Photographs are a lot more versatile than we really take time to consider. From their initial invention as a way of depicting a scene, usually artistically, they concept of photography has gone off in several other directions, making the technology which is used to capture a scene indispensable in many different ways.
For instance, thermal imaging cameras have become vitally important in various scenarios. As an example, in the aftermath of an earthquake there will be a necessity to find what survivors remain and seek to free them. By detecting body heat, thermal imaging allows this to happen. Thermal imaging is also used by police and by armies to detect suspects and adversaries who are hidden.
Night vision cameras perform a similar job to thermal imaging, by using a different form of light to bring things into sharper image. When night falls, it becomes a lot easier for people to hide and a lot harder for anyone to see movement and individuals. For early detection of a potential threat, night vision is vitally important, and is also useful for use as evidence at a later date.
Who knows, when the use of photography was innovated all those years ago, whether anyone saw the eventual extent to which the use of other forms of photography would become essential in such important situations? It is certain that, today, we would be a lot further back without the many and various innovations that have taken place. That, and we wouldn’t be able to look at funny cat pictures!
