DS-160 Photo problem

[JoeyKeano 20]

Ok I'm getting really frustrated with submitted my photo when doing the DS-160.

I keep getting the same error message "Illumination appears to be poor".

I've tried many different photos (all done professionally), I've played around with editing the brightness ect with no luck. Keeps saying the same thing. Am I alone in this problem?

[Sarahnick 19]

Did you try the photo tool they have? Maybe try a different computer other way!

[Unidentified 2,930]

Have you tried another browser? Maybe have someone else take a new photo? The photo doesn't have to be professionally made. The program can be picky sometimes. My fiance had to direct the flash up towards the ceiling to create enough light in the room we were in and for the program to stop whining about poor lighting.

[JoeyKeano 20]

It worked, eventually! Took my 20+ goes though haha. I just upped the contrast a little bit more and it was accepted.

Thanks everyone!

[Myrie 7]

Has anyone had the problem of the picture not fitting as in the head is not between the ovals ? If i fill out the square with my picture, the head is not quite where it belongs but when i upload it onto the ds-160 application, it says the picture passed all quality checks and is accepted.

Is that okay now or does it have to fit the tool thing?

[MaxG 18]

Good call on the contrast. I am having similar problems. Complete bullshit. Cheapest developers available made this tool.

 

The photo cropper tool is made in Flash (swf file) and doesn't even work in any modern browser. 

[MaxG 18]

Here are the "Light" settings that worked for me in OS X Photos. Everything else was set to zero.

 

It looks like there is no rule thumb to just bump up the contrast. You just have to keep playing with it and re-uploading the photo for verification. Pain in the ###, but you will get it. What got me success is sliding the light bar left and forward instead of trying to play with individual parameters.

 

Hope this saves the rest of you some frustration.

[MaxG 18]