Shapes and shadows

The February assignment in my still-life photo project for this year focused on capturing “Shapes and Shadows”.

When the sun shines, you can find countless interesting shadows outside. I was fortunate to discover one on our terrace, just in front of the doors. We have several pots decorating the terrace in winter, and in some of them stand rusty metal plates depicting trees, a mushroom and a hedgehog. I love watching the shadows they cast.

While incorporating shadows into still life photography may sound simple, the opposite is true. You can take a photo with a shadow in it and it can be both nice and interesting but creating one that tells a story – that’s where the magic lies.

Consider a bird that exists only through its shadow – doesn’t it create an air of mystery? I am sharing three versions of the image below as each one speaks in its own unique voice. I am particularly captivated by the image with the bold brush strokes sweeping across the shadows…

I titled the next photos “Caged”. Here, the bird sits outside yet remains caught in the cage’s shadows – free, yet seemingly bound. Don’t we sometimes find ourselves in similar situations, confined by imaginary barriers when no real limitations exist?

And finally, “The Reader”. This glasses holder was once a gift to my husband, and it’s served him well. There’s something about the shadow of the glasses merging with the letters that awakens my own desire to pick up a book.

I’m already excited about next month’s assignment: “Kitchen Stories”!