The secret of authentic iris photography
Why we don't retouch reflections away — and how we still deliver sharp images.
Authentic iris photography — why would anyone do fake iris photography?
That's a really good question. What sets authentic iris photography apart from "fake" iris photography?
What sets authentic iris photography apart from «fake» iris photography?
We humans are reflective bodies (like the moon). The sun, on the other hand, is a luminous body. We only reflect existing light. No light = no reflection = you see nothing.
In photography we have the problem that when we want to photograph the iris, there are always reflections somewhere — whether from the flash or from a window.
Reflections in iris photography should not be removed with Photoshop retouching.
Clear flash reflection in iris photography.
So what? Photoshop was invented for a reason … try that and stop whining, Dave!
Clear flash reflection in iris photography.
That could be the solution. But no — it's not. You need to know that in retouching you don't simply erase a problem; you copy and paste something that's already there.
Okay, that's all?
Picture this: you come to my studio for a portrait and have a pimple on your forehead. To remove the pimple I would simply paste your nose onto your forehead … that would be about as wrong as replacing the reflection with something that's already there.
As we know: the iris is absolutely unique. Why would anyone think of altering something that singular? 🚩
Because the iris is curved and not flat, we have another problem. For perfect quality we need to get very close — but then the iris is only sharp at certain points.
Depth of field
The solution for sharp yet authentic iris photography — I reveal the secret of genuine iris photography!
So we photograph every single part of the iris sharply — resulting in 28 to 40 individual images (depending on the iris's curvature and age).
Up to this point our clients are on site. Then the really complicated work begins: the images have to be pieced together like a puzzle. All shots are layered on top of each other and then, piece by piece, assembled into a final, authentic iris photo.
This work takes about two to three hours per iris, depending on eye colour, curvature and structure.
Blue irises are easier to assemble than brown ones. Why? Because blue irises have a kind of spaghetti structure (like threads), while brown ones have a sandy, rough structure, which makes piecing them together harder.
That long? Can't it be faster and therefore cheaper?
For a family of four we spend about 2.5 hours together in the iris studio — and then a full working day of 8.5 hours piecing the images together. All for CHF 399 for the shoot itself.
No, CHF 399 wouldn't make sense purely from a business standpoint. That's why the shoot price doesn't include any physical prints. Our goal is to deliver such outstanding work that our clients order prints afterwards.
To answer the question:
If you want a great experience combined with a result you'll genuinely want to hang on your wall at home, you're in the right place.
Focused greetings, Dave