Make & keep
Make a shadow-puppet scene from strip-copy silhouettes
Use cut-out portrait copies to stage a small camera-free paper performance.
A shadow puppet is a new artwork built from a photograph, not a way to preserve one. Use duplicate prints, keep the original untouched and design the cut-out so the face remains recognisable when lit from behind.
Choose a silhouette
Select a frame with a clear outline against its background. Trace the person or prop onto a second copy, then simplify small gaps that would tear. Leave a broad bridge beneath the chin or around a hat so the figure stays attached to its support.
Mount the figure
Cut the traced copy and sandwich its lower edge between two thin card strips to make a handle. Tape the handle on the back. Make a screen from tracing paper or thin white paper stretched over a frame; keep the lamp behind the screen and away from loose paper.
Stage safely
Move the puppet between the lamp and screen, then adjust distance until its outline is readable. Keep heat-producing bulbs clear of paper and fabric. If the image becomes a dark blob, reduce the puppet size or move it closer to the screen; do not compensate by placing material against the light.