Latest news with #MaxSpielmann
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots holidaymakers warned to check child's passport over rule that could see them BARRED from flight
WITH the summer holidays fast approaching, families across Scotland will be gearing up for their long-awaited getaways. Thousands of jet-setters will be looking forward to their trips as schools prepare to finish up this month for six weeks. 3 Experts have shared their top advice on how to know if your passport is valid Credit: Getty 3 And families have been urged to double-check their kids' passports before heading to the airport Credit: Getty But the one thing that can throw an entire trip off course is an invalid passport. Even if you have a passport that is in-date, it still might not meet certain travel requirements - and this can grind your whole holiday to a halt. This is especially the case if you have a red, pre-Brexit passport. Travel experts are urging parents to double-check their child's passport before heading to the airport. Pros as Max Spielmann, which offers in-store passport photo renewal services across the UK, has warned families to check that everyone has a valid passport. They shared their top tips on how to know whether your old, red passport is still valid or not. The key is to check your passport before booking your holiday to ensure no unwanted surprises Sue Burden And they revealed that there is a little-known rule that could actually see children barred from a flight. Sue Burden, Retail Director at Max Spielmann, said: 'The key is to check your passport before booking your holiday to ensure no unwanted surprises. 'As we offer a passport renewal service, you would be surprised at the number of people who come in to renew their passport with only a couple of days before their flight, after only realising that their passport was invalid or expired. 'We recommend that you check specific entry requirements for your destination country on the official website of the country's embassy or consulate, as rules can change." Tottenham fan passport nightmare travelling to Bilbao for Europa League final The three-month rule You might realise it, but there is actually a very sneaky three-month passport rule when travelling to the EU. We all know that our passports have to be in-date to travel, but experts have revealed that doesn't just apply to the time you're in another country. Passports now need to be valid for at least three months AFTER you arrive at your destination. The experts explain: "Many have turned up to their airport but been denied boarding due to their passport not being valid for a minimum of three months after their planned arrival. "Each passport needs to have at least the months' validity from the date of exit of the European Union Schengen Area, otherwise you will be denied entry to your flight." The six-month rule For trips to countries outside of the EU, your passport must be valid for even longer. The same rules apply as the three-month rule, only for countries outside of the EU, it needs to be valid for six months after your trip. Travel pros advise: "Many countries, such as Cape Verde, Malaysia, and the UAE, require at least 6 months' worth of passport validity after your planned date of arrival. "This way, you are sure not to overstay your permitted time. "So, make sure your passport is valid for at least six months before your travel date to ensure your journey goes smoothly." Transiting and connecting flights ONE thing that many holidaygoers forget to check passport entry requirements for is the country where their connecting flights are. The travel pros advise: "Even if one country where these rules apply isn't your final destination, the rules and regulations still apply. "Even if you are flying from one country to another where these rules don't apply, you still could be denied boarding. "As a rule of thumb, ensure your passport has a minimum of validity of six months, and is less than ten years old each time before you travel. "That way you'll avoid any hiccups, and any last minute changes to your travel plans." The ten-year rule Another technicality that could sacrifice your time away is the little-known ten-year rule. This applies to many European countries and depends on the date that your passport was issued. Some countries require a visitor to have a passport that has been issued less than ten years before you enter. For example, if you wanted to go on holiday on June 15, 2025, then your passport must have been issued sometime after June 15, 2015. If it doesn't, then you face not being allowed to enter upon arrival. The experts say: "If your passport was issued before September 2018, your passport could be valid for more than ten years. "Although this will allow you to travel to most countries outside of the EU, if you're travelling to any EU country other than Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, your passport MUST have been issued LESS than 10 years before the date you enter the EU country."
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Tonight: How To Take Photos With A Phone — Expert Tips
Want to photograph the Northern Lights, the aurora borealis? There are forecasts that the phenomenon will be visible as far south as mid-northern latitudes in the U.S. and Europe on Wednesday, April 16, in the wake of a few nights of intense geomagnetic activity. Happily, capturing the aurora using a phone and camera has never been easier. Here's how to make the most of your camera or smartphone, with advice from experts. Thanks to advancements in smartphone sensors, a modern-day smartphone — even one a few years old — is often more than enough to capture aurora. The key is in knowing how to set it up properly. You should always disable the flash on your phone at night — it's useless and will ruin your own photos and everyone else's. By using the RAW format, more data is collected. 'If your iPhone allows it, shoot your photos in RAW format instead of JPEG. RAW photos preserve more details and provide greater flexibility for editing your photos later on,' said Antony Willets, photography expert at Max Spielmann, in an email. On iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats, then enable Apple ProRAW. Tap RAW in the Camera app before shooting. A wide-angle shot will get more of the aurora in, but it will make it look far dimmer. The standard, default lens on your phone is by far the best quality — so use it. For the same reason, don't bother using the selfie camera. This is what to use in low light. Tap the Night Mode icon, then extend the exposure time using the slider. The longer the exposure, the more detail your phone captures. 'The iPhone's Night Mode is usually between one and three seconds, but for the Northern Lights, you want this to be as long as possible,' said Willets. Aurora hunting in light-polluted areas? Adjust your exposure settings manually to avoid over-exposing and to improve contrast. On an iPhone, tap the screen and drag your finger down to reduce exposure or access the Night Mode menu to tweak the plus-minus settings. It will help preserve details in the aurora. Android's Pro Mode will allow you to manually control settings. Here's what to go for — which also applies to any manual DSLR or mirrorless camera. Holding a phone up to the sky to take a photo of the aurora just about works — but it does degrade your image more than you think. 'If your iPhone detects trembles or shakes — such as if you're trying to hold it still for a long time — your maximum exposure will be about 10 seconds,' said Willets. Put it on a tripod, and the iPhone will suddenly allow you to take 30-second exposures, which is recommended if the aurora is faint. 'We recommend using a tripod — you'll want to place it on an even and steady surface—- and your long exposure time should extend to between 25 and 30 seconds,' said Willets. A longer exposure will bring out greens and reds invisible to the naked eye. Remarkably, a phone can shoot video of the aurora — if you tweak the settings just right. 'Put your video settings on the iPhone down to HD and 30 frames a second, and it's way more sensitive to the Northern Lights,' said Tom Kerss, author of The Northern Lights: The Definitive Guide to Auroras, in an interview. 'Shooting at a lower resolution and a lesser frame rate increases sensitivity in low light — but don't move the phone too quickly, or it will get very smudgy,' said Kerss. 'Slower movements will look better.' A surefire to make your friends green with envy is to make the aurora look as colorful as possible, right? Wrong. Overdo it, and your image can easily look over-processed and unreal. Wednesday afternoon saw the Kp index — which provides a rough guide to the intensity of aurora displays — reach 7, which equates to a G3-class geomagnetic storm (the strongest being G5). That could mean 'very active' aurora, according to NOAA, that's possible to see from the northern edge of the United States.' U.S. states that could potentially see the aurora include Alaska, Washington, northern Oregon, northern Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, northern Iowa, Wisconsin, northern Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
