Iris photography workflow: from capture to delivery

Step 1 – Capture

Iris sharp in the focal plane, light from the side rather than the front, no heavy pre-sharpening. Two captures per eye with a slightly shifted gaze give you a spare if lashes cover a region.

Step 2 – Upload and project

The captures from one session go into one project, so both eyes, a couple or a whole family stay together and can be designed as a set later.

Step 3 – Start processing

Processing does not start on upload; you start it with a click. That prevents accidental runs and lets you cull first.

Multiple jobs run through a fair queue, so every studio gets served even when many are working at once.

Step 4 – Review the result

Every finished version comes with a quality check and concrete findings, so you know whether the capture holds up before you talk to the client.

Step 5 – Fine-tuning

• Position and scale the iris in the frame
• Correct the pupil
• Set the crop
• Place an optional light reflection
• Save the settings as a preset for further irises

Step 6 – Output and downstream work

You end with a cut-out iris at 4096 × 4096 pixels and 300 dpi. From there, two routes: straight into your own workflow, or into the Art Style Editor for a designed artwork.

What the workflow saves in practice

Manual masking, structure work and colour matching add up quickly per session. Because those steps run on the server, your work shifts from mouse time to decisions: select, review, design.

Frequently asked questions

How many irises can be processed at once?

Jobs run through a fair queue with a default limit of concurrent calculations per studio, so every studio is served reliably.

Does processing start automatically?

No, a calculation always begins with a click.

Go deeper

• Article: the editing workflow in detail
• Article: Photoshop workflow and alternatives
• Workflow for studios with several photographers
• The short version in four steps