A three-month-old baby, Olive, has become a viral sensation after putting up a variety of grumpy facial expressions while taking passport photos.
Olive’s mum Alice Tranfield said: “I suppose her expression does sum up 2020: Complete confusion of this crazy time she has been born in to!”
As she was going through her to-do list, Leicestershire-based pilates instructor Alice said she sought to take a picture of her kid when she realized she didn’t have a photo ID for the child.
Olive is a UK and Australian citizen by descent, so she requires two passports.
Due to the pandemic, Alice claimed she was unable to go outside to have any passport photos taken. As a result, she took Olive into her conservatory, where “it’s light and there is a white wall,” and used her iPhone to take the pictures.
The mother-of-two said: ‘My partner James works from home and my three-year-old son was playing nicely.
“Olive had just woken, so I thought this was a good opportunity to have a go at getting a shot.
“Since the day she was born, Olive has looked pretty angry!
“The health visitor had asked whether she had smiled yet at my six-week check-up (over the phone), a milestone that occurs at six weeks, and she had undoubtedly not; yet, her frown was strong.
“Even though she eventually had when they phoned me a few weeks later to check, we undoubtedly receive more frowns than smiles. I yelled for my husband James to come down and hold Olive so that I could try to take a good passport shot without her wiggling.”
“She was actually quite content while trying to take these shots (although it may not look like it!). James was trying to keep his hands out of the shot while supporting her head on top as the bright lights of the conservatory had accentuated her frown.
“In the requirements for a passport photo, it states “eyes must be open and clearly visible”, “facial expression must be neutral”, both edges of the face must be clearly seen with shoulders squared to the camera.
“These seem quite impossible to me, I’m not sure how other parents find it!’
A collection of the ensuing passport images that Alice posted to Facebook attracted several comments from her friends and relatives.
One friend commented: ‘Omg those frown lines,’ while another added: “Not a future poker player! Beautiful though!”
Alice said she and her husband finally settled on a shot that they liked but they will wait to apply for the UK passport as a message on the website reads:
“Unless this is urgent, please apply in a few months.”
Alice responds, “With kids, a simple trip to Spain or France in an all-inclusive, where food and entertainment are all in one location, would be ideal. Before we had kids, I would have replied back to Sydney for a visit or to explore more of Japan.
“Let’s hope Olive’s frown turns upside down by then!”
