I had my photo taken by an employee at the post office where they submit the application. It would have been fun to walk in and start duct taping myself to the wall without saying a word.
Here (ireland), you can take your own photo with a phone or something. Though, they explicitly say "no selfies". I'm glad of this, since I can try multiple times to get a good one. Also, you normally get them in the post in two to three days.
I'll likely try something like this next time I renew.