S H A P E S

I first laid my hands on the ‘Kiev 88’ medium format film camera in 2010. It was dubbed the ‘Hasselbladski’ for its gloriously shameless copying of the iconic Swedish Hasselblad cameras (the same brand that captured man’s first steps on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission).

The camera and I felt like we were meant to be, having both been made in its eponymous Kyiv in Ukraine. It’s chunky, and it’s by no means light, but it’s a total and infinite joy.

Close-up of a modern concrete building at the Southbank Centre in London, United Kingdom, with angular geometric shapes and textured surfaces, black and white photography.
Close-up of a modern building corner with textured brick facade and small rectangular windows at the Southbank Centre in London, United Kingdom. Black and white architecture photograph.
Close-up of architectural detail showing different textured rectangular tiles arranged in horizontal and vertical patterns on a building facade at the at Southbank Centre in London, United Kingdom. Black and white architecture photograph.
Black and white medium format photo of a multi-story residential building with balconies, some with plants, the Alexandra Estate in London. A streetlamp is in the foreground, and a man is walking along the sidewalk near some parked bicycles.
A black and white film photo of a narrow urban alleyway in London, United Kingdom, flanked by tall buildings, with a decorative bollard in the foreground.
A black and white urban scene in London, United Kingdom, with classical architectural details on a building facade, including ornate columns and decorative stonework, and a sidewalk with textured paving.
Close-up of building columns in London, United Kingdom. Black and white architecture photograph.
Close-up black and white photo of columns. Black and white architecture photograph.
Black and white photo of large fluted columns in London, United Kingdom, and a view of a cityscape with buildings and trees beyond.
Looking up at a tall multi-story building with satellite dishes and antennas attached to the balcony railings, and cables extending into the sky. Black and white architecture photograph shot in Kyiv, Ukraine.
A black and white photograph of a statue of a figure with a textured body, standing on a rounded base against a plain sky background.
A black-and-white photo of the top part of a tall building with multiple windows and a protruding structure at the rooftop, with four power lines crossing the image diagonally. Black and white architecture photograph shot in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Black and white photo taken from a terrace in London, United Kingdom, showing Brutalist textured stone columns, a sloped tiled roof or ledge, and modern high-rise buildings and trees in the background.
Low-angle black-and-white photo of brutalist skyscrapers in London, United Kingdom, viewed from below against a clear sky. Architecture photograph.
Black and white photo of a Brutalist architectural building with straight lines and geometric shapes, photographed from a low angle in London, United Kingdom. Architecture photograph.
Looking along a subway or tube station corridor with tiled walls and a row of lights on the ceiling, partially blurred, with silhouettes of people in motion. London, United Kingdom.
Close-up of a modern, angular building with a glass and metal facade reaching toward sky in London, United Kingdom. Black and white architecture photograph.
Looking down a spiral staircase with metallic railings, black steps, and a bright light at the bottom.
A black and white photo of a minimalistic wire chair with a round seat and a matching wire side table, positioned against a dark wall at the Serpentine Pavilion in London, United Kingdom.
Close-up of a brutalist building's corner with textured concrete exterior, set against a clear sky. Black and white architecture photograph in London, United Kingdom.
Black and white photo of an indoor train station or airport terminal with high arched ceiling and large windows, featuring a solitary lamp on a tall stand in the foreground.