Shelf Appeal: my unscripted adventure with the Lubitel 166+

There’s a special kind of thrill that comes with diving into a new photographic format. For me, that format has always been medium format. I absolutely adore the quality, the depth, and let's be honest, the glorious size of those negatives. Specifically, I've always been drawn to the square crop - a perfect 1:1 frame that forces you to compose in a completely different way.

I bought a VERY cheap Lubitel 166B medium format 120 film camera............I don't know why!!!

Right, let’s be honest, getting older is a bit like having a silent partner who insists on constantly raising the interest rate on your physical debt. You hit a certain age - let’s call it the hitting six-decade milestone - and suddenly, the years themselves start exerting a proper, non-negotiable gravitational pull. For most folk, this means slowing down, perhaps taking a sensible, prudent step back from life’s extremes.