Temple and palm trees in silhouette
Monochrome Madness,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: shadows and silhouettes in black and white

August 8, 2024 / 52 Comments

I’m just the mere shadow of my former selfishness

I crave the silhouette of your kiss

Elvis Costello, Human Hands

Photography is nothing without light, of course. And light plays a crucial part in creating shadows and silhouettes. Shoot into bright light to silhouette your subject against it, or let the light fall directly on your subject to cast a shadow.

Elvis Costello’s song has little to do with photography of course, and not a lot to do with actual shadows or silhouettes! But I was excited to find a quote about both, and as a bit of a fan of Costello’s music I had to include it.

When I saw Dawn’s prompt for this week’s Monochrome Madness I knew I would find plenty of silhouettes to choose from in my archives. But shadows seemed to be in short supply and at first I thought I would stick to the silhouettes. Then as I started to find a couple of shadow images they triggered memories of others and eventually I had enough to share them too. They include a handful of slightly quirky self-portraits which I think I prefer to more conventional selfies!

My feature photo is of the unmistakeable silhouette of Angkor Wat, taken just before sunrise. All my shots were edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro, and the contrast boosted in some cases to enhance the effect. Some you may have seen before but I think not in black and white.

SHADOWS

Shadows of two people on sand

Looking down from the bridge to Praia do Faro, Portugal

Shadow of two people and a bridge on water

Millennium Bridge reflections and shadows on the River Tyne

Elongated shadow of a woman on crutches

Selfie with crutches in Essaouira, Morocco

In the Cavour Banca, one of many elegant arcades in Bologna

Arcade with deep shadows
Curved balustrade against a wall with a shadow

Iron balustrade in Lucca, Italy

Spiky plant and shadow on a wall

Plant and shadow, Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Shadow of a leaf

Leaf shadows on a pot, Majorelle Gardens. Marrakesh

Shadows of leaves

Leaf shadows on a pot, Ryōan-ji temple, Kyoto

Looking down at flat land dappled with shadows

Cloud shadows on the plains of northern Botswana

SILHOUETTES

Man carrying a surfboard in shallow sea

Surfer at sunset, Hanga Roa, Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Figure of a man in silhouette on a grid of squares

Looking up from inside the Chicago Cultural Center at passers-by on the vault lights above

Group of people under an arch with the Taj Mahal beyond

Tourists at the Taj Mahal, Agra

Visitor to an exhibition at MoPOP, Seattle, Washington State

Person silhouetted against a photo of David Bowie
Silhouette of a man punting a small boat

Man punting on the Narayani River, Nepal

Elephant drinking from a river with a man on his shoulders

Elephant and mahout at the Narayani River, Nepal, at sunset

Tall tower and sculpture against bright sunlight

The Juche Tower, Pyongyang, North Korea

Arches and cables of a bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge, New York City

Church in Newcastle upon Tyne, north east England, at dusk

Church tower with spire and clock

52 Comments

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