Imaging is the representation or reproduction of an object's form; especially a visual representation (i.e., the formation of an image).

Imaging technology is the application of materials and methods to create, preserve, or duplicate images.

Imaging science is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the generation, collection, duplication, analysis, modification, and visualization of images, including imaging things that the human eye cannot detect. As an evolving field it includes research and researchers from physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, computer vision, computer science, and perceptual psychology.

Imagers are imaging sensors.

The foundation of imaging science as a discipline is the "imaging chain" – a conceptual model describing all of the factors which must be considered when developing a system for creating visual renderings (images). In general, the links of the imaging chain include:

Note that some imaging scientists will include additional "links" in their description of the imaging chain. For example, some will include the "source" of the energy which "illuminates" or interacts with the subject of the image. Others will include storage and/or transmission systems.

Subfields within imaging science include: image processing, computer vision, 3D computer graphics, animations, atmospheric optics, astronomical imaging, biological imaging, digital image restoration, digital imaging, color science, digital photography, holography, magnetic resonance imaging, medical imaging, microdensitometry, optics, photography, remote sensing, radar imaging, radiometry, silver halide, ultrasound imaging, photoacoustic imaging, thermal imaging, visual perception, and various printing technologies.

Amateur photography grew in the late 19th century due to the popularization of handheld cameras. In the mid-2010s, smartphone cameras received numerous automatic assistive features such as color management, autofocus, face recognition, and image stabilization, which significantly reduced the skills and effort required to obtain high-quality images. New digital camera technologies and computer editing affect the perception of photographic images. The possibility of creating and processing realistic images in digital format—unlike raw photographs—changes viewers’ perception of the "truth" of digital photography. Digital processing allows images to adjust the perception of reality, both past and present, and thus shape people’s identity, beliefs, and opinions. The social networks of the 21st century and the nearly ubiquitous camera phones have made photo and video recording commonplace in daily life. In the 2020s, the use of artificial intelligence, simulated photography with computer graphics, and generative installations began.