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This post is all about the hidden formula behind the best driver’s license photos.
Everyone wants a good-looking driver’s license which is why we wrote this viral post with 14 insanely helpful tips to help you get a license photo you actually like.
Related: This Is How To Take A Good Driver’s License Photo, Plus 6 More Tips For The Perfect ID
Tip #2 in that post was to do your research, a step that involves gathering inspiration from different driver’s licenses, passport photos, and IDs you like.
And since we all have different preferences, it means everyone will have a different collection of inspo pics.
However, after studying hundreds of driver’s license photos, we noticed something.
Regardless of which photos you like, there are five things 98% of them have in common and we’ll be discussing all of them below.
If you’re curious, check out our board of all the best driver’s licenses and ID photos and see for yourself.
Now let’s get into it!
The Key Elements Of A Driver’s License Photo
Driver’s license photos are small which means all the attention goes to your face, particularly these four key elements:
- Hair
- Eye Area
- Lips
- Overall Expression
We discovered that the best license photos all optimized these four areas for the best results.
Common Features Of The Best Driver’s License Photos
Hair
1. No Ears?
This has to be one of the strangest discoveries we made.
Whether it’s partially (one ear, fringe pieces) or completely, nearly everyone in the best driver’s license photos had their ears covered.
This might be because covering your ears makes your face look more balanced and symmetrical and puts the focus off your ears and onto other facial features.
It can also help you achieve a softer and more elegant appearance.
However, some locations may require your ears to be visible in your license photo, which is why we always stress the importance of doing your research.
Eyes
2. Bold Brows
The second thing we noticed is that in all of the best driver’s license photos, subjects had eyebrows that were clearly noticeable by the color (not the shape or size).
In other words, their eyebrows were not too light which can make it difficult to show up on camera.
Instead, they were dark enough to be noticed on camera while also in a shade and shape that complemented and flattered their face.
3. Added Lashes
If you really think about it, lashes are just these teeny pieces of hair attached to our eyelids.
Even if you are blessed with lashes that are longer than average, they hardly ever show up in a license or ID photo in general.
However, lashes can really elevate your photo, so it’s no surprise that in nearly all of the best-looking license and ID photos, girls were flaunting the prettiest of falsies or lash extensions.
While they weren’t too dramatic, they helped to make their lashes actually show up in their photos.
Most importantly, their lashes were in a shape that perfectly fit their face.
Lips
4. Nude Lips
Very few of the best license photos featured bold or brightly colored lipstick.
Instead, girls wore a subtle nude lip that looked very natural.
There was also just the tiniest hint of gloss to make the lips look super soft.
Expression
5. A Smile or ‘A Pleasant Neutral’ Expression
Let’s face it – being able to have a completely serious expression in a photo and not have it look like a mugshot is a skill that very few people have.
And that’s probably why in the best license and ID photos people are rarely ever completely serious – even when you think they are.
This is a good time to explain the ‘pleasant neutral’ – a term we coined to describe an expression you’ll often see in some of the best ID photos.
In this expression, people aren’t laughing or frowning or making any obvious expression but still look pleasant, approachable, and open.
It’s not hard to do, but it does take practice.
You can do this by looking in a mirror with a neutral expression and then adjusting your features to look more approachable.
This includes relaxing your face, slightly raising your eyebrows, and barely lifting the corners of your mouth to make it look like you are slightly amused.
Every face is different, so you’ll want to look at your face and see what else you can adjust to achieve the look.
It might help to think of a pleasant memory as you are getting your photo taken.
If you can’t do the pleasant neutral (or you prefer not to), don’t be afraid to put on a smile. Whether it’s subtle or wide, smiling is a foolproof way to get a cute license photo – as long as it’s allowed.
Conclusion
So there you have it: the 5 things almost all of the best driver’s license and ID photos have in common.
Of course, these are just observations and not rules – so you can pick and choose what you want to copy or disregard.
Either way, we wish you a license photo you’re truly happy with.
All the best!
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