Capturing life as it is

Viljandi Folk swept me away again!

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After a year, I was for my great surprise invited again to take photos at the wonderful Viljandi Folk Festival. It was my absolute pleasure to be there once again. Thank you, Kristjan Priks, for your patience and kindness in making it happen again!

Taking photos and running from one show to another is not easy, but great shots and great music make it up for me. I found some new favourites such as: Kader Tarhanine, Džambo Aguševi Orchestra and Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle. Of course, I was very happy to see Mari Kalkun after a short break, and last year’s show-makers Trad.Attack! and lovely Duo Ruut.

I was especially glad to be able to share my work with Eestielu.ca readers all around the world. So, if you didn’t get to go to Folk this year, then the gallery should give you a pretty good overview of what you missed!

Trad.Attack! gave another wonderful show. Sandra is awesome!

Can’t get enough of Mari Kalkun’s music.

New favourite Kader Tarhanine from Africa. Little did I know that I would end up on the stage with the band. 😁

Until the next year!

July exhibition for a day

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What a day today is going to be. I can present the exhibition “Toronto Estonian House: Last Act” for one day in Kultuurikatel’s väike saal on the ground floor. ESTO 2025 is taking place there for one day!

If you are around, please stop by. They have workshops taking place in that hall, but you can squeeze in just for photos. Here is the schedule with all the information about the July 1st (Happy Canada Day!) programme of Global Estonian Diaspora Networking Day. If you stopped by, take a photo of your favourite photo and email it to me with your thoughts to kerly/at/kerlyilves.ee No fret, if you can’t come, as there will be a chance to see it in Tartu this fall.

Here is a part of the exhibition at its original presentation place, at Toronto Estonian House. Rest in peace, Eesti Maja.

June to be or not to be…

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or something like that. It is a mess, but please continue.

Yay! The first summer month is here! Yet the question remains, which summer it will be this time – the hot and dry or the cold and rainy one. While living in Estonia, it is always a gamble. I prefer something in between, as the hot sun or cold rainy days are not the best options to enjoy the summer.

The June photo is about a similar dilemma – which side of the coin will it be? You can look at the big picture or the small details – what will you choose? Most of the time, we have a choice, but with the weather, we don’t.

I guess it will be what it will be. We seem to talk too much about the weather anyway. Whatever we are given, I hope that I can see some bigger pictures and find myself lost in looking for the small details. After all, the smallest things matter the most, so keep looking!

A close-up of a colourful caterpillar symbolizes the unpredictability of summer weather.

February discoveries

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This winter has been extremely poor in snow. I am used to snow and cold temperatures and I do not mind it really, so I was excited to be back at home and enjoy the winter. So far I haven’t even gotten my skis out yet! So it left me with some extra time to discover what the dark February had to offer. I wandered around in the garden looking for something small to capture. It happened to be one happy evening when there was some snow coming down. I wasn’t aiming to capture the snowflakes, but the sharp ends of the tiny coniferous tree. I didn’t even think that the ends of the little needles have such strong ends. So there you go – again something new learned in this whole wide world!

Th city of Tartu’s urban planning for 2030+

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I haven’t posted posts of my photos for a while, which I have found online from different websites. They tend to pop up now and then. Here is one used to illustrate the city of Tartu’s urban planning for the years 2030+.

Unfortunately, I can’t find the source of this website, but luckily I have this screenshot saved.

I took this photo, while I was exploring the river Emajõgi and Supilinn borough, as it captured the communication between the river and the borough. Emajõgi is always an interesting subject at any season. I should explore it in the winter and see what it looks like now.

Happy New Year 2025!

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It has been a while since I last wrote anything in here. I guess time flies and life changes. This post will replace the post that I have had up since June 2023. Today is the 1st of January, 2025. So much has happened and there is so much to share, so if you care, please check the previous posts on the blog section occasionally. I will keep adding new stuff and share some news. Even if they are old, perhaps someone will learn something new or experience some good photography.

After many years, I was back in my hometown, which has become unaffordable, but this is another subject. On New Year’s Eve, the best I know how to greet the new year is taking fireworks photos, especially when my connection with photography has gotten lost. Since the city of Tartu no longer offers fireworks, the private citizens took the matter into their own hands and created a wonderful light show for my short photography session.

As usual, there are the so-called must photos, and then there are those photos, which are actually more interesting and offer a greater viewing pleasure and more information than just a beautiful fireworks photo. So, please allow me to share three photos I chose to present here to give you an idea of what I mean.

First photo.

Even though this is not your average dark-sky and colourful fireworks photo (I cropped some of those as well), then I still consider it now of the must photos. It was quite an accident how this photo came to be. My camera was pointed in the city direction, from where I was hoping to capture the fireworks photos, but since that didn’t happen, then after fireworks started appearing by the canal, I just turned the tripod head around and started shooting.

Second photo.

This frame created me the most joy, as I have never seen fireworks sent like that into the water. Sure the arches create interesting elements, but I as an environment lover, started thinking about the pollution and how it would have affected the life of the water creatures. The people in the front add definitely more to this frame and bring more life to it.

Third photo.

This is my favourite shot. A photo which I guess has the most meaning. Imagine the beach which was so busy and full of people and fireworks, is now stranded, but you can see two boxes of fireworks cases on fire and a lone figure, admiring the faraway fireworks in solitude by a quiet canal. I was not sure before writing these lines, which photo I would put up on the front page, but I guess this is it.

Overall, I feel like I am back in business, so if you need some photos in Estonia, please drop me a line at kerly/at/kerlyilves.ee Enjoy the new year and make the best out of it!

September vegan joy

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The joy started at the end of August when the Toronto Animal Rights march took place. It was my first time participating in this small but powerful parade. It was very well organized, and those who were late to show up didn’t have to worry about missing the march, as there were speeches, music and intros to the walk presented. The whole march was powerful, and even the rain didn’t bring our mood down. 

Then there was Veg TO Fest at Nathan Phillips Square. Lovely festival of wonderful vegan food, products, performances and speeches. It was a bit overwhelming to choose the food to eat. But we went by the style and the portion size and chose Ital Vital Rastarant’s ever-so-good container filled with all kinds of goodies. For the sweets we chose a selection of 6 small butter tarts, they were gluten-free and vegan, by…. They are not a vegan company, but we couldn’t resist trying their mouth-watering gluten-free treats.

Vegandale 2023

And at the end of September Vegandale took place by Polson Pier by Lake Ontario. Another event I had never been to, so it was pure joy for me to be part of it. It was very similar to the To Veg Fest, but it was a ticketed event, which doesn’t make sense really, and the food was quite similar. Except for some special guests from the States. We wanted to try something different and went with this wonderful Chicago-based Light Eye See. Their portions were huge and the food was so good and filling. Like wow! For the dessert, we chose cruffin and two cupcakes from The Big Vegan Cake. Wow, wow, wow. The best vegan baked goods we have bought in the city so far!

I am delighted that September brought all this attention to veganism, as in the summer too much is happening, people are out of the city and travelling. September in that sense is the best month to organize these events. And the weather held. Thanks for this, Toronto!

Ülle and I

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The 20th of August has been always a special day for Estonians. It marks our re-independence day. In 2011 this day got another meaning to me. Ülle, a big-hearted Estonian who had made life in Toronto, Canada, had offered me work and kindness, is celebrating her birthday on the same day. What made the birthday more special was that my birthday was just five days before and we both are Leo’s. We always got along and had fun. It was a huge learning curve for me working for her.

Unfortunately, this year, Ülle is no longer with us to celebrate her birthday. This year there was a birthday for her without her. It was very sad. I loved being part of her family and enjoyed her close one’s company, but I really missed her. And I still do. Not a day goes by without me thinking of her.

I usually do not post blurry photos, but I had kept this from 2011, just a few weeks after I started to get to know Ülle. She is captured in her usual rush – she is here and then she is gone. This moment I will cherish forever, as we were both captured at the same moment!