Improving image quality

The earliest known image that was taken through mechanical means is the Niépce héliographie, which was taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1827. It was taken through the window of his workshop by exposing a pewter plate covered in a thin layer of a concoction made from lavender and bitumen. This plate was exposed to sunlight for several days to create a blurry, monochrome image.

Figure 9.1 – The Niépce Heliograph taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1827

Since then, images have gotten better at capturing reality, but the process has not been perfected. There are always various limitations that mean that the images aren’t quite accurate in color, cannot capture all the details, or cause distortions in the image. A truly perfect image is mindboggling to even consider: from a single perfect image, you’d be able to zoom into any atom even on the other side of the universe and our...