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Lighting the Home Art or Photo Gallery (part 3)
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| (continued from Lighting the Home Art or Photo Gallery (part 2)) | Barn Doors and Framing Projectors
Many spot light fixtures offer accessories that will 
allow light to be easily confined to reduce glare and form certain shapes.
Barn doors are the most basic of these. They are simple, adjustable opaque shades that block direct glare from fixtures.
Framing projectors serve a similar purpose, but go a step further by introducing a set of lenses to allow the precise direction and shaping of a
light cone.
Properly installed, framing projectors will confine the light to the
exact borders of a painting which creates an eye-catching contrast effect with
the background. For large galleries, the
use of barn doors and framing projectors may reduce direct glare from other
fixtures as well.
Reducing Glare
Before employing barn doors and other accessories, fixtures should be mounted at the proper
angle to see if glare will be a problem. When mounting fixtures, endeavor to aim them at
approximately a 30 degree angle up from straight down. This steep down angle will prevent reflected glare
from the surface of the artwork.
Narrow hallways
To achieve the desired 30 degree mounting angle in hallway
galleries, consider using a monorail lighting system. Monorail is field bendable to allow the
formation of gentle 'S' curves. Installing these curves in a hallway and
attaching track heads at the widest point of the curves will allow you to
achieve the proper angle in narrow hallways.
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Lighting Three Dimensional Art
Lighting three dimensional art is a bit more involved than lighting hanging artwork. Light
orientation will greatly impact the appearance of each piece. Lighting from one direction will produce shadows
and isn't typically recommended unless the goal is to draw attention to dramatic
contours. Often, it’s best to consult with the artist when lighting sculptures.
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