>The photon absorption and re-emission model doesn't hold up as well as Feynman's explanation.

In his book QED, Feynman explained that he favored the photon absorption model but used field mathematics because it was the only method to deal with the vast quantities of photons.

"I want to emphasize that light comes in this form-particles. It is very important to know that light behaves like particles, especially for those of you who have gone to school, where you were probably told something about light behaving like waves. I'm telling you the way it does behave- like particles."

-Feynman, "QED The Strange Theory of light and Matter"

He then went on to explain everything about transmission, refraction and reflection as individual photon absorption and emissions.