures that meet strict requirements. I think they possibly go a little overboard with these requirements, but nonetheless they are set in place and standard nationwide. These standards are well known to all photography studios in Canada, and I would think that any photographer that offers passport photos as a standard service would be capable of taking photos that fit the requirements. Unfortunately, I would be incorrect in that assumption.

I went in to Sears last Thursday to get these photos taken. Due to my aversion toward Wal-Mart and the evening hours in which I sought them, Sears seemed the logical choice. I walked in to the Portrait Studio, and was immediately taken to the actual studio to have the photo taken. I was quite pleased with the swiftness of the service. The girl adjusted the lights, snapped the photo, and said, "let's try another." She then repeated the process, and again wanted another. All told, she kept going back and adjusting the lights and taking more shots until she had taken about a dozen shots. Finally, she was satisfied. She printed them off, stamped the backs, folded each in a scrap of paper (to keep from smudging), charged my the $19 fee, and I was on my way with photos in hand.

After getting one signed by my guarantor, and finalizing the rest of my paperwork, I decided today to take them to the office in town on my lunch break. They don't process the application here, but they will pre-screen everything and take the payment. As I sat down with the lady today, she took one look at the pictures and said that she would have to reject them. Really?! After sitting for about 12 snapshots, the best one still wasn't good enough?! Anyway, she looked over the rest of the application, and said it was only the photos that needed to be redone, and that Sears should retake them for free.

After work, I decide to go straight to Sears and get them redone. I walk into the Portrait Sudio and there's a sign on the desk stating "Due to unforseen circumstances, the Portrait Studio is closed for the remainder of the day. We will re-open at 9:30am tomorrow. Sorry for any inconvenience." Inconvenience?!?! How about the fact that I have to come back and get these pictures retaken in the first place? Now that's inconvenient!

Moral of the story: don't get your passport photos done at the Sears in Lethbridge!!! (The lady at the government office said they've actually had a few issues with the Sears here.)