Dabbling In Video
I'm opening a new medium for myself...
Hey friends,
Greetings from Idukki, Kerala!
I have a secret. Sort of.
For the past few months (maybe a year), while working on my book, I’ve been dabbling in the art of making videos. You know, small clips (reels) where I talk to the camera about anything—wildlife, nature, art, and the like. I’ve been slowly posting this on Instagram, where I’m now seeing some traction.
Now, I’ve always wanted to make videos. There is something compelling about this medium. It engages people in a way that writing sometimes can’t. By being visual, it is a lot more visceral. While writing, you need to work hard to describe something. But by making a video, you can SHOW it to your viewers.
I have another incentive to make videos. Being able to talk to the camera is such a remarkable skill. Think about it. YouTubers make a living by TALKING TO A CAMERA. How cool is that? Something for you to think about…
In other news, I’m back on the road. I’m travelling through Kerala and Tamil Nadu, spending some time in the Western Ghats. I’ll be filming several videos as I move around about the cool “nature” stuff I find.
The book is coming along well. I’m on the 9th draft (yes, you read that right). You might think that’s a bit overkill, but I’m a first-time author, so this is just how it is. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that’s an encouraging sign. Trust me, writing a book is not for the faint-hearted.
Anyway, I have something interesting for you. If you’re up to it, I’d love it if you could look at the videos/reels I’ve filmed while in the field and give me feedback on it. I love this process and would love to know how to improve!I’ve posted them on my Instagram account. Here’s the link. Would love any feedback I can get!
Postcard
It’s been a while since I shared a photograph of some wildlife. Here’s an image of mating dragonflies I took in Idukki, Kerala.
Sometimes, the smaller animals of our world can be just as fascinating as their larger counterparts.
Favourite Quote
We take charge of our lives when we stop kidding ourselves about the facts of what actually happened, and start taking responsibility for the meaning we assign to those facts. -
Rick Lewis
This is a snippet from a banger essay by
about writing memoirs. I’d seriously recommend reading it down below.
Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!
If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.
Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.
I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)
"I strongly believe that people should know about the wildlife in their own backyard." Ishan Shavanas.
I watched a bunch of your videos on Instagram Ishan and they're wonderful. I love the little educational snippets regarding the natural world in your country, but what I loved most was the gifts you are giving to local communities with the field guides of the animals in their region, like you did for your school. This to me jumps out as a very unique and notable signature of your work. I haven't heard of another nature advocate doing this. Super inspiring!