Did you know that all these photos were taken on a regular camera phone?

Across social media, people are posting their ‘Self-Eyes’ to celebrate the beauty of eyes and to salute the global effort working to end trachoma.

A post shared by See Now (@weareseenow) on Apr 12, 2018 at 9:33am PDT

 

Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. It causes irritation to the inner surface of eyelids, making them inflamed, and, if left untreated, eventually leading to permanent blindness. But if caught early, trachoma is easily treatable and preventable. There has been a global effort to eliminate trachoma across the world, but now world leaders are coming together to end the disease for good.

This year, a new fund has been announced to end trachoma in Commonwealth countries by 2020. This is a huge step forward for ending trachoma worldwide.

To celebrate the announcement of this fund, people are posting Self-Eyes online to show off the incredible natural beauty of eyes. Every Self-Eye is a show of support for the progress being made against trachoma.

It’s so easy that you can take a Self-Eye with your friend at home. And here’s how!

Step 1 – Set up your studio and your subject. Ideally, them to rest their chin on a desk to ensure their head is stable.

Step 2 – Cue the lights! Blackout the room and position a lamp beside your subject. Make sure the light shines from the side so not to damage their retina!

Step 3 – Remain as still as possible when taking your Self-Eye. Tap on the iris to perfect the focus. Make sure the you are not taking the photo too close to your subject’s face. You’ll be able to crop the photo nicely in a second.

Step 4 – Final touches. Crop the image where necessary and use your favourite filter to bring out the best contrast.

Step 5 – You are ready upload! Make sure you use the hashtag #SelfEye (and if you’re generous, tag @WeAreSeeNow too).

With global willpower, we can eliminate trachoma by 2020. So show your support by sharing your #SelfEye today.