Basic Principles of Light Polarization

Polarization Photography
Reduce Sun Glare
Reduce Reflections
Darkens Sky
Increase Color Saturation
Reduce Haze

Polarization Photography
Without Polarizer
With Polarizer
Provides better Color Saturation
Darkens the sky

Polarization Photography
Without Polarizer
With Polarizer

Polarization Photography : Scattering
De-hazed
Haze

Polarization Photography : Wide Angle Lenses
Vignetting of the Sky

Polarization Photography : Reflections
Reduce Reflections

Polarization Photography : Reflections
Reduce Reflections

Polarization Photography : Reflections
Many titled planes

Aqua-polaricam
Y. Schechner & N. Karpel, underwater imaging

Polarization Photography : Underwater
Underwater pipelines
and communication
Offshore structures
Underwater ROV/AOV
Offshore drilling rigs
Vessel inspection
Recreational photography
Marine archaeology
Marine biology
Underwater mapping

Birefrengence
Interference pattern due to different refractive indices

Light as Plane Waves
Sinusoidal plane waves very
good approximation.
Very useful for characterizing polarization.
Polarized Wave: Has only one preferred orientation.
Un-polarized Wave: Has no preferred orientation.
or has all orientations.
Partially polarized wave: Has preferred orientation but
has energy in other orientations as well.

Classification of Polarization
Linear : Two orthogonal plane waves with same phase but
possibly different amplitudes.
Circular: Two orthogonal plane waves with 90 deg phase
shift but same amplitudes.
Elliptical: Possibly any degree phase shift with
different amplitudes.

Linear Polarization

Circular Polarization

Elliptical Polarization

Crossed Polarizers

Polarizer Puzzle
If crossed polarizers block all light, why does putting a third polarizer at 45° between them result in some transmission of light?

Law of Malus
Amplitude:
Intensity = Const . (Amplitude)^2

Polarized Sunglasses
Reduce glare off the roads while driving