There is a lot to it wavelength, size of reflecting object (if it’s smaller than the wavelength it can’t reflect anything back also applies to emitting photons), reflectance or the fraction of light reflected at the surface of the object (the energy it obsorbs vs energy it kicks back), phase shift, if the photon is traveling from one medium to another with a lower or higher refractive index (redirection of a wave as it passess from one medium to another) it will change the oscillations (kinda like a feedback loop, photons effect electrons in the medium and electrons effect photons right back) like looking at a pencil behind a glass of water distorts what you see. I probably missed some things but I gotta admit it always fascinates me to think about light and reflection.
There is a lot to it wavelength, size of reflecting object (if it’s smaller than the wavelength it can’t reflect anything back also applies to emitting photons), reflectance or the fraction of light reflected at the surface of the object (the energy it obsorbs vs energy it kicks back), phase shift, if the photon is traveling from one medium to another with a lower or higher refractive index (redirection of a wave as it passess from one medium to another) it will change the oscillations (kinda like a feedback loop, photons effect electrons in the medium and electrons effect photons right back) like looking at a pencil behind a glass of water distorts what you see. I probably missed some things but I gotta admit it always fascinates me to think about light and reflection.