This is a one-day lecture in the theory, development, and applications of high-resolution optical microscopy with a concentration on solid immersion lens and near-field scanning optical microscopy techniques. The course covers the necessary general background to optics and microscopy near the diffraction limit. Subjects covered include the development of scanned probe microscopies; the development and theory of near-field scanning optical microscopy; the design, construction, and assessment of near-field microscopes; the application of near-field microscopy to biological systems, to waveguides and photonic devices, and to semiconductor characterization; the theory, development, and practical application of solid immersion microscopy, including semiconductor inspection and thermal imaging.