Wide Horizons – The Lake District Through the RealitySoSubtle 6x17

If the 6x6 format feels calm and contained, then the 6x17 is the complete opposite—it’s expansive, dramatic, and demands space to breathe. Shooting panoramic pinhole is a completely different way of seeing the world. You’re not just composing a photograph; you’re capturing a view that wraps around you.

On my Lake District trip, I knew the 6x17 would shine. From long ridges of the fells to the sweeping curves of Buttermere this camera let me stretch the landscape across the frame in a way no other format could. It’s not the kind of camera you pull out for every shot—you have to choose your moments carefully, and with only a few exposures per roll, there’s a satisfying pressure to get it right.

These photographs are the ones that made the cut—images that, for me, capture the Lake District’s sense of scale and space. Shooting them wasn’t always easy (balancing a panoramic pinhole camera on a kayak is not something I’d recommend without a steady hand and a bit of bravery), but it was worth every second.

Here’s the Lake District as I saw it—wide, wild, and unforgettable—through the eyes of the RealitySoSubtle 6x17.

Film: Kodak Gold 200

Buttermere Lake

Buttermere Sign and Church

Kids playing at Twin falls

From across the fells

Kayaking

The full team

Kirkstone pass
The light line is where I believe I wound the film too far on loading it.