Since Max works across several disciplines, including design, photography, and publishing, he quickly came up with a photoshoot idea. The official passport photo requirements include that the subject needs to face the camera straight on, needs a clear background without shadow, no glare on glasses and most importantly; no smile. However, they say nothing about what happens behind the scenes.
"Passport photos have their purpose for being so strict, but in an age of funny selfies and Instagram filters, it would, of course, be nice to see if that could also be applied to your passport," Max added.
After coming up with all the crazy posing activities for his models, Siedentopf started shooting them. But the ridiculously over-the-top setup has taken its toll. For example, one of the funny photos had the subject standing behind a fire, which unexpectedly turned into a 10-foot flame...
"[It's] still a bit early to say if any of the models will use these interesting photos for their passports," Max said. "However, the pictures follow all the official requirements so I sure hope that some of them will use them in the near future."
