Polina Podobedova is a Kyiv-based photo blogger who taught herself the nuances of Instagram photography and has now found solace in film, creating very beautiful photos with soul.
Polina shared about her creativity, inspiration, and first steps in an interview.
Polina, how did you get the desire to shoot photos?
Probably, it came through Instagram. I started managing my profile like everyone else: at the bottom of my feed, there were photos with girlfriends and all sorts of silly faces. But then I began following people, subscribing to accounts, watching what they did, and slowly started photographing myself. Of course, on my phone. Even though I had a camera (with a cropped sensor—I already know such words!), I mostly took photos on my phone while traveling.
I took my camera with me, thought about creating a travel blog, but still mostly used Instagram. Overall, I kept shooting more and more and got really into it.
Which came first, Instagram or film photography?
Instagram. But I always had a desire to photograph, especially while traveling. I’ve only been working with film recently. I called my mom, asked if her film camera was still working, and she gave me her FED. When I took it in my hands, I finally understood what aperture and shutter speed are.
I registered on Instagram in 2010, as soon as it launched, but only started using it in 2011 when everyone was already on it. The official Instagram account makes a selection of photographers called "recommended users"—I was featured in those recommendations a few times. That’s how I gathered my followers.
Photo by: Polina Podobedova
So, your first experience was with the FED.
Yes. People usually don’t speak very well of it, but you can still take beautiful shots with it. I love it.
Do you take it with you on trips?
I did. I took it to Georgia, and after that, I traveled with a Canon EOS 500n that a friend lent me. I bought a lens for it and shoot 35mm on that camera.
How did you learn film photography?
On technical matters, I read a lot. Shutter speed, aperture, light—it’s not that complicated; there’s plenty of information online. Also, my photographer friend helped me a lot—I just kept pestering him. But in practice, film forgives a lot: you can miss the shutter speed, but the shot will still be beautiful.
The first time I shot with the FED, I recorded all the camera settings for all 36 frames. When I got the scans by email, I "studied" which shots turned out well and what the shooting parameters were. I did this analysis on two rolls and was satisfied—there were no overexposures, for example.
As for the artistic part, I follow various photographers and look at their work—it’s so cool, I really like it. Some have a unique view of the world. It’s incredible how they see things. I don’t see it that way yet.
What do you like?
Oh, I like strange photos :) strange people, sitting oddly, something sticking out somewhere. Something specific.
Photo by: Polina Podobedova
How much time do you spend reviewing photos?
It varies. Sometimes an hour, two, sometimes three. And sometimes I don’t look at anything for a month.
Where do you find inspiration?
I don’t know, I think it’s in colors. Not in plants, but in color schemes. That’s why I like color film and color photography in general. I have many friends who like black and white; I like it too, but I prefer color ☺ I imagine a lot about how the photo should turn out. Color helps me a lot with that.
This process is similar to creating a painting by an artist. Would you call yourself a photo artist?
Oh, no. I don’t even consider myself a photographer! But I definitely like making something beautiful.
Besides inspiration for a great photo, you also need to find a great location. How do you do that?
Actually, I don’t so much look for locations as try to see them. Recently, my husband and I were walking in the rain near the Franko Theater. You’d think there’s nothing new there, but we accidentally wandered into what seemed like a forest or park—the photo turned out something really special, you wouldn’t say it was Kyiv. I always try to shoot. Sometimes you have to walk around a building and look at it from different sides. Sometimes you go somewhere specifically to take a shot, but it doesn’t work out, and on the way home, you shoot something by chance—and it turns out great.
I really like shooting nature. And if it’s urban, then it’s walls—I pay attention to colors.
How would you shoot the same place on a film camera and on a phone?
You have to try because it might seem that the photo looks cool on the phone, but through the camera’s viewfinder, it’s so-so. You need to walk around and look more carefully. I have a bad habit—I take a lot of shots on my phone, just standing and clicking a thousand times. You can’t do that with film; you have to think and aim. At first, some people take almost 10 photos out of 36 frames because they shoot repeats, but I’d recommend shooting even the same thing from different angles. At first glance, a shot might seem cool, but you have to experiment...
Photo by: Polina Podobedova
Back to Instagram, do you post only phone photos?
Mostly yes, phone photos. Less often I post film or digital photos. Instagram has its own photo format, so bloggers are confined to that format. Also, followers get used to the content the blogger posts and have expectations. You can’t let them down ☺..
Have you ever wanted to create a separate account to post photos "for yourself"?
Oh, I have one! I thought about posting only film photos there and then telling my followers, "Here, I have another account!" But unfortunately, I don’t have time. I manage my main account, run a few others, and have a full-time job. Plus, it’s emotionally exhausting! You have to reply, read all comments, check your feed. It takes a lot of time.
Does Instagram bring money? How can you monetize your account?
There are bloggers who create photo and text content for several brands at once. They do it very well, so yes, you can earn money. But if we talk about a personal Instagram blog, it’s more about advertising services, brands, or locations. You can advertise anything—from trips to a certain place to underwear. This is just starting to develop here.
How to become a photo blogger? A photographer?
You need to use what’s at hand and keep trying and trying. Don’t get attached to the equipment. If you have a phone, shoot on the phone; if you have an old film camera, take it and shoot. Later, you can grow and understand what you like more. The main thing is desire. If you have it, you’ll get up at 4 a.m. without problems and go out of town to shoot the sunrise, dragging your friends along. Don’t stay at home!
Film photography has a certain presence effect. It has a special magic. Maybe they add something in the lab; the photo really has a soul. To me, it’s because film involves a lot of work: production, developing, scanning, the shooting process itself. Then this energy suddenly "pops out" in a super cool photo! If someone wants exactly this effect, they should shoot on an analog camera.
Photo by: Polina Podobedova
What would you like to try in photography?
I want to try old Polaroids; there are beautiful cassettes now. I would walk the streets and give people photos as keepsakes. I have a Fujifilm Instax Mini, but those are tiny shots.
What would have to happen for you to call yourself a photographer?
Probably, I need to come up with and carry out some photo project. To have a base, a foundation, something serious. For example, 100 photos of human feet: how much you can tell about a person with such a photo. I spent many years only on Instagram, and when I got a bit tired, I took up film. Probably, the next step is exactly such a conscious project.
Photo by: Polina Podobedova
The article features film photos by Polina Podobedova.