She drops her shadow deliberately, usually on desolate backdrops, while she finds her reflection in every reflective surface. Wrote Luc Sante of Vivian Maier's self-portraits in the New York Times. “A tall, studious, sensibly dressed figure, even when she is not peering down at the ground glass of her Rolleiflex, she manages to stand at the center of the image while somehow at the same time receding from it. Which is fitting, since the images can be considered as both made by her and not. Photography, uniquely, is a two-way street.
Take a look at Maier's 20 extraordinary self-portraits below:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7xgUenHCGlr2F35r3LlkQ6hAmRwMvZnQnrecaqWxzWxHm_d_9bFfBSwutB_0OWLis0p2SXJgOhoVoiUHeAT-XuFTHQwwGmY_UaDTHV_fISRDqfjr9TAXcZMJnsODpI6dfw4f8einv9Rf8u1I7mi5QlN3WhF5Aa-vGlmfIfCGIEX9twsmllCArkfnUQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-01.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuulAtBFsRxJ8QGKj-UKvDYpTTebYMZ4HyBo6PsskLt23Y0s1L08BqpIarWz3z4gAfceAtAzGeYrvs7RAotQyz5JqVfhcGYdm3sv9C2a8cQKZ1QFxMY19DrXi5labi-nt-j79HYVJ7tjPjbN_REghqwefcq8Zyk-yE5rNjqyIdwUn1nQIiqWOMwRUuA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-02.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UHZH7g9AQ_LwJoU1_mlx6Caw2PvTCKPWvTRoTV3IX3z4kBfXrMNbAOQSp6VBqcI11PUlv0v6YjJPSXG_yVNxYurDt7Mji3dB5R3lSg7VFq-UF88TrHrVMQIdnxQbatiTYdezeQ-laTZWwVvVdIp-GZNSL03G1jltUnOx5Tz-TLzOuv5lMDpNjm9BoQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-03.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8quYJqxUdfIFc6JoOvOG4K6HtnQ98a0X7EgoilNP3D3RIbvwlrA5SDpVlOdau76T852jEb_1M07J12eacbt5vOdjfPLizSgJca_wTaLsTOgbK-H4ueG2wN9kZrAEg8g_1QCbo1wtT5uBQUTtyXlDiJCZ618DTF7AbeU3nhGNpcQIIM11EEPv4Ru4CqA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-04.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05mwMsX62VjYzrwvF14x71Xnbm66uwoUSY1ZDa0G_l0_au2e2EMaugg2zhVE_UXouazqtzhXSvgVI5ss0bBTupDRmIN_AqYSNiVUfTBE24rsas8Sr5kl-S-ndDG_1MqlR0vo9Jded9fBcL-ZdTDQU-uPS8o4u8385Ut4XPhNbxcPAQkO5CdvEhlASXQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-05.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxl0AJhZ3zYu1VPlQlofeili9iHBrCn4-gnsX-YvzLVe1kC2GScVvvJCSJeSCSI1VgoWy0WA1IJ8dU95Fn0PE0hpR1qoQ0sRimhNk_Dvpfc1brVAgeEhvEZkDm3YgG-DLNxIarridX88ng5i5Lovp0oROoEayX3eYPt2ctCxLgVjUGAXOZj6e9-1fW6g/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-06.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzttrannnpBbNRLiOmBv0bZyBdlxaBilfEbxTQ_yvj-F3tBkKKQVU-42njx4CgstCMvHufuI5-HMmHogbw5SZFf7B5nBXpsmVr2DvHEUml1XYLb7MbRIuzuhiJt4bDOqz35RHXQ3Ptr5wecd1shm_swvF-bKb6TVzoF1sQqOX6T_IYRVNQTzrMbllSw/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-07.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MT9kZh-WvvhBrF6GKjy3y406PtOFHU-PT-KnodZ9jE8zAM69xChVPYGhhi4LozOUTeJBLahxX31Y8voKQ5_3oxw4FUmzVpUd6InSG68HWJtzKFIoX-9ZtquLCRgodyT-xjtiN2qyphKXY3v2k3p_5Agc2kRXuEaExqGm1lI5iXvx4rPLpL9Mkhy-XA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-08.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5u29pyNcIHvS4z-qvG0OAUFbViTib6y4DWJt7IO0cVlief0kNzCSYxhZoRYgqRVxVTrVilbSwZW4AlLke3pB2bFO3jJGGW2GU4x8WU_mYUCk8bXX-WbpGECfAYb-ULUaZA7fwV9jqgYDdoWGJBuGfAM8W-hjqmEQv8ltqaZOp9ohE0U5ydWk6qERDQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-09.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpl9j39vA3-TyJ1mSZEHmVuCf3oBAl75LFPoO7o02BofU0r-YkHv0OAqXhEwqk3qlSXcAjObCHPO7yAN5unQTeyrRGIwHILoYjbnKLHN7Tqa9z8uhYf1ok_lGzeE-F3UXOvgrCZWLVXFqkkaHkemx7ILi0YCgOelWZKJ7KonRV_ts_67rKdjMRARUtg/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-10.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D3xJc1H-fEw3IPn-H7_s0ovBqyLF7cWTlbGxP6cxBkdnf704Sm56gHif2Mai2wuZ9mbFL1A9jwjDdpa83Noy6OnsZG0a1mJKrK6GFqCk3_btUlYD8Wr0RIzQNGgEkIl1q9s3J_Hbs3_m-v0iA6PzWVQ3s58pWBNPgcPnbksqSFa2aT-YPRBOnzh3og/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-11.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKzWxrFuAZfHS7KybKwoGvhlkimcgmrmV3cdWyVOqRxv6wpDOLlRox90KrQ08bFegUU4Ugu9QZ7cZGo6OnW2PRL0meouOiD-Zya5v5VzRtJ2n9CrIWEnkI7mb9SEP1Plzk_5df7whc9kCgkn1IR7muA9QpKhS5HIiBA6DK4LWXr0FjjSstvgPhac-HQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-12.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDQOGfU-SEE01ZMXg2YdcB3OQbAw0SaXQRVe3_cPow0t4F9L382nK0cI-LZrQw4sttXsauY51hd496cXrCbZfxGpPrYeROLX7957Iw64NC-jWwzJr0_NaHb194hvAboyu3q4EsaRKUHqLcWYwKAEXZ_j9vVBLJbP0kgrdgXC7jfomwzVTDkOWbcs71Q/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-13.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnp43Pk7dd6YSnnmRxTQ1FKOiviHfgn32BiGtWneT9-EdNtcd3XpM3e3KZbCn0RMbFSh5FxI0VVIj7Jw565APeKiM2jqz9lAp307wiNydoD1z4EsgWoajpeGjxnOpY3cZxIgzA5soqvb_RIZ31mRbS8QaGJ5FXr0rxh0LcFFuc4kKNS_3PY1XMiVHVA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-14.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEpqPJcFUgU-NLVxZ1cNvnjxpIkKgBl4gKZ7OeXwGjZSj1hyEBtGoeh0e7iPdm21sEBojXteC5ObsuitolZQjmqgCg0Kqeci39xbkjILAxBrqZHDs8UV41YUU8jL4mHctaMBBV93kIOI-W9AejYhRPrYlsDs96vqDIN1gIKfPXVDKhWCTNuDcnFCHLg/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-15.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkV2oi9i_5v_bKLCz33lrZBQGFfeEVp8E9E-1WePTurojK-Zl8RH6KESgqe6fvwxSiS930D0xGx5Fe7yxZPEDDnbEorjDh-QAWMuq7ebmz0ybdYNEUWlR41MaOMs1tcnKtCqxejwj7gRnhIT7grnDV7zh85U3d-b18HLczV433pQgCAd0g-RUFKfD5Qw/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-16.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakflNpykX_DHG8EwjjQyKP7tfQM2I2AOv6Zv_fA2fXPn80hP0BRjrY9CDbEWyUc9blla2JT5hVHKPlE2VTLT92Xj5avz8Vcl__aA9v7sHvIAhGaNwwIVLetUqhn32fXVHJAuIhXcuVZpLS0SUcmQXfzFLpj4ZcmRXqOaYUGXbBSnKpDxuLR5Ei8OcFA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-17.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdpLpbxZhevTxKJNWWt0KPgObqY-0fL7xfUpq3MMnB1S2VkfAK9WSffwGtISEwJdNI1yW4qVG258kki858N0fapPZ_DmSkNegDHPtIY-s1n_6RaeqskdJLMKg__jKQzwUrc9d3h59wudKKG3ThkEGLFAx_GvBPAnMVYeY-6lRp-32lr5-eN7foWrFPA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-18.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDXLYop33FdXwXjleM5jJhrP7oKV0Drybi8CCvnGIMPMkIyJG9Tg4a-Dvd6MzIGQ55rgxAaXlUE3H7FicvQif0aoNJrTj3XC_8Nu2eDYH2Kpmmxkty6BKg2_T6nLgnQSp0TNZOe81Mi1Hqa1NR4W6DRT6YdfnNP7nyhBzlMgYPfdKdWAIkY-Dx6qXqA/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-19.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77UlzsuPjbAfy_AhwlKYOMNriA0hWkV9Icv0MLNFqU36ovVIWsyOoR9VL1aK_QVWQTOKOfpdMVk-fJmGMS3pye7VOjkkZl5g-Q0lYNx0BMvqcVWnWexz6a-RS1jCZXQaecDLA9J1-zvCEe0EmKSPli2XPOQ7JBQrbfGj0UoIx4SwfeHsQO9hC743KDQ/s16000/vivian-maier-self-portraits-20.jpg)