Specular Reflection
Shiny surfaces change appearance when viewpoint is varied
- specularities (highlights) are view-dependent
- caused by surfaces that are microscopically smooth
For shiny surfaces part of the incident light reflects coherently
- an incoming ray is reflected in a single direction (or narrow beam)
- direction is defined by the incoming direction and the surface normal
A mirror is a perfect specular reflector
- approximate specular reflectors give fuzzy highlights