From Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 October, international eye care charity Orbis will open an immersive iris photography stand at London King’s Cross Station, to mark World Sight Day (9 October).

Inside a booth shaped like a giant eyeball, members of the public can have their irises photographed from just 16, creating a captivating, high-definition artwork that reveals complex colours and patterns more unique than a fingerprint.

At the Orbis iris stand, visitors can create their own unique artwork by choosing from a range of photo and framing options, including different sizes, acrylic mounts and classic frames. The finished piece can be showcased as a striking artwork in the home, given as a meaningful gift, or kept as a one-of-a-kind memento – all while supporting the charity’s work to save sight worldwide.

An iris photograph takes just a few minutes. In that same time, Orbis can deliver a dose of antibiotics that protects against trachoma, a blinding eye disease. It can take just twenty minutes for Orbis-trained surgeons to save someone’s sight from cataract – the world’s leading cause of blindness.

Located on the main concourse at King’s Cross Station, the stand will be open from 7am to 7pm, Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 October, allowing visitors to take part at a time that best suits them.

Why it Matters

World Sight Day, observed on the second Thursday of October each year, focuses global attention on blindness and visual impairment. Today, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss worldwide – yet 90% of cases are preventable or treatable, often with straightforward solutions such as a pair of glasses, a simple surgery, or medicine costing less than 1. Most people affected by vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to eye care is often out of reach.

This year’s World Sight Day theme, #LoveYourEyes, is brought to life through Orbis’s unique Iris Campaign. Each iris is not just a beautiful image, but a reflection of how we see, learn and connect to the world around us. It serves as a vivid reminder of why protecting sight matters – and the role we can all play in ensuring no one loses their sight simply due to a lack of access to eye care.

Orbis: Saving Sight Worldwide

Since 1982, Orbis has worked in communities across the globe to treat people at risk of vision loss and train local doctors and nurses to save sight within their communities for generations to come. Orbis also operates the world’s only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane, The Flying Eye Hospital, which provides hands-on training to local eye care teams.

Rebecca Cronin, CEO of Orbis UK, says: “World Sight Day is one of the most important days in the eye health calendar – a day to come together and celebrate the achievements of the eye health community and join the ongoing fight against global blindness.

“By supporting Orbis’s Iris Campaign and visiting our iris photography stand at King’s Cross Station between 8th-10th October, you can help us change lives. No one should lose their sight due to where they live, and your iris photograph could help create a future where everyone, everywhere, has access to the eye care they need to thrive.”