Shadow self portrait series | Seeing myself in the shadows

Have you ever taken a shadow self portrait? I don’t know if it’s a thing at all out in the world, but I obviously have a thing for it, as you can see in this post. I like snapping these shadow self portraits as I spot myself in the shadows, so I thought I’d share a few of them this month as our themes is all about shadows.

Yes, I used to walk around out in the world with pig-tails (although I did not wear wings out in public, haha, that’s just a try-out of them in my parent’s garden). I think this is a fun, playful photo of me showing a lot of my personality without showing any part of me really. Here’s another one, that I took on the fourth of January many years ago:

Capture a shadow, dance with the wind, stand in a rainbow, begin at the end.

— Mary Anne Radmacher

This is more subtle self portrait, as I am hiding both among the tree top shadows and the autumn fall leaves that has gathered on the grass in the neighboring garden in the late afternoon sun:

The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow.

— Leonardo da Vinci

Not all shadow photos needs to be sharp and in harsh sunshine to be good. Here’s another subtle one, taken at night in the yellow light of a street lamp I think:

The obvious winner of the bunch (for me), is the one below. It’s of me and my cat Smilla (whom I miss dearly) together in one shadow photo to rule them all, in a previous apartment – in another life:

I love everything about this photo, from the softness of the cat to the hard lines of the shadow that is pitch black in spite of the sunshine just falling in from the window.

Here’s one that looks accidental, because I really was trying to document the Crocus, the first sign of spring that I’d seen that year:

If he thought at all, but I don’t believe he ever thought, it was that he and his shadow, when brought near each other, would join like drops of water…

— J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Of course a self-portrait does not need to be of your entire body or even your head. It could be part of you, like your hand or how your hand created stark shadows as you start writing in your journal.

These are some of my favourite shadow self portraits through the year. Not a thought out “collection” before today, but still a series. A series born out of serendipity and the creative, ongoing documenting of my life.

I take a lot of self portraits and have done so ever since I first held a digital camera in my hand for yhe very first time. The digital format gave me a way of seeing and reshooting the picture many times until I was happy, or at least semi-happy, with the results. I’ve kept doing it ever since then and love this practice that is now part of my own creative repertoire. Shadow selfies is just one of many ideas that I have explored, but I thought now was a good time to share it. Let me know if this is something you’ve ever tried – or if you will now.

I’ve also enjoyed shadow themed photos from Tammy, Melissa, J, Alexandra and Tobia recently, please check them out and leave them a comment. There’s still time to compile your own spotted photo theme of shadows. If you want to share yours, that would be lovely. Please let me know if you do.

Join iHanna’s Spotted Photo Theme Blog challenge. 2025 themes are as follows, January: shadows (selfies | bonus) | February: pair | March: round | April to December: to be announced, suggestions welcome.

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