Retinal Photography — Digital Eye Health Imaging
High-resolution digital photographs of the back of your eye — creating a permanent record that lets us track your eye health over time and detect early changes before symptoms appear.
A picture of your eye health
See What Your Optometrist Sees
The retina is the only part of the human body where blood vessels can be seen directly and non-invasively. A single photograph can reveal signs of eye conditions and systemic diseases long before they affect your vision.
We recommend retinal photography for all patients — particularly those over 40, with a family history of eye disease, diabetes, or hypertension. Images are stored securely so we can compare them year on year and detect any change.
Book Now- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — leading cause of sight loss in over-50s
- Diabetic retinopathy — detected before any visual symptoms occur
- Glaucomatous optic nerve changes — cupping and disc asymmetry
- Hypertensive retinopathy — vessel narrowing and haemorrhages from high blood pressure
- Retinal vessel occlusions and other vascular events
- Pigment epithelium changes and naevi (moles at the back of the eye)
Quick and comfortable
What Happens During Retinal Photography
The imaging process itself takes only a few minutes and is painless. It is typically carried out at the same time as your eye test.
You rest your chin on the camera rest and look at a fixation target inside the instrument. No contact with your eye is required.
A brief flash of light illuminates the retina and a high-resolution digital image is captured. Both eyes are photographed, usually in under two minutes.
Your optometrist reviews the images as part of your eye test, examining the optic disc, macula, blood vessels, and peripheral retina.
We show you the images on screen and explain what we can see. Where something requires further investigation, we arrange appropriate follow-up.
Your retinal images are stored in your clinical record. At each subsequent visit, we compare new images against your baseline to detect any progression.
Also available
Other Services at Jennings Opticians
Frequently Asked Questions
No — retinal photography is a valuable addition to, not a replacement for, a comprehensive eye test. Your optometrist examines the image alongside the rest of your clinical assessment. Together they give a much more complete picture of your eye health than either alone.
Retinal photography is not routinely funded by the NHS as part of a standard sight test. We offer it as a private add-on. The cost is modest and the benefit — a permanent digital record of the back of your eye — lasts for years of comparison.
Retinal photography can show early signs of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucomatous changes to the optic nerve, hypertensive retinopathy (high blood pressure changes), retinal vessel occlusions, and other conditions affecting the posterior segment of the eye.
Our wide-field retinal camera can capture excellent images without dilation in most patients. Where your optometrist needs a more detailed view — particularly of the peripheral retina — dilating drops may be recommended. We will always discuss this with you beforehand.
Add Retinal Photography to Your Next Eye Test
A permanent record of your eye health — from £10 alongside a standard eye test. Wythenshawe, M22.
Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:15pm | Wed & Sat 9:00am–1:00pm