Most of the approximately 24,000 photographers and photo studios in Germany make most of their income by taking passport photos. Besides, every year there are 9 to 10 million citizens who need new photos for their personal documents. From May next year, however, the authorities will only accept digital biometric photos for new passports – and this development is a real existential threat to photo studios.

“Even if our fears are half confirmed, things will already be very bad,” warns Christian Hamer, head of the Picture People photography chain. Jobs in the industry are under threat, and “businesses that focus solely on passport photos, I think have no hope,” Hammer adds.

In competition with the state

Digital biometric photos are the government’s answer to “morphing” passport photos.

Thilo Roerig, CEO of the Firth-based Ringfoto group, estimates annual turnover from passport photo services at €100 million. From May, however, the photo studios will have to compete with the digital photo terminals of the German state – and indeed in a service from which even 50% of the revenues of the photo studios come.

Digital photo terminals are already being installed in public services and will allow citizens to go there and take their passport photos themselves. The photos are then uploaded to a cloud and later added to the individual’s personal documents. The Federal Printing Office is able to supply 8,000 of these photo terminals to 5,500 passport and ID centers.

Min. Domestic: Safety comes first

The responsible Ministry of the Interior admits after a related question that “for certain sectors” a reduction in revenue is foreseen – but digitization and security are a priority.

At Picture People, passport photos make up around 30% of revenue according to Christian Hammer, which is around €500,000. After May, Hamer expects that this percentage will fall to 15%, “a very significant reduction”.

And the head of the photography chain expects further losses, “because many of the customers who come for passport photos are also interested in our other services.” Passport photos are one of the best ways to attract new customers.

Many will just choose the easy one

Ringfoto’s management is not standing idly by, as Roerig emphasizes. In order to meet the new challenge the industry has developed a private system of digital passport photos, which are also uploaded to the cloud and are equally difficult to forge. “And all this within the framework of the technical guidelines set by the legislator”, emphasizes Roerig.

The cost of this system amounts to several million euros. To use it, photo studios and photographers pay a one-time three-figure sum – and every time they log into the system, they will be identified and able to upload the photos they took. Roerig estimates that more than 3,000 of his colleagues will join the system.

In this way the photo studios will be able to continue to offer this service to their customers. Christian Hamer, however, fears that most people will simply choose the easiest way, so that they can also save time, without having to search and go to a photography studio.

The future of the industry is ominous

Thus, Hammer intends to strengthen the company through corporate photography – for example with board portraits or the photographic documentation of work processes.

However, Hammer is concerned about the size of the company going forward, as the company will have to make significant cuts. In conclusion, the businessman is quite pessimistic about the future: “The industry is going to suffer a lot of layoffs, while some companies will go bankrupt.”

Edited by: Giorgos Passas