The Shadow Within

 

 

In The Shadow Within, Halloween becomes a stage for transformation — where light, shadow, and ritual converge to reveal the fragile and powerful sides of identity.

Rooted in the Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated more than two millennia ago, Halloween marks the threshold between seasons — the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. It was believed that on this night, the barrier between worlds thinned, allowing spirits to wander among the living. Masks, once worn to frighten or blend with spirits, now hold the power to conceal, reveal, and transform.

In The Shadow Within, photographer Sérgio Santos channels this lineage of ritual and metamorphosis into a visual fable of rebirth and enchantment. “Halloween is synonymous with transformation. It’s a mysterious concept that arrives from nowhere and changes everything,” says Santos. His images depict bodies in flux, suspended between selves.

The set is deliberately minimal, featuring hand-cut paper silhouettes — a nod to Sergios’ childhood experiments with light and shadow. Through this tactile simplicity, distance and scale become metaphors for transition. Each frame is illuminated differently, using ring lights, lasers, torches, or acetate projectors, treating light itself as a living language.

The Shadow Within exudes intense, theatrical, surrealist energy, staging a play of shadow and light and creating tension between fragility and power. Will identity prevail, or will metamorphosis take hold?

 

 

 

 

 

The editorial exudes an intense, theatrical and surrealistic energy, intertwining shadow and light, fragility and power, identity and metamorphosis. It presents a clear narrative of rebirth and enchantment, which resonates deeply with the concept of Halloween as transformation. Symbolic and almost ritualistic.

Sergio Santos

 

 

 

 

The word ‘photography’ comes from Greek, where ‘photo’ means ‘light’ and ‘graphy’ means ‘drawing.’ Therefore, “photography” literally means ‘writing with light.’ Ultimately, a photograph is like calligraphy: unique. My challenge was to use a different light for each look. I used various lights, including ring lights, lasers, a torch, and an acetate projector. The result is this editorial.

Sergio Santos

 

 

 

 

Halloween is synonymous with transformation. It is a mysterious concept that comes out of nowhere and changes everything.

I remember one day at school when the teacher didn’t show up. It was pouring rain outside, so we decided to stay in the classroom to entertain ourselves. We had an overhead projector and cut out cardboard to create the shapes we wanted for the scenery. As it was dark, we projected the shapes onto the wall and each of us played a Halloween character, such as the Werewolf or Frankenstein. We then began to improvise monologues and scenarios. It was challenging and, at the same time, incredibly interesting.

Sergio Santos

 

 

Thank you Sergio!

 

 

Behind-the-scenes of “The Shadow Within” by Jay

Videos recorded by Jay, Antonia, Maria and Ana.

 

 

 

 

FASHION REFERENCES

ALVES/GONÇALVES @m.alves.goncalves I PR @showpress.pressoffice 

JAY @jaypfort

JOÃO ROLO COUTURE @joao_rolo_couture

MAISON MARGIELA @maisonmargiela

MARIANA GARCIA @_mariana_garcia0 I PR @showpress.pressoffice 

PACO RABANNE @rabanne

 

 

BEAUTY REFERENCES

Skin:
NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation @narsissist
RARE BEAUTY stay vulnerable Blush @sephoraportugal

Eyes:
NARS Climax Extreme Mascara @narsissist
NARS Climax Liquis eyeliner @narsissist
PAT MACGRATH Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Powder @revolve

Lips: 
ELISABETH ARDEN Eight Hour cream skin protectant @perfumesclub_international