Tree Reflection in Lake Wanaka
May 27, 2019
Photographer: Raewyn McGillivray
Summary Authors: Raewyn McGillivray; Jim Foster
Shown above is a rather odd-looking tree I observed at Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The Sun is in front of the camera but not yet near the horizon, and the surface of the water is unruffled by waves. Though this appears to be a perfect mirror-image, the reflected image is slightly dimmer since only if the angle of incidence is exactly 90 degrees can the reflected image be the same brightness as the actual image. Also, note how the reflection of the overcast sky looks a little darker than the sky itself. This results from the varying reflectivity of light at different incidence angles on the water’s surface. Photo taken on May 8, 2019.