On Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:51:44 +0000, Adrian Brentnall adrian-the papers
and the wrote:

I wonder if you've ever tried to make a lightbox to show off stained
glass...

Yes, several. Deep boxes with straight fluo tubes and no diffuser.

Some of this depends on the glass - some looks better with more diffuse
light, highly textured glass needs a bit of a point source or you lose
the variation in brightness with angle. Hanging the piece from a short
chain and allowing it all to wobble a bit can help too - movement adds
sparkle.

Can't always rely on sunlight to show off the glass - and it does need
light from behind for best effect...

Our "suncatchers" are mainly Swarovskis and beads, rather than flat
glass. Spot lighting from the front is important to get a good sparkle.
I've been using 12V dichroic spots, and with metal foil snoots or even
lens systems to get a spot beam.

Helen prefers a simple approach of halogen floods at about half a
kilowatt / metre of shopfront. Keeps the stall warm in Winter too!