In the previous essay on reading photos, I looked at how things we know, mental baggage we have accumulated besides just memories, affect what we see in a photograph. Things like cultural background, political beliefs, movies we’ve seen, or books we’ve read. We’re working our way outwards from our inner selves. Let us turn our attention now to stuff that is entirely outside ourselves, stuff…

The former CIA Chief of Disguise spoke with Wired for this 8.5-minute video that discusses some of the most crucial photography tools used for espionage in the Cold War. Some of what she describes sounds like myths but were actually hugely helpful in intelligence gathering operations. During the Cold War, surveillance of Moscow was some of the most challenging that CIA operatives encountered.