Photo instrumentation refers to recording information of a diagnostic nature via a photographic process.
The information recorded is usually used to determine the motion of a particular object through the camera's field of view.
Information on the object's motion, combined with its known physical characteristics, such as size and weight, allows calculation of many parameters including velocity and force for any desired points within the image.
The "photo instrumentation" provides both quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (descriptive) information that helps the observer understand the event.
Specialized optics, illuminations, and films are used to record images of things that the eye cannot see such as movement of air, surface temperature of objects, and stress patterns.