A method and an apparatus for generating a polarized light beam to be projected onto an object plane are provided. A converging or diverging light beam (18) is generated. The converging or diverging light beam is projected through a member (22, 52) comprising an uniaxial birefringent material, the uniaxial birefringent material having a symmetry axis essentially parallel to the optical axis (12) of the light beam, and the member being placed at a distance from the object plane. Thereby, it is possible to create, for example a radially polarized beam that can be used for various optical purposes, e.g. for optical data reading/writing or for microscopy.