There's no way around it, glass photography takes practice. Before you spend money on expensive lighting, light boxes and backdrops, find what you have around your house or studio. Don't worry about creating catalog perfect photos. As long as the photo is clear, and highlights the colors and design, you'll have a great photo.
This stained glass surf board features vibrant blue and yellow glass, so I used a wire rack shelf with two LED under cabinet light strips, with a white poster board clipped up to the shelf. I hung the surf board in the center of the shelf to allow the front and back light to illuminate the glass.
The photo was then cropped and posted to my Etsy shop. Sold! The features I liked most about this art piece were conveyed to the buyer, and that's what matters.
In the photo below, these whimsical stained glass butterflies seemed right at home in a natural sunlight setting. The wood backdrop and tools are a nice juxtaposition to the soft lines of the glass butterflies. With the white paper towels beneath the glass, the sunlight shines and illuminates the glass in some areas, but you also see what the glass looks like in other areas without light. This variation worked well for my Instagram feed.
If you're aiming for a vintage effect, use overhead incandescent lighting. It creates a warm, aged vibe in this "tools & materials" studio photo that I took in my workshop. Enjoy the process of experimenting with your artwork and lighting.
