Feature ID
Mistaken Identity A
Consumer confusion is good news for us!
t the beginning of 2010, things weren’t looking good for ID photography. The
labour Government’s enforcement of plans to shift to digital collection of biometric data for passport identification looked as if it would kill off the demand for ID photos. A major revenue stream for many photographic and D&P retailers, one which offered high profit margins, plenty of walk-in trade and which some retailers even claimed was their “bread and butter”, this looked to be seriously bad news for our trade. That’s not to mention the fact many objected to the data collection itself as an invasion of privacy - another issue altogether. Whether you agreed with or approved of the election of the Coalition Government or not, the decision to scrap the digital datas collection must have been welcome news to everyone for whom taking passport pictures accounts for a substantial amount of turnover. Part of the Great Repeal Bill, which removed a number of Labour policies that ‘Cleggaron’s’ parties had called “an erosion of civil liberties,” they put an immediate stop to the planned changes in passport regulations, so it was back to business as usual for those who take ID photos. It may simply be a coincidence, but it does seem that since it was made public that the new passport regulations would not be brought into force, we at Infolab and sister publication Pixel have heard less retailers complain that they are having passport pictures returned to
them for apparently arbitrary reasons. We used to frequently hear of pictures being rejected because of incorrect facial expressions, hair being in the wrong place, babies not looking directly at the camera and once that someone’s eyes were too far apart to fit the template! Rod Hillier of Beken & Son in Cowes reported being told that the consumables he was using were not suitable, when in fact it had been proved that they were. Perhaps the subject has simply been exhausted and, with no change forthcoming, retailers no longer feel the issue is worth raising, but of course it might be that in the knowledge that regulations are not in fact being tightened, those responsible for enforcing them have stopped fussing over the really small details.
Pixellive.co.uk forum regular and general word-on-the-street Camshop recently asserted that an increase in ID photo business would save our trade on the high street. In his thread entitled “India Saves the independent retailer”, the user known as Camshop said “Indian visa photographs have changed. As of last week they have to be 2"x2" on a white background. Cash In!
...Make hay while the sunshines or should that be make snowmen while it snows?” Among others, user Sprint95m answered “Anyone have bother with photos for Russian visas? Apparently these have to be on matt (not lustre or glossy) paper.”
Photo-Me have always been one of the biggest names in ID photo production.
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The complexity of these rules is what keeps customers coming to professionals to have ID photos taken - they’re unsure of the rules, products required or how to get it right on their own so it’s quicker, easier and cheaper to pop into a store and have it all dealt with by someone who knows what they’re doing and has all the equipment. Bringing in anything from £3 to £8 for a set (and we’ve heard of as much as £12 charged!), ID photos for passports, bus-passes and other applications are one of the last photographic products consumers aren’t proficient at doing at home. Photo-Me have always been one of the biggest names in ID photo production. In more recent years their products have diversified
away from their iconic photo booths into other photo products and amusement kiosks, seemingly indicating a less certain future for this offering. Last week’s announcement then, of a ‘re- invented’ photobooth in conjunction with acclaimed designer Philippe Starcke is welcome news. As well as attractive touches like an internally back-lit seat and a sleek outer appearance, the new booth features a touch screen and a range of ID photo based products like postcards, pop-art prints and printed frames as well as legally- compliant ID photos. So it appears that this is a market far from disappearing on us in 2011, and if we can develop more products around this offering then all the better.
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