If you've had professional passport photos taken to spec but the IRCC portal still throws a 'too bright or dark' warning:
- Know that the warning is often an overly sensitive automated check, not a hard rejection. Multiple applicants have uploaded photos through the same warning and had them accepted without a reupload request.
- You can usually proceed and upload anyway. If your photo genuinely meets IRCC's photo specifications and just trips the automated lighting check, submitting despite the warning frequently goes through fine.
- If you want extra reassurance, consider an online passport-photo service designed for these submission systems — some applicants report a smoother first-pass upload this way, though this isn't a requirement and standard professional photos meeting spec should also work.
If your photo does eventually get rejected after upload, you'll typically get a specific reupload request explaining why, so it's not a dead end even if the warning turns out to matter.