Use this free app to take the perfect passport photo

Oh, that dreaded feeling of having an ID photo taken. Whether it's at Costco or the DMV, no one cares quite as much as you do about how photogenic you appear to be.

But fortunately we get it, and if your passport is up for renewal (along the millions who applied in 2007 when passports became mandatory for travel to the Caribbean and Mexico), we have a super helpful tip.

Passport Booth is a free app that guides you to taking the perfect passport photo with your cell phone, including markers for your chin, eyes and shoulders. Once you've captured the perfect "natural expression without eyewear against a white background," we suggest selecting the 4x6" grid option of your photo, emailing it to yourself via the app, and sending it over to your local CVS or Walgreens. In about an hour, you can pick up your printed 4x6" sheet of six photos and cut it into the required 2x2" copies for less than 25 cents.

This is perfect because not only will you want extras in case you accidentally staple through or tear your photo (this was written based on experience), but a single 2x2" passport photo taken by a CVS or Walgreens employee will usually cost you up to $13.

Also super helpful: The opportunity to snap passport photos of employees, kids, clients, etc. without having to leave the office or house.

We still haven't figured out how to make those airport customs machines take a nicer picture of our faces right after getting off an international flight, but maybe an in-flight face mask will help?