Ivan Shagin (1904-1982) began his photographic career as an amateur in 1919.
His first professional work was as a press photographer for the newspapers Nasha Zhizn  (Our Life) and Kooperative Zhizn (Co-op Life).
In 1933, Shagin worked for the  youth newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Throughout the 1930's, Shagin photographed in Soviet villages.
Shagin’s photographs of the Soviet Air force and Navy appeared in the journal USSR in Construction.
He worked up until the 1950s at Pravda and the Novosti press agency.