An overview of three techniques developed by our group for imaging superficial tissue is presented. Firstly, a novel polarized light capillaroscope has been developed for imaging the microcirculation. The capillaroscope has been used to make in vivo measurements of sickle cell disorder sufferers with aim of monitoring the polymerization of sickled red blood cells. Secondly, hyperspectral imaging for measuring oxygen saturation is described. The accuracy of such measurements is affected by the non-linear relationship between scattering and absorption and it is demonstrated that polarization techniques can be used to make the relationship more linear, thus improving accuracy. Finally, the use of smart CMOS optical sensors for laser Doppler blood flowmetry is described. A 32×32 pixel imaging array with on-chip processing is described and the potential for full field laser Doppler blood flow imaging is demonstrated through measurement on blood flow of tissue before and after occlusion.