Sliding scale of certainty

Even a photograph is not seeing something with your own eyes.

It still is second-hand information, which could be manipulated. Therefore, its level of certainty is lesser compared to

Conclusions

The best conclusions are those we can make from direct knowledge.
If we are unable to access direct knowledge we should recognize this - acknowledge that its level of certainty is not less than direct knowledge.
If we are unable to access direct knowledge and need to make a conclusion to inform our actions, then we need to learn how to evaluate the credibility of the secondary source.