Shadows are interesting. They aren't objects, they have no mass, and so from a purely scientific standpoint they don't physically exist. Yet we can see them. Photograph them. And we can tell what object cast them.
This shadow was cast by citronella leaves.
The thing about shadows which makes it a good subject for this month is that shadows are only indications of an object. You can experience them without experiencing the object itself directly, which is ultimately what photographs are...visual representations of reality, but not the actual objects represented by them.
Today is January 1st, 2021. The year 2020 is now behind us. In the past. Only the shadow remains. We can not directly experience 2020 again. For some, perhaps many, that is a relief. Whatever the case, the shadow of 2020 will remain with us for quite some time. The key is to remember that even though you can see it, even though you can tell what it is, and even though you can look at photos and news articles and statistics about it....it is now nothing but a shadow, and no longer exists. It is a photograph, which will lose its sharpness and focus as it gets farther and farther away just as the leaf shadows do.
Have a great 2021, everyone!
