Can children have their irises photographed? Absolutely!
At Irisium Iris Photography, we generally recommend children be at least five years old. That's the age we've found most children can comfortably follow the simple instructions needed to capture a great iris photograph.
But five isn't a hard rule. We've successfully photographed younger children, including toddlers!
Why do we recommend five years old?
Taking an iris photograph is pretty quick, but it does require a little cooperation.
We need your child to do three simple things:
Sit relatively still.
Look straight ahead when asked.
Keep their eyes open wide for a few moments.
That's really it!
Young children are naturally curious. They want to look around, see what's happening and take everything in. But when they're moving around or constantly looking at everything, their eyes are moving too.
And for iris photography, we need those eyes to stay still long enough to capture the incredible details inside them.
How does iris photography work for children?
Our photography equipment includes a chin rest, similar to what you might see at an optometrist's office. It helps keep the head comfortably positioned while we photograph the eye.
We'll guide your child through the process, asking them to look straight ahead and open their eyes wide.
Sometimes a little assistance is helpful. We may ask a parent to gently lower their child's cheek or lift an eyelid to give us a clearer view of the iris. Our photographers don't physically touch the child or their eyes.
Our photography process and lighting have also been reviewed by eye-care professionals for safety.
What if my child is younger than five?
We're happy to try!
We've successfully photographed younger children, particularly when parents have practised the instructions with them beforehand.
You can even try a little practice at home.
Have your child sit still, look straight ahead and open their eyes wide while you count to three.
Then have them blink, open their eyes again and count to three once more.
Repeat this a few times. We need to capture multiple photographs of each iris, so being able to repeat the process is just as important as holding still for those first three seconds.
If your child can comfortably do this, there's a good chance we can capture their iris.
What happens if my child can't cooperate?
We understand that young children don't always do what we ask, especially in a new environment.
We're willing to work with younger children, but it's important to understand that the session fee still applies even if we're unable to capture a perfect iris photograph.
In fact, photographing younger children can sometimes involve considerably more work. If we can't capture the entire iris in a single image, our editors may need to carefully combine details from multiple photographs to create the best possible result.
We'll do our best with the images we're able to capture, but we can't guarantee the same result we'd achieve with someone who can comfortably remain still and follow instructions.
If your child has difficulty sitting still or keeping their eyes looking forward, it can affect the final image, but we'll always do our very best to capture and create something special from the photographs we're able to take.
Not sure if your child is ready?
Try the little counting exercise at home first. It's a simple way to see whether your child is comfortable following the instructions we'll use during their session.
And if you're still unsure, get in touch with us before booking. We're happy to explain the process and help you decide whether now is the right time.
After all, those amazing little eyes won't stay little forever!
