all 3 comments


1

kprvwid

Well basically at the DMV the lighting and backdrop are very consistent which means that therefore the shadow is consistent as well, so there is little to no shadow most of the time. IMO this is kinda BS however and depends so much on the state; my real WA id has an insane amount of shadow around it and is at a strange angle.


1

21done Vendor

This is mostly in regards to having a shadow on your face. In a DMV, you will not have half of your face in shadow, or heavy shadows under your chin or eyes, generally speaking. Half of your face being darker than the other half is usually a clear sign to a bouncer that your ID is fake.


1

HomeDepotEnthusiast

I swear this forum needs the book I read as a 6 year old about light. I'll go to my storage unit and see if I still have it and upload scans.
ID photos should be taken with direct light, as the DMV does.
A photo not taken with direct light will have shadows in different spots, like "around your body" or "under your eyes".
Direct light will produce shadows around the most protruding object, and for many that's your ears.