ABSTRACT
Light can reflect from a subject as diffuse reflection, direct reflection, and polarized direct reflection—or as it is often called, glare. Most surfaces cause some of each of these three types. The proportions of each type of reflection vary with the subject, and it is the proportion of each reflection in the mix that makes one surface look different from another. Diffuse reflections are the same brightness regardless of the angle from which we view them. This is because the light from the sources is reflected equally in all directions by the surface it strikes. Photographers often diffuse a light source by reflecting the light from an umbrella or by covering it with a translucent material. We call light passing through translucent material diffuse transmission. Photographers sometimes call direct reflection specular reflection. As a synonym for direct reflection, this is a perfectly good term. A diffuse reflection gets brighter if move the light source closer to the subject.
