diff --git a/main/Scene.cc b/main/Scene.cc
index f50dd5a..3a5c215 100644
--- a/main/Scene.cc
+++ b/main/Scene.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Scene::Scene(const map<string, const char *> & options,
     m_verbose = false;
     m_data = NULL;
     m_ambient_light = Color(0.1, 0.1, 0.1);
+    m_max_depth = 10;
 
     load(filename);
 
@@ -136,35 +137,35 @@ void Scene::renderPixel(int x, int y, unsigned char * pixel)
 }
 
 Color Scene::traceRay(const Ray & ray)
+{
+    return traceRayDepth(ray, m_max_depth);
+}
+
+Color Scene::traceRayDepth(const Ray & ray, int depth)
 {
     Color color;
 
-    vector<ShapeDistance> hits = getRayHits(ray);
+    ShapeDistance hit = getRayClosestHit(ray);
 
-    for (vector<ShapeDistance>::const_iterator it = hits.begin();
-         it != hits.end();
-         it++)
-    {
-        /* compute the Phong lighting for each hit */
-        refptr<Material> material = it->first->getMaterial();
+    /* compute the Phong lighting for each hit */
+    refptr<Material> material = hit.shape->getMaterial();
 
-        Vector surfacePoint = ray[it->second];
+    Vector surfacePoint = ray[hit.dist];
 
-        color = Lighting::computePhong(material,
-                                       m_lights,
-                                       ray,
-                                       surfacePoint,
-                                       it->first->getNormalAt(surfacePoint),
-                                       m_ambient_light);
-    }
+    color += Lighting::computePhong(material,
+                                    m_lights,
+                                    ray,
+                                    surfacePoint,
+                                    hit.shape->getNormalAt(surfacePoint),
+                                    m_ambient_light);
 
     return color;
 }
 
-vector<Scene::ShapeDistance> Scene::getRayHits(const Ray & ray)
+Scene::ShapeDistance Scene::getRayClosestHit(const Ray & ray)
 {
-    vector<ShapeDistance> hits;
-    double minSolidDist = 0.0;
+    ShapeDistance hit;
+    bool foundOne = false;
 
     /* loop through all shapes in the scene */
     for (vector< refptr<Shape> >::iterator it = m_shapes.begin();
@@ -180,54 +181,21 @@ vector<Scene::ShapeDistance> Scene::getRayHits(const Ray & ray)
             refptr<Shape> shape = intersections[i].shape;
             const Vector & isect_point = intersections[i].vector;
             Vector normal = shape->getNormalAt(isect_point);
-//            double dot = normal % ray.getDirection();
             double intersect_dist = (isect_point - ray.getOrigin()).mag();
-//            if (dot < 0.0) /* cull back faces */
-//            {
-                double transparency = (*it)->getTransparency();
-                if (transparency == 0.0 &&
-                        (minSolidDist == 0.0 || minSolidDist > intersect_dist))
-                {
-                    minSolidDist = intersect_dist;
-                }
-                if (minSolidDist == 0.0 || minSolidDist >= intersect_dist)
-                {
-                    hits.push_back(ShapeDistance(shape, intersect_dist));
-                }
-//            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    /* now that we have ALL the hits, sort them by distance */
-    sort(hits.begin(), hits.end());
-
-    double transparency = 1.0;
-    /* now go through them all until we get to the maximum number
-     * of hits, or until the transparency left is below the threshold */
-    for (unsigned int hits_index = 0, sz = hits.size();
-         hits_index < sz;
-         hits_index++)
-    {
-        transparency *= hits[hits_index].first->getTransparency();
-        if (hits_index >= (SCENE_MAX_TRANSPARENT_HITS - 1)
-         || transparency < SCENE_TRANSPARENCY_THRESHOLD)
-        {
-            /* delete the rest of the hits */
-            for (int i = 0, num_to_del = sz - hits_index - 1;
-                 i < num_to_del;
-                 i++)
+            if (foundOne == false || intersect_dist < hit.dist)
             {
-                hits.pop_back();
+                hit.shape = shape;
+                hit.dist = intersect_dist;
+                foundOne = true;
             }
-            break;
         }
     }
 
-    return hits;
+    return hit;
 }
 
 bool operator<(const Scene::ShapeDistance & sd1,
                const Scene::ShapeDistance & sd2)
 {
-    return sd1.second < sd2.second;
+    return sd1.dist < sd2.dist;
 }
diff --git a/main/Scene.h b/main/Scene.h
index 3c4d451..d311680 100644
--- a/main/Scene.h
+++ b/main/Scene.h
@@ -23,13 +23,17 @@ class Scene
 {
     public:
         /* types */
-        class ShapeDistance : public std::pair<refptr<Shape>, double>
+        class ShapeDistance
         {
             public:
+                ShapeDistance() {}
                 ShapeDistance(refptr<Shape> shape, double dist)
-                    : std::pair<refptr<Shape>, double>(shape, dist)
                 {
-                };
+                    this->shape = shape;
+                    this->dist = dist;
+                }
+                refptr<Shape> shape;
+                double dist;
         };
 
         Scene(const std::map<std::string, const char *> & options,
@@ -47,7 +51,8 @@ class Scene
         /* private methods */
         void renderPixel(int x, int y, unsigned char * pixel);
         Color traceRay(const Ray & ray);
-        std::vector<ShapeDistance> getRayHits(const Ray & ray);
+        Color traceRayDepth(const Ray & ray, int depth);
+        ShapeDistance getRayClosestHit(const Ray & ray);
 
         /* In Scene-load.cc */
         void load(const char * filename);
@@ -68,6 +73,7 @@ class Scene
         bool m_verbose;
         double m_vfov;
         Color m_ambient_light;
+        int m_max_depth;
 
         /* private data */
         std::vector< refptr<Shape> > m_shapes;