The photos that will be taken at the police stations for the new ID will leave thousands of freelancers without work

As of August 1, Spain will launch a new ID (National Identity Document).For the realization of the new identification, the government plans that the photographs be taken in the commissioners.A decision that would endanger the activity of thousands of small photography studies, which need these photos to survive in the market.

The change is produced by the entry into force of Regulation 2918/1157 of the European Union, which forces member states to share a series of common characteristics in their identification documents.Spain is already working on that new ID, which will be in English and Spanish, which will integrate a microchip to store photos, firm and fingerprints of the owner, among other aspects.And if the executive's plans do not change, the new DNI could also "send hundreds of businesses to the closure," said the president of the Spanish federation of photography and image professionals (Fepfi), José Luís Pozo.

According to Pozo, the card business to get the DNI moves about 45 million euros and supposes for many establishment between 60% and 70% of its income."And they will just take it to us when we need them most to survive," said the president of Fepfi.

Business will be lost

During the health emergency, photography stores have only been able to obtain income solely and exclusively from the card photos they made to update the DNI."The rest of our earnings have not been possible, since events, baptisms and communions -for Elcovid -19 have not been held," said Pozo.Which also stressed that with change there was no saving for families, as the cost of card photos varies between 5 euros and 10 euros."It will only mean a loss of activity," he said.

In this sense, the Secretary General of the National Federation of Associations of Autonomous Workers (ATA), José Luis Perea, commented that “the daily dripping of three or four card photos allows you to have the studies open, more when reports and social events, weddings, communions and others have fallen through pandemic ".In his view, photography studies face "a clear example of intrusion in which an official on duty makes the photos in the police station, when he does not know the quality standards that this type of photos need".

70 years of collaboration cast by land

 Las fotos que se realizarán en las comisarías para el nuevo DNI dejarán sin trabajo a miles de autónomos

For photography studies, including those that have photomatons installed in public areas -such as the subway or a shopping center -, the news about the implementation of the new DNI has fallen as a cold water jug.The activity awaited changes with the entry into force of the new model, but not the end of card photos and for many of your business.

“The photographic sector has been taking the photographs of official documents for more than 70 years.To do this, it has had to adapt, opening closer stores from the curators, acquiring new equipment to meet the more than 7 million ID photographs that are held a year.And so, from one day to another, they dispense with us and stop being necessary.And all the investment made is no longer use, ”denounced the president of FEPFI.

One of the aspects that bothers these businesses most, mostly in the hands of self -employed workers, is that the government has not taken into account to seek a solution.According to the president of the Association of Professional Photographers of Castilla-La Mancha, David Torres, "there are many European countries that have also adapted to the regulations and that have continued to have their national photography studies".Specifically, Torres commented on the case of Germany that would be planning that all photography were digital, but that they were done in the studies and that they themselves were responsible for sending them.Or Austria that only allows photos in card establishments.

Quieren hablar con el Gobierno

Following the solutions that some European neighbors have given to the realization of the new ID, photography studies are trying to contact the Executive."We are requesting that it meets us," said the president of the Spanish Federation of Photography and Image professionals (Fepfi), José Luís Pozo.

As he explained they want to propose that, as they did and demonstrated at other times, studies can adapt to government needs.“Spain has to count on the sector, just as other countries such as France or Germany have done.We could capture the image, upload it to the server indicated by the Executive and continue giving a paper image to the client, since for them it is still important, ”said Pozo.

The habit of taking a photo in the wallet is going to be lost

As explained by both presidents, although card photographs have a useful use for the government and mean nothing more than the graphic identification of a person, for citizens they are much more."When there are plenty of card photos, it is usual to give them, and take them in the portfolio as a memory of that person," said David Torres, president of the Association of Professional Photographers of Castilla-La Mancha.Which valued the importance of card photos for many citizens.

“Although it may seem a simple photo, this is important for many people and they insist on doing well.We are used to reassuring people in the study to feel comfortable and come together.Also with children or people who have motor problems or some type of disability.This is where professionalism shows, ”said Torres.Who talked about the difficulties of taking photos of close brightness or people with glasses and that the reflexes do not come out.

Una actividad de la España Vaciada

While the government launches measures to save the so -called emptied Spain, it also makes decisions that are detrimental to it.This is seen by the president of Fepfi, José Luís Pozo, who said that with the decision he is harming an activity that is in almost all the peoples of Spain."The neighborhood businesses are being attacked, which are the ones that give life to the streets, the towns and the cities".

In his opinion, the cost of not taking card photos for the DNI will be much greater for the sector.“It is not only the loss of the sale of the photo itself, but we lose much more, since when someone comes to our establishments to take the photos for the ID, the photographer takes the opportunity to teach his work, show what is what it iscapable and get more sales, ”said López, who pointed out that not only card photos are lost, but cross sales, so it will be very difficult for them to remain open.

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