A system for optical tomography of an object, comprising: a data collection system to collect light having traveled through the object and in free space about the object and to generate one or more signals in response to the light, the data collection system comprising: one or more light sources for emitting light directed toward the object to propagate through the object, the object diffuse to propagation of the light through the object; one or more light sensors disposed to receive the light which has passed through the object, wherein at least one of the one or more light sources and the one or more light sensors are disposed apart from the object; and a data processor to generate the one or more electrical signals in response to the light received by the one or more light sensors; a surface-capture system to receive surface light reflected from a surface of the object and to generate a surface model of at least a portion of the surface of the object in response to the surface light; a model processor coupled to the surface-capture system to provide one or more optical models associated with the surface model, the one or more optical models including a model of the propagation of light in free space between the object and the one or more light sensors; and a solution processor coupled to the data collection system and to the model processor to provide a tomographic image of the object in response to the one or more signals and to the one or more optical models. a data collection system to collect light having traveled through the object and in free space about the object and to generate one or more signals in response to the light, the data collection system comprising: one or more light sources for emitting light directed toward the object to propagate through the object, the object diffuse to propagation of the light through the object; one or more light sensors disposed to receive the light which has passed through the object, wherein at least one of the one or more light sources and the one or more light sensors are disposed apart from the object; and a data processor to generate the one or more electrical signals in response to the light received by the one or more light sensors; one or more light sources for emitting light directed toward the object to propagate through the object, the object diffuse to propagation of the light through the object; one or more light sensors disposed to receive the light which has passed through the object, wherein at least one of the one or more light sources and the one or more light sensors are disposed apart from the object; and a data processor to generate the one or more electrical signals in response to the light received by the one or more light sensors; a surface-capture system to receive surface light reflected from a surface of the object and to generate a surface model of at least a portion of the surface of the object in response to the surface light; a model processor coupled to the surface-capture system to provide one or more optical models associated with the surface model, the one or more optical models including a model of the propagation of light in free space between the object and the one or more light sensors; and a solution processor coupled to the data collection system and to the model processor to provide a tomographic image of the object in response to the one or more signals and to the one or more optical models.