Through the Grain: My Film Photography Journey. How I Started Shooting Film – Part I

Hi, my name is Pavel. I’m the founder of SnapSign - a mobile app created for photographers and videographers to easily collect signatures for model releases and contracts right on set. I’m a software engineer by profession, but photography is my true passion - a professional hobby that has gradually grown into something much more meaningful. In this series, I want to share my personal journey - how I went from coding to developing my creative voice in film photography, and eventually building a tool for photographers like me.

Here’s what you can expect:

• • How I discovered photography and fell in love with 35mm film
• • The cameras I started with - and the ones I rely on today
• • What I’ve learned from exhibiting my work professionally
• • How I approach working with models and creative collaboration
• • How to get your work into glossy magazines - based on my own experience (I’ve been published twice in Playboy)
• • What inspired SnapSign and how the idea came to life
• • The two short films I created: "The Heart of Photography" and "Analog Waves" - films that found their audience across continents, screened from New York to Berlin to Beijing
• • And finally, how I found my voice in the genre of artistic nude photography

My goal is to offer an honest, behind-the-scenes look into my creative process, the challenges I’ve faced, and what I’ve learned along the way. I hope these reflections will inspire and support others on their own artistic path.

A Lucky Discovery: Where It All Began

My photography journey started completely by chance. While moving apartments, I stumbled upon an old Zenit film camera tucked away in a closet and decided to keep it. Around the same time, my sister was already deep into analog photography - experimenting with pinhole cameras and all sorts of vintage film gear. She was fully immersed in that magical, unpredictable world of analog. Inspired by her passion, I decided to give it a try.

Sometime between 2018 and 2020 - I honestly can’t remember the exact year - I bought my first roll of 35mm film (36 exposures), loaded it into the Zenit, and started shooting everything around me: friends, parties, street life. At the time, 36 frames felt like an eternity, so I soon switched to 24-exposure rolls just to finish them faster and get them developed sooner.

My First Film Scans - and the Death of the Zenit camera

When I received my first scans from the lab, I was blown away by the color tones. I had personally gone to a local lab to pick up the negatives and see the results myself. I don’t even remember the film brand - it was just a basic color roll - but thanks to the Helios lens, the photos had that soft, vintage glow that makes people fall in love with film from the very first shot. But the joy didn’t last long. The Zenit broke down pretty quickly - the shutter failed, and the body literally fell apart in my hands. Still, I didn’t give up. I started searching for a replacement and eventually found the Praktica MTL3 - a solid, sleek East German camera that felt like a refined version of the Zenit. These two - Zenit and Praktica - were my first real steps into the film world.

The Cameras I Shoot With Today

Now, I have two cameras I truly love - and one of them lets me do something that feels almost impossible in the digital age: shoot on film underwater. Yes, really - underwater, on film. I once had a Pentax 6x7 (medium format, 120mm), which I won in a photo contest - along with over 30 rolls of film. But that’s a story for another article. Today, my go-to cameras are:

• • Nikon FM2n – a bulletproof 35mm workhorse
• • Nikonos V – a legendary underwater film camera built for divers and adventurers

I’ll write a separate article just about the Nikonos V. It’s one of the most surreal and rewarding tools I’ve ever used - and a reminder that analog photography still has no limits.

Street Photography in India - and an Unexpected Turning Point

Armed with my Praktica, I set off for India, where I captured a vibrant series of street photographs. The experience was unforgettable - colorful, chaotic, full of contrasts and raw emotion. Every frame felt alive. But something unexpected happened after I returned. As I reviewed the images, a quiet but powerful shift occurred. Without any prior planning, I realized I wanted to explore nude art photography.

It wasn’t about provocation - it was about form, light, and honesty. A kind of meditative calling. I didn’t know where it would take me, but it felt like something I had always been meant to do. That trip to India was a turning point - and not the only one. I’ve traveled to Asia twice: once to India, and later to Sri Lanka. India awakened the artist in me, leading me to fine art nude photography. In Sri Lanka, I came up with the idea for SnapSign and started building it. It was there, by the ocean, that everything clicked - my art and my purpose. There’s a certain magic in Asia I still can’t explain - but it shaped both my creativity and career forever.

First Steps into Nude Art

When I say nude art photography, I mean artistic film work that includes nudity - but where the focus is on light, shape, and emotion, not shock or eroticism. It’s about storytelling through the human form, with sensitivity and intention. The transition from street to fine art happened within a year. I started reaching out to potential models on Instagram - honest about my lack of experience. Most said no. But eventually, someone (let’s call her Jessica) said yes. She became my first collaborator - and a quiet guide into this new world.

My First Nude Shoot: Fear and Joy

I did everything I could to prepare. Bought black-and-white film (I’ve forgotten the brand name), packed my Praktica, made moodboards, and sent them to Jessica. We met near a studio. I remember how nervous I was - hands shaking, thoughts racing - but I gave it my all. It was a huge leap outside my comfort zone. When the scans came back, they looked nothing like the references I had prepared (ha-ha-ha). As they say, the first pancake is always a little lumpy. Jessica told me, “It’s not that bad,” which was probably just being kind. Still - I was proud. Not of the results, but of taking that first leap. In the section below, you’ll find a few exclusive photos from that very first shoot - never shared anywhere else before. These photos mark the beginning of my journey into nude art photography, and I’m excited to finally share them here for the first time.

What’s Next?

This is just Part I of a longer series, where I’ll take you through my full journey - from my first camera to being published in Playboy and exhibiting in Times Square, New York. I’ll share my favorite film rolls, talk about planning shoots, building trust with models, and finding your voice as a visual artist. And of course, I’ll go deeper into SnapSign, why I built it, and how it fits into today’s creative workflow.

If you’re into film photography, artistic visuals, or just looking for inspiration - stay tuned. The best is yet to come.

P.S.

If you want to collect model signatures right during your shoot, try SnapSign – we made model releases easy for everyone.