Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Shadows

This week’s Friendly Friday Photo Challenge comes from Sandy at The Sandy Chronicles. If you would like to participate please visit her site for the rules. These photo challenges are lots of fun! This week’s theme is particularly interesting to me because of my background in Christianity & Psychology.

Sandy states that: “More times than not when I see a shadow in my photo, it’s a mistake. It means that I focused so much on one part of the picture, I forgot to look at the whole. Do you know that feeling? The shock of finding your shadow self lurking in the frame?”

Sandy continues: “Of course, there are times when shadows are deliberate. The play on light and dark can emphasize a shape and provide visual interest. Shadows can capture a feeling or add atmosphere to a scene.”

In Freudian psychology, “the shadow” is the unconscious. In Jungian psychology, “the shadow” is everything about a person that they refuse to acknowledge about themselves.

The Bible refers to shadows as both positive, “take refuge in the shadow of Your wings” and negative, “the shadow of death” and neutral “only a shadow of things to come”. It is clear that shadows have been very powerful symbols for quite a long time!

I like to think that the shadow represents something about ourselves that we are always connected to, but we just can’t tangibly grasp. A shadow looks something like us but also looks a lot like everyone else too. Shadows are all the same color, and they can change drastically in shape and size. Shadows provide shelter from the heat of the sun, and they can be a great place to hide.

The following shadow photos are quite lighthearted, in spite of the shadow’s deep symbolism rooted in ancient history. I hope you enjoy them.

As always, thank you for following or stopping by for a visit!

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 36:7