  Electromagnetic probes are arguably the most universal tools to study the
different physics processes in high energy hadron and heavy ion collisions. In
this paper we summarize recent measurements of real and virtual direct photons
at central rapidity by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au
collisions. We also discuss the impact of the results and the constraints they
put on theoretical models. At the end we report on the immediate as well as on
the mid-term future of photon measurements at RHIC.
