Lambertian Reflection

Lambertian reflection describes how light interacts with a surface that appears equally bright from all viewing angles, like matte paint or unpolished wood. When light hits such a surface, it scatters uniformly in all directions, creating a consistent appearance regardless of how you look at it. This behavior is characterized by the surface’s reflectance being proportional to the cosine of the angle between the incoming light and the surface normal. Essentially, it reflects light evenly, giving objects a diffuse, non-glossy look that helps in accurately perceiving their shape and texture under various lighting conditions.