1. An illuminating system comprising: a) a light pipe having an input end for receiving substantially unpolarized light from a light source and an output end for outputting reflected light, the input end having a masked portion and an unmasked portion, the masked portion for substantially preventing light from entering the light pipe and the unmasked portion for allowing light to enter into the light pipe, wherein the light pipe is for reflecting light and for producing a plurality of virtual images, each virtual image having a dark non-illuminated region corresponding to the masked region and an illuminated region corresponding to the unmasked region adjacent to the dark non-illuminated region; b) a lens optically coupled to the output end of the light pipe for providing a plurality of real images at or about an image plane, wherein each real image corresponds to one of the virtual images such that each real image has a dark non-illuminated region corresponding to the masked portion and an illuminated region corresponding to the unmasked portion, wherein the plurality of real images together form an array of dark regions and illuminated regions; and, c) a polarization converting system optically coupled to receive light from the array of dark and light regions and for filling the dark regions with some light from the illuminated regions in a polarization dependent manner, such that some light is spatially translated from a illuminated region to a dark region, said polarization converting system for converting light so that substantially all of the light passing therethough is uniformly polarized.