Optics of Water

Water is a medium with a density.

Facts:

• It is transparent
• It is faintly blue.
• Its color depends on the depth and its dirtiness.
• To paint water is to paint something else, a reflection.

Water reacts with light in four ways:

• Scattering light
• The water acts as a light source. The light is a soft, pervasive illumination similar to one found from a laptop glow.
• Reflecting light
• The water acts as a mirror. Turbulent waves produce a bad reflection.
• Absorbing light
• The water acts like an object. It darkens form and lowers value.
• Refracting light
• It de/focuses light. It acts like a lens.

Seeing a window at a glancing angle will show a reflection.

If the window is seen head on, there is less reflection.

http://www.ringbell.co.uk/info/hdist.htm