“My eyes are just brown. Will iris photography even look good?”
We hear versions of this question all the time.
The short answer is yes. Brown eyes can be harder to photograph, but can look incredible in iris photography.
Brown Eyes Aren’t “Just Brown”
When we look at someone's eyes normally, particularly darker brown eyes, we don't necessarily see all the detail that's there.
That's because we're looking at them under everyday lighting, from a normal conversational distance.
Iris photography changes that.
Using specialized macro photography and controlled lighting allows us to photograph the iris at a level of detail you simply don't see when looking in the mirror.
Suddenly, “brown” isn't necessarily one uniform colour.
Depending on the individual iris, we may see different shades of brown, amber or gold, along with rings, lines, fibres, variations in tone and intricate patterns extending through the iris.
Every eye is different.
Are Brown Eyes Less Interesting Than Blue or Green Eyes?
No. They're different.
Bright blue or green eyes can certainly create dramatic iris photographs because their colour is immediately noticeable. Brown iris photography can be dramatic for a different reason.
Often, it's the discovery.
Someone who has spent their entire life thinking they have “plain brown eyes” suddenly gets to see the structure and detail that has always been there.
That's one of our favourite reactions during an Irisium session.
Will Every Brown Iris Look the Same?
Definitely not.
That's one of the reasons iris photography is so interesting.
Two people can both describe themselves as having brown eyes, yet their finished iris portraits can look completely different. Colour is only one part of an iris. The patterns, structures, textures and variations are what make each one unique.
So if you've been looking at iris photography and thinking, “That looks amazing, but my eyes are only brown,” don't count yourself out.
You may simply have never seen your brown eyes like this before.
