1. A method for reference distribution aerial imaging of a subject, said method comprising the steps of: dividing a coherent laser beam into an illumination beam and a reference beam; expanding and collimating the illumination beam; guiding at least a portion of the illumination beam to a subject in an object plane and there from forming a subject distribution; guiding a portion of the reference beam to a preformed reference object in the object plane and there from forming a reference distribution; and combining an aerial image of the subject distribution and an aerial image of the reference distribution on an image plane.