Traditional family photos are beautiful, and there will always be a place for them. But you know the drill. Everyone in matching outfits at golden-hour with a forced smile, and a photo that looks a lot like the one from last year, and the year before that.
But if you have ever searched for “family photography near me” and felt like every option looked the same, know there is another way to capture your family. One that literally no other family on earth could recreate.
It starts with looking a little closer. Specifically, into each other’s eyes.
Meet the New Family Photo
At Sol Iris Photography in downtown Mesa, Arizona, your family can choose a different kind of portrait. Instead of the typical family photoshoot, each family member sits for a quick close-up photograph of their iris, the colored ring around the pupil. Each iris is then hand-edited into a fine-art portrait and set against a deep black background, either as individual pieces or combined into one stunning composition.
The result is a family photo built from the one feature that makes each of you truly one of a kind. Mom’s sky blue. Dad’s chocolate brown. The kids’ eyes that somehow landed somewhere in between. Side by side, they tell your family’s story in a way a posed portrait never could.
There are 8.3 billion people on Earth and no two irises are alike. Even your own two eyes differ from each other. So when a family’s irises hang together on a wall, that piece is verifiably, unmistakably yours. It cannot be imitated, recreated, or generated.
Why Families Are Rethinking the Traditional Family Photo
There is nothing wrong with a classic portrait session. But families across the Phoenix area are looking for alternatives to traditional family photos (especially during the summer months!) for a few reasons:
No outfits, no coordinating, no stress. An iris session requires zero wardrobe planning. Come as you are. Your eyes are already dressed for the occasion.
No forced smiles. Teenagers who refuse to smile, and dads who blink in every frame all do beautifully in an iris session. Each person is photographed one at a time, and the camera only needs a few seconds of stillness.
It never goes out of style. Haircuts change. Fashion changes. Your iris pattern formed before you were born and stays with you for life. An iris portrait from today will look just as timeless in thirty years.
What a Family Session Is Like in Downtown Mesa
Sol Iris Photography is a dedicated, appointment-only iris photography studio at 86 W University Drive, Suite 111 in Downtown Mesa, Arizona. There is no walk-in line and no waiting room shuffle. You book a time, you arrive, and the studio is yours.
The owner, Saskia, photographs every iris herself and is your point of contact from booking to delivery. A session takes about 15 minutes per iris, so even a family of five is usually in and out within an hour or so.
If you are wondering how this works with little ones, here is the good news: the camera never touches the eye, nothing is dilated, and the lighting is gentle. Kids tend to think it is fascinating. They get to see their own eye up close, often for the first time, and most are surprised by how quickly it is over. This said, it is recommended that the child be at least 5-years-old or able to hold their gaze steady while opening their eye wide for a few seconds. To date, Sol Iris’ youngest client was two years old and the furriest was a Corgi named Rori.
Your finished portraits are delivered as high-resolution digital files within three days of your session. Iris designs and/or professional prints are available for order as well.
What Family Iris Photography Costs in Arizona
Family sessions are priced simply:
- Family package (3 or more irises): $45 per iris
- Custom iris designs: from $30
- Professional prints: starting at $130
- Single iris session: $60, if you want to start with just one
- Two iris session (couples): $100, and you can read more in our couples iris photography blog
There is never pressure to decide on designs and prints in the studio. As long as your irises are on file, these can be requested and purchased later.
Additionally, if a loved one is not available for your appointment time they can book a time that works for them and add their iris to the family file. Just reach out through the Sol Iris contact page for any special requests.
Finally, Gift cards are available in any amount and are a favorite for birthdays, anniversaries, and the holidays.
Family Spread Across the Country? There Is a Remote Option
Not everyone lives in the Valley, and family photos should not have to wait for the next reunion. With Capture & Send, far-away family members photograph their own iris at home using an iPhone and a simple guide. It takes about ten minutes. They send the photo to the studio, where it is finished into the same fine-art portrait and added to your family composition.
Capture & Send starts at $35 per iris. Learn how it works on the Capture & Send page, and see our guide on how to photograph your iris at home with an iPhone.
Serving Families Across the Phoenix Metro Area
Sol Iris Photography welcomes families from across the Valley. Clients visit from Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and throughout the East Valley, and the Downtown Mesa studio is a short drive from anywhere in the metro area.
If you have been searching for family photography near me, family portrait ideas, or a unique family photo in the Phoenix area, this is the session your family will actually remember. For a full overview of the studio and how iris photography works visit Sol Iris Photography.
This year, skip the matching outfits. Book the new family photo instead.
Book your family session in Downtown Mesa, or reach the studio at 480-457-9696.
The beauty was always yours. We just made it visible.
