Windows to the Soul

The human eye is a fairly amazing piece of kit. It's a cryin' shame that they eventually wear out (or get poked out, or what have you), as our sight is the first step in human vision (I distinguish the two), and our vision is capable of some pretty cool things. And, of course, you have to consider that our sight is fairly limited compared to the rest of the animal kingdom, so it's a good thing that our peepers are connected to a brain that does cool shit.

Anyhow, a project at work included making some proper photos of the eyes that can be found around the office. Here are a few of the most interesting ones.


Window I


Window II


Window III

Irises are WILD, yo.

The eye is not a trivial subject to photograph. Before we even get around to making the owner of the eye behave properly enough to succeed, camera, lens, lighting, and operator all need to be calibrated to the unique set of requirements that you'd better adhere to if you even want a chance.

I've played with a couple different methods of doing this, and I feel like they both work well. Maybe you can tell the difference amongst these?

For the geek-inclined, these feature 2x magnification, 2 strobes that'll peel paint off a wall within a couple feet of the victim, and a shooting/breathing technique more reminiscent of firing a rifle than a camera.

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