SINGAPORE: Looking to turn your eyes to artwork? More young people in China have been opting for iris photography – a trend that experts are gazing at with concern, citing potential safety and personal privacy risks.
As the name suggests, iris photography involves high-resolution photos being snapped of a person’s iris. The images are then edited into art prints.
While such services are not new and are offered all around the world, more people in the world’s second-largest economy, especially youngsters, have been taking a shine to them, according to local media reports.
CNA did a search for “iris photography”, or “hongmo sheying” in Mandarin, on the popular Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. There were numerous posts of users across China sharing their experiences, along with photo studios advertising iris photography services.
One studio in Changchun city in northeastern Jilin province offered iris photography services at a promotional rate of 98 yuan (US$13.45) per person. The whole process takes about 30 minutes to 40 minutes, the studio added.
Similarly, one Xiaohongshu user, Matiani, said her iris photography experience at a studio in Chengdu took 30 minutes.
“The final product is beyond your imagination, each photo is full of artistic expression,” Matiani wrote. “It’s almost as if there are universes in your eyes.”
EYE SAFETY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS
As more people eye iris photography services, concerns over safety as well as risks to personal privacy have also come firmly into view.
Exposure to intense light during the photo-taking process could potentially harm the retina, said Yu Pingping of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University as reported by local news site ECNS in a Dec 12 article. Yu recommended that users limit exposure to strong light and reduce the frequency of photography sessions.
Patients with conditions such as keratitis, retinal diseases, or recent eye surgeries should refrain from trying out iris photography, said another doctor, Han Wei, from Zhejiang University School of Medicine who was quoted in the same report.
