Despite its familiarity and the fact that it becomes a formal area of study in early upper primary grades, optics remains a cognitive challenge for young as well as advanced learners, not only because much of it is counter-intuitive but also because its conceptual comprehension involves negotiating the vocabulary and graphical symbolism involved in the study of the subject. In this article, I will attempt to trace the comprehension difficulties faced by learners in the area of optics to the nature of the subject, the intuitive notions associated with it and its textbook representations. I will also describe an investigation into prospective teachers' ideas in optics and discuss the effect of an intervention that was conceptualised as a way forward in its teaching.