Other sources for stained glass ideas

It's important to have a large database of reference materials. It can be found anywhere really. One source is at art shows. The pictures I take are for reference use only. I use them to see how a sky was put together, or how someone else handled a tree or a flower. There's a few methods I'll use to acquire the shots, here are some of them:

I pretend I'm taking a picture of some ducks, or a crowd of people when in reality I'm trying to get everything in frame.
If I'm up close and I still want to get better pictures, I'll try talking to them. I'll ask "what kind of glass is that?" first telling them that you're a fellow stained glass person. After a small bit of chit chat, I'll ask if it would be OK to get some pictures of their work, for reference. Usually they say it's all right and then I do.
If no one is there, I'll simply snap away.
And sometimes I'll simply sneak in a shot, but I can't focus. Just point and shoot (and hope it comes out).

Don't forget to bring your camera on your vacations. And if you get the opportunity to see a really Tiffany window make sure to take at least on picture with your flash on so you can see the surface glass colors. Also don't forget to take a photo from both sides, and at different angles (looking from the bottom). Tiffany used the plating method in his work. Later when you get home and get the pictures developed you can see how the colors were produced, and were the pieces overlapped.

Also, don't forget the Internet. I have about 300+ Megs worth of 60k files that I got from the net. Everything is sorted by type: box, panel, 3-D, etc. After it's downloaded I'll always bring it into photoshop and enhance colors here and there.

Be sure to find as many pattern books and books about stained glass as you can. I've found that Louis Comfort Tiffany books to be an invaluable source of information and color reference.

A Few Small Tips On
Taking Pictures Of Your Own Work

Now I'm not a photography expert; I can't tell you anything about F stops or the like, but I can tell what I know.

Lately I've been taking all my pictures outside with the strongest light possible. So far the best pictures came from taking pictures outside on a sidewalk that had specks of gravel. It was also a very hot clear summer day, the sun was very strong, and blinding to look at anything bright. One of those 2 combinations (though I think it was the strong light), was the answer.
Now I'm taking pictures with an old bed sheet (an off white color, and yes it started that way!) I felt it was less distracting then the sidewalk, though I'm still looking for a better alternative.
I haven't done this myself, but I have seen it done. What you need is a large sheet of gluechip. Place it in front of the window, and stick your suncatchers on the gluechip (the smooth side). I think you take the pictures in a indirect light. If it was direct, light may shoot through one of the pieces too much, and cause glare.

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