save contact's profile picture using JavaScript for Automation - applescript

Question

I would like to write the profile picture of a contact to a file.
1) how to read TIFF image?
The dictionary describes the image property: image (*TIFFPicture* or missing value) : Image for person.
In the dictionary TIFFPicture is a link, but when I click it there's no additional information.
When reading it the value seems to be <>.
How do I read it as an image?
2) how to write TIFF image?
When writing it to a file, what format should be specified?
The dictionary says: [as: type class] : how to write the data: as text, data, list, etc.
In case as: is needed for writing an image, what type should be specified? When I use e.g. as: 'data' the error is "Can't convert types".
Example:
var app = Application.currentApplication();
app.includeStandardAdditions = true;
myPeople = Application("Contacts").people.whose({ _and: [{lastName: "Doe" },{firstName: "John"}] });
for (i in myPeople) {
person = myPeople[i];
if (person.image() == null) continue;
var data = person.image();
var file = Path("/var/tmp/test.tiff");
app.openForAccess(file, { writePermission: true });
app.setEof(file, {to:0} ); // reset length
app.write(data, {
to: file,
//as: 'data',
});
app.closeAccess(file);
// result: file with 2 bytes ("<>")
}

Answer 1

Following foo's advice, here is a working AppleScript version:
tell application "Contacts"
set {name:personName, image:personImage} to (get my card)
set filePath to (((path to desktop folder) as text) & personName & ".tif")
set theFile to open for access file filePath with write permission
set eof of theFile to 0
write personImage to theFile
close access theFile
end tell
and the equivalent JavaScript for Automation (not working):
var app = Application.currentApplication()
app.includeStandardAdditions = true
var person = Application("Contacts").myCard()
var filePath = Path(app.pathTo("desktop") +"/"+ person.name() +".tif")
var theFile = app.openForAccess(filePath, { writePermission: true })
app.setEof(theFile, { to:0} )
app.write(person.image(), { to: theFile })
app.closeAccess(theFile)

Answer 2

Here is the JavaScript version, using the Objective C bridge and AddressBook framework. Bonus: conversion to PNG.
ObjC.import("AddressBook")
ObjC.import("AppKit")
person = $.ABAddressBook.addressBook.me
filename = $("~/Desktop/"+ person.displayName.js +".png").stringByExpandingTildeInPath.js
image = $.NSImage.alloc.initWithData(person.imageData)
imageData = $.NSBitmapImageRep.imageRepWithData(image.TIFFRepresentation)
png = imageData.representationUsingTypeProperties($.NSPNGFileType, $())
png.writeToFileAtomically(filename, false)