The use of images in fluid mechanics

Still images, photographs and drawings, as well as movies are widely used in fluid mechanics and this has been true since the very early developments of this discipline. The intrinsic geometrical complexity of fluid flows, in particular when they are turbulent, explains this necessity of using visual representations to gain a physical understanding of the phenomena involved. The aesthetic appeal of images in fluid mechanics research is another reason why their use is more prevalent than in other fields of the physical sciences.