Iris Photo as a Christmas Gift near Tours: An Original Idea in Touraine
What if this year you gave a gift that exists in a single copy? An iris photograph, made at the Varennes studio in southern Touraine, becomes a personal work of art to hang on the wall and pass down.
Iris photo, a Christmas gift in Touraine
Iris Photo as a Christmas Gift near Tours: An Original Idea in Touraine
A gift that exists in a single copy
Giving an iris photograph as a Christmas gift means offering a portrait that no one else will ever own: every iris is unique, like a fingerprint. The session is short (about 15 minutes for a single iris), takes place at the studio in Varennes (37600) and results in a personal work of art to hang on the wall and pass down. It is an original, intimate and timeless gift for parents, grandparents or a couple.
I am Claire Chaumont, a photographer in Varennes, in southern Touraine, about 10 minutes from Loches and 45 minutes from Tours. Iris photography is one of the sessions that moves my clients the most: you discover a landscape you have always carried without ever seeing it. Here is why it makes such a beautiful Christmas gift, and how to organise it calmly.
Why an iris photo is a Christmas gift like no other
A sweater gets put away, a gift box gets used up, a decoration goes back in its box in January. A work of art stays. Iris photography reveals what the naked eye never sees: the fibres, the reliefs, the shades and the tiny flecks that make up your gaze. No two irises are alike, not even in identical twins.
It is also a deeply personal gift. You are not giving an object, you are giving someone's gaze, or several people's gazes brought together in a single piece. I never change the colour of the eyes and never invent a pattern: everything you see on the print is truly present in the eye of the person photographed.
Who should you give an iris photo to at Christmas?
- Your parents or grandparents: their iris, combined with those of their children or grandchildren, becomes a family keepsake to look at every day.
- Your partner: the Iris Duo session brings two gazes together in one piece, or your own two eyes, since the right and left iris are different.
- Your children or grandchildren: usually from about 5 to 7 years old, once they can stay still for a few seconds. Thanks to my experience as a childminder since 2009, I turn it into a game.
- Three generations together: a unique piece that keeps the trace of the people who matter, at a precise moment in their lives.
Not sure? Think of the person who already has everything: they are often the one who will be the most moved.
How does an iris session work at the Varennes studio?
Nothing complicated or intimidating: the session lasts about 15 minutes for a single iris, a little longer when several people are combined. You sit comfortably. The shoot needs fairly strong light, but it lasts only a few seconds per eye, with breaks between photos. Glasses come off for the shoot, and coloured contact lenses should be removed to reveal your true colour.
A few days later, we meet again for a complimentary online finalisation appointment. It is the most important step: together we choose the effect around the iris, the background and the way the irises meet. Once the composition is approved, your creation is delivered within 24 to 48 hours in your private gallery. You can then have it printed as a fine art print, on museum-quality cotton fine art paper, by a European art workshop.
Christmas 2026: the calendar to keep in mind
Online booking closes 15 days before the session date. For your gift to be ready before 25 December, you need to allow for the session, the online finalisation appointment, then delivery of the work and any fine art print. In practice:
- the session must take place by 9 December at the latest;
- so it must be booked by 24 November at the latest.
Sessions take place on weekends and public holidays, in small numbers: the first dates go quickly. Booking now gives you plenty of time to choose the composition calmly, without the December rush. And for a classic family session, you can also discover the Christmas sessions at the studio.
A memory to live, then to pass on
My photography is guided by authenticity, sensitivity, optimism, novelty and timelessness. Iris photography brings them all together: it is a new kind of image that never ages and tells who someone is without artifice. Hung in a living room, it starts conversations. Passed down, it becomes a legacy: a grandmother's gaze that her grandchildren will be able to contemplate for years.
If you would like to know more about what makes the iris so singular, you can also discover our family and couple sessions.
Other questions about giving an iris photo
Is an iris photo a good Christmas gift?
Yes, it is a very personal gift: every iris is unique and the result is a work of art to hang on the wall that never goes out of style and can be passed down. It is especially loved by parents, grandparents and couples.
Where can I get an iris photo near Tours or Loches?
At the home studio in Varennes (37600), in southern Touraine, about 10 minutes from Loches and 45 minutes from Tours. It is one of the few iris photography sessions offered in Indre-et-Loire.
How long does an iris photo session last?
About 15 minutes for a single iris, a little longer for a duo, a trio or a family. The shoot lasts only a few seconds per eye, with breaks.
What is the deadline to give an iris photo before Christmas?
To receive the work before 25 December, the session must take place by 9 December at the latest, so it must be booked by 24 November at the latest.
Does iris photography hurt the eyes?
No. The light is fairly strong, but the shoot lasts only a few seconds per eye, with breaks. The person stays comfortably seated.
Book your iris session before Christmas
A short session, a work of art that lasts a lifetime. Only a few slots each weekend, at the Varennes studio (37600), in southern Touraine.