The Murmurs of Jamnagar

**NEW VIDEO ONLINE**
The much awaited new video is finally here. This is a poetic piece about one of the most beautiful wonders of nature.

In the North Western Indian state of Gujarat there is a city that is covered in hundreds of species of birds. In the winter months it is also the scene of the most beautiful murmurations of Rosy Starlings that you could ever see. I spent six months travelling through India in 2012-13. During this time I had the most wonderful of experiences and saw the most incredible wildlife such as the birds of Jamnagar.

COLORADO FILM FESTIVAL HONORABLE MENTION

COLORADO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2014

Received this wonderful star through the post this morning. 

Broadcasting on the Community Channel Monday 8th September 10pm

A couple of my short films are to be broadcasted on the Community Channel on Monday 8th September 2014 at 10pm.

See the listings here:
http://www.communitychannel.org/schedule/20140908/

"Collecting two short films that delve into India's festival culture, we travel to the Kumbh Mela, 'the largest human gathering ever', before we visit the kite festival in Gujarat."

The Community Channel is on the following channels: Freeview 63 • Freeview HD 109 • Sky 539 • Virgin Media 233 • Freesat 651 • BBC iPlayer • TVPlayer • BT TV

I hope you get a chance to tune in!

The Crocodile's Picnic

In the depths of Botswana, Africa, a crocodile finds some free food. But will he be able to get a meal?

A short (01:47mins) comedy filmed in Botswana 2012.  Enjoy!! :-)

A Special Lecture on Aeronautics (somewhere in the Zambian countryside)

**New short film online!**

In 2012 during another year's travelling I found myself in a small Zambian village with no electricity or running water. We were greeted with song and dance and countless smiling faces.

What could I do to give something back?

Ski Touring in the Indian Himalayas

During my six month travels through India I saw and experienced many things. I was heading into the Himalayas to partake in a 10 day silent meditation course but as soon as I saw the mountains I yearned to be on them.  Check out my little stint on a pair of skis in my newest short video:

Two stories about the meditation that happened soon after:

After the Vipassana and The Darkness of the Mind.  Find them in the stories section.

Swimming with seals

What a fantastic couple of weeks of weather we've had.  It reminds me of the time I was a child and the summer's were (a little more) predictable.  We used to have weeks and almost months of pleasant temperatures and when the conditions are just right there is no where else I'd rather be than in the English countryside.

We came to Cornwall on the summer's solstice to swim with Basking Sharks.  Unfortunately we didn't see any but took the next best thing, SEALS! 

They are inquisitive and cute, nipping at our fins as they glide past us.   The young ones stare at us with big brown eyes, twitching their whiskers before sticking their heads out of the water to check us out more thoroughly.

On our way back we came across a pod of Reese's dolphins, jumping and slapping their tail right in front of our boat.  One dolphin was played around with a giant jellyfish pushing him out of the water and back down again.  But no photos of these (camera malfunction).

EC Bristol Drinks with Vijay and the Kumbh Mela: 1st May

Great to talk at Explorers Connect yesterday in Bristol and in Southampton last week.

See the full video of the Kumbh Mela below (excerpt shown yesterday):

Film and Photography in Polar Environments for UK POLAR NETWORK in Southampton.

The Fish River Canyon

In late 2012 as part of our travels through Southern Africa we sneaked onto the 90km Fish River Canyon hike in Namibia.

The hike took us through some of the most spectacular scenery in Africa.  Check out the film below.  It runs at 9mins 35secs.

The Kite Cutter

The kite festival in Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India is one of the most eagerly anticipated festivals of the year.  Millions of kites are flown over the two day festival.  This video follows Deepak Banjara, a local kite enthusiast as he celebrates this festival in 2013.

Film:
Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India. Filmed by Vijay Shah

BAFFIN ISLAND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT 2010

It's been an incredible winter here in the UK.  It's the wettest winter on record bringing flooding to many parts of southern England.  It has also been surprisingly mild (average of 5.2C), making it one of the warmest winters on record.  This is in stark contrast with Northern America which has been locked in a polar vortex bringing temperatures down to -40C for extended periods of time.  These unprecedented conditions have been linked to climate change.

This reminds me of a video project I conducted a few years ago on our summer expedition to Baffin Island 2010.  For us, climate change has always been a 'hot' topic and I took the opportunity on this expedition to ask the members, in the midst of one of the most beautiful places in the world and undoubtedly one of the places most at risk from changes in the climate, about this topic.  I asked them 'Why should we care if the climate changes?' And in part two I asked them to discuss 'What needs to happen in order for us as a society to live more sustainably?'

See what the members answered in this video below, now edited for 2014:

In August 2010, a team of students, graduates and outdoor instructors spent one month on Baffin Island, trekking over 300km over tundra, morraine and glaciers. During the expedition I asked them: Why should we care if the climate changes?

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MY GRANDMOTHER: GOMIBEN SHAH

This is the story of my grandmother.  A story stretching over three continents - starting afresh each time with nothing more than the family bond to keep going.  A story of resilience and stoical acceptance in the face of the winds of change they were subjected to.

But more than just her story this is my parents story and my story too - where I've come from and the values that have been imprinted on me.

An Interview with a Holy Man

Muktanandji is a sadhu (holy man) from Gujarat, India. He has dedicated his life to serving the local community - improving the livelihoods of the impoverished villagers.

He was kind enough to allow me to set up an interview with him.  Here he describes his spirituality and his work, where it all began and his vision for the future.

What did you do today?

In anticipation of all the footage I have yet to edit, here's a little snippet of things to come... (www.vijayshah.net)

Sorry for all the wait, but there will be a little more waiting as there is so much footage I need to get through.  But here's a little snippet of things to come...

The Greatest Infinity Pool on Earth

**Attention: Some strong language**

Wakey, Wakey, Rise and Shine

A lecture on plate tectonics - Likoma Island, Malawi