Some Wildlife Content-Creators To Look Out For...

I LOVE their work...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Bangalore, India!

Let me preface this issue by saying one thing; there are some FANTASTIC wildlife content-creators/photographers/artists out there. This is just a small sliver that I’m recommending to send you down this internet rabbit hole. Chances are it’s better than the other rabbit holes we get sucked into on Instagram/YouTube…

Now, everyone knows the big shots in this field—Paul Nicklen, Dhritiman Mukherjee, Will Burrard-Lucas, Shaaz Jung, David Attenborough, and more. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, then you’ll know how much I love David Yarrow. Each of them have something unique to offer the world.

Yet now, we’re seeing the rise of a new kind of content creator. These could be photographers, presenters, artists, and so on. Here’s a few people to get you started on exploring this wonderful genre.

So I can’t share their work here, because Instagram embeds aren’t working on Substack anymore. Nevertheless, I’ll link their accounts so that you can check them out!

The Headless Sketcher

I chanced upon this account, and I’ve been better for it ever since. I’ve never seen art like that done by The Headless Sketcher. There are many wildlife artists on social media, and you could lose yourself in the wonderful work out there. Start with this account. I will shamelessly admit that I’ve spent hours marvelling at this account’s artwork.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theheadlessketcher/?hl=en

Sahir Doshi

When I go to Mumbai, I am definitely going to hit up Sahir Doshi. He has opened the marvellous ecosystem of the Mumbai coastline to the world. His videos focus on the dazzling array of life found on the coast of this bustling metropolis. Who would have thought that Mumbai had so much wildlife? Check his account for more:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sahirdoshi/

Man Of The Forest

Kayden Anthony is up there in the nature education space on social media. He is a wildlife biologist who makes informative reels on wildlife and other natural wonders. Listen to this podcast to learn more:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/man_of_the_forest_/

Kairav Engineer

The reason I wanted to mention Kairav’s work is because his photography isn’t like that of your average Instagram-tiger photographer. He uses sophisticated camera traps to get stunning images of wildlife. Few people have shots like him, especially from India.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kairavengineer/

Gowri Kalinga

Now, Gowri Shankar is someone I’ve looked up to for a long time. He is one of India’s leading experts on King Cobras, and his Instagram account showcases his rescues and other insights from the rainforest. I’ve visited his research station (KCRE) in Agumbe, Karnataka, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gowrikalinga/?hl=en

Green Humour

You’ve probably come across Green Humour’s work. I’ve actually done a whole issue on Green Humour, which you can check out below.

Daimler Pereira

Daimler is a friend of mine. He is my “snake guru”, if you will, for he taught me how to spot and handle snakes. And his style of macro photography is truly distinct. Nat-Geo level if you ask me, which isn’t that far off as one of his photographs was featured by Nat-Geo on one of their social media handles.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/daimler__07/

And lastly, me!

Subtle plug right? Well one of the things I do online is share whatever I know about the natural world. My life has been changed by nature and wildlife, and I think it can change yours too. This newsletter, my blog, and my Instagram all amount to this; sharing whatever I’m passionate about. Somehow, 36k people seem to like what I’m putting out there.

Anyhow, I recently created a mini-series of reels on Instagram where I share book recommendations from the broader genre of nature and wildlife. I get A LOT of requests from people asking for book recommendations. So I made this so that everyone can benefit from my unhealthy addiction for books…

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ishan.shanavas/

Blog - https://ishanshanavas.com/

Incase you missed it last week, Ashoka University (where I study) made a video on me. In it, I share some of the books that have influenced me. I think there is something in it for everyone.

Postcard

Let me tell you something that happens all too often to photographers. You go out on a shoot, get a photograph you really like, then somehow forget about it and, when you remember, you search your hard disk thoroughly but somehow you can’t find it. Then, years later, that image somehow resurfaces, and you get the pay-off for never losing hope.

That’s what happened with this image of a collared cat snake that I had taken at the start of 2023. I thought I’d lost this image.

But a few days ago, I opened my hard drive to look for an image to add to my upcoming book, and look what pops up! I found this snake at 3 at night in Agumbe, Karnataka, and I love the spiral like position it’s taken in this shot.

I had actually photographed this snake with Daimler, one of the creators I’ve linked above in this post.

Favourite Quote

“Your life is defined by what you're willing to struggle for.”- Mark Manson

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 :)