This paper deals with the principles of detection of optical signals near a surface in a manner permitting the mapping of the distribution of the fields close to various kinds of illuminated samples. We begin with a discussion of the main physical properties of the optical fields near a surface in the absence of any probe tip. This mainly concerns phenomena involving evanescent waves for which the local decay lengths are governed not only by the sizes but also by the intrinsic properties of the surface structures. The interpretation of the detection process is reviewed on the basis of a discussion about the possibility of establishing direct comparisons between experimental images and the solutions of Maxwell equations or the electromagnetic local density of states.