The invention relates to light shielding devices created from opaque, light absorbing strips (39), created by coating the strips (38,39) with a, preferably, black light-absorbing coating, and arranging the strips to extend to the surface or surfaces of a transparent material in which the strips are encased, enclosed or embedded. Strips (38, 39) installed in a parallel arrangement provide a low glare collimating effect to transmitted light for either illumination or observation. Selected sides of a plurality of strips (38) may have a reflective finish such that the arrangement of the strips may either enhance the collimating effect or alternatively create a dispersing effect. Disclosed embodiments include: an overhead incandescent light shield, a bollard light shield, an overhead fluorescent light shield, a window shield, a vehicle dashboard, a pool light cover, and sunglasses.