UNBELIEVABLE ALIEN LANDSCAPES OF THE HUMAN EYES

wanty · Post time 2-7-2012 03:03 PM

It's the mix of tiny details in these photographs that makes them so mesmerizing. The flat, black depths of the pupils; the wrinkles and lines of the irises that seem to resemble rocky terrain; the way the light reflects off the cornea. Every shot draws you in and keeps your attention lingering on the patterns and textures - which look as if they belong to the surface of some otherworldly landscape.

Hypnotists are famously fond of telling people to "look into my eyes" while trying to cast a sort of mental spell, but these macro shots by photographer Suren Manvelyan are spellbinding all on their own. Manvelyan himself says, "Every time I look they continue to fascinate me."

The irises in these photographs appear to radiate out from the pupils, almost like petals around the centre of a flower. In order to achieve such extreme close-ups, Manvelyan reckons the biggest challenge is getting the focus spot on. "It must be very precise," he says. However he accomplishes it, he obviously does it exactly right!

Looking at the magnificent structure and diversity of the irises seen here, it’s perhaps no wonder iridologists claim to be able to diagnose a person's health just from examining the patterns, colours and other features belonging to this part of the eye. However, it's worth noting that this claim is often refuted by medical doctors.

Even when an iris's colour is a uniform brown, the incredible variations of the fibrous tissue that covers it can be seen in an image like this. This tissue, known as the stroma, is connected to the muscles that cause our irises to contract and expand over the pupil, depending how much light needs to be let in.

Variations in the stroma are even more visible in this next shot, where the iris resembles a tangle of tree roots; or some strange geological formation whose cavities have been carved out by the elements. The subtle contrasts in the different shades that make up this eye can also clearly be seen in this especially close perspective.

Many people are aware that the cornea is the transparent part of the eye overlying the iris. But did you know that should you ever need to have your cornea transplanted, you may get one from a shark? Sharks’ corneas are remarkably similar to our own and are thus often used in human eye surgery. Sadly, however, having shark corneas won't help you see better underwater!