Photo Booth Agony and Ecstasy - and Link Up

Is This Mutton blogger Gail Hanlon pictured in photo booth images from the 1970s

Last week I found myself in a passport photo booth for the first time in 10 years. They've changed a lot since then. You can now choose to have a digital passport photo, where you get the usual print out of four mug shots to keep, but also a code to use if you renew your passport online. No need to scan the photos anymore.

I have always been fascinated by passport photos and have dug out my photos through the years. To my horror, the first two - taken in 1971 and 72 - are missing. They were needed back then for my correspondence with penfriends.

When I look at my photo booth pics, I instantly remember what I was wearing and why, and it's fun to look at the hairdos.

The pics at the top are from the late 1970s. Top left, I'm wearing a white cheesecloth kurta which I bought from a small ad in the New Musical Express. This was a very brief flirtation with being a hippy! Top right: this must have been taken at the time of my first proper job as an apprentice journalist. I remember very well the oatmeal wool jacket (from Freeman's Catalogue) and burgundy tie collar blouse.

Moving onto the 80s.

Far left, 1980. I loved this pink dress which was made of a towelling type material. It had an elasticated waist which was a revelation, giving me a waist for the first time. I had dyed my hair black. Second row, top and middle: my mum had been in perming action. Far right: my hair looks very uneven. I had / have a form of what I believe is trichotillomania, although instead of pulling my hair out from the roots, I snip at it for hours with nail scissors. I do this when I'm under stress. In the 80s in particular, I used to savage my hair so much that I had a permanent mullet (long on the bottom, short on the top). It's the main reason I've mostly had shorter hair styles.

I only have two booth photos for the 1990s. There's nine years between the two photos. The one on the right was taken in 1999 as my EU residence permit for Germany. I was quite overweight then.

I got my first passport in 1984 but didn't go abroad until 1987. Remember these larger black passports? It was all very technological (not!). When I got married and changed my name, the passport office didn't issue a new one but simply wrote "Now Mrs Hall" across it. This was my first passport photo in 1984. You were allowed to smile then!

The photo taken in 1994 for my second passport is one of my favourites. I was 33. The passport had the smaller burgundy EU cover. Yes, you could use the photo booth curtain in those times.

And this was the passport photo in 2004: I'm 43 here. I had yet to meet John, my present husband - we met later that year in Corfu. I was very happy at work, travelling a lot.

I had a new passport out of cycle in 2010 when I married John and changed my name. I remember lifting my eyebrows to try to smooth out my forehead, which resulted in this strange expression.

Now we come to present day, and I ended up having two visits to the photo booth. The first time, I applied a full face of makeup including a bright pink lipstick, thinking that the booth would wash me out. I was right - but it also made the makeup look very draining.

The second time, I wore just foundation and eyeliner. I have the very faintest hint of a smile to turn my mouth up at the corners. I prefer this photo, on the right, although my nose is a bit red because I have a cold. But they're both truly awful photos and I look all of my 59 years. Photo booth technology has moved on and the harsh lighting and focus, plus advancing years, means I'll never recapture the glory days of the 70s.

But I still find photo booth pictures a fascinating record of how we age!

Do you have a lot of photo booth pictures or do you only do it for a passport or ID? Do share in the comments.

Sharing this post with Monday Runway at A Pocketful of Polka Dots,Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #LinkupOnTheEdge at Shelbee on the Edge, Anna at Muttonstyle, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Anna at the GlamAdventure, Style Six at Coast to Coast, TFF at Doused in Pink, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, Beauty by Miss L Link Up, Style Wise at North West Mountain Living

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the link up where everyone gains. Readers can find new blogs to enjoy and bloggers can find new readers!

Last week's favourites - most clicked:

Hilda from Over the Hilda with her very informative post "How to Fix Broken, Chipped, Worn Teeth and Improve your Smile." Hilda had some fantastic dentistry with composites to improve her smile, without the huge price tag for veneers or implants.

Nancy from Nancy's Fashion Style was a hit with her post "How to style lounge wear two ways/"

My favourite post was by Lucy Bertoldi - Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva. I love how Lucy delves deep into fashion to find parallels with fashion and art. I enjoyed her post "Is Styling an Artform? Setting up your Lookbook…"