June is the first month of the summer. A beautiful glimpse offers long white evenings, breezy nights and ultimate freedom. Unfortunately, at the end of June, the days start to shorten again. Oh, why June’s beauty is so temporary?

This is the month to get away and leave the city behind. Go to nature, swim, hike, eat berries in the forest, and do something fun with your friends. Being a prisoner in a free world doesn’t feel right, it is inhumane and against at least my freedom sign. Now is the time to break through and do something.

This photo shows the crisp June clouds so well because I shot this through the glass of sunglasses. Look at the colours and the layers of the clouds. One can just fall into these.

Happy summer solstice and happy summer! Have fun 🙂

I had a great chance just last weekend when I was invited by my actress friend to her movie reading. I had heard about the term before but never participated in one. And I was asked not just to listen but to take photos. Yayy, super excited! Haven’t had a chance to do so much of my favourite candid photography in the past few years, so this was definitely a great challenge.

What is reading?

an occasion at which poetry or other pieces of literature are read aloud to an audience.

Oxford Dictionary

The movie reading was kind of the same. The actors were reading their script as they would be acting in the movie. But there was no audience, except me and two other support crew members. It was really engaging, as I was almost like an observer at a movie scene. The only difference was that the actors were sitting, but nevertheless, they put all their emotions into their words and interactions with the other participants.

Mind you the room was very tiny, which seated 11 people of whom 8 were reading the script. I had a hard time moving around as I didn’t want to disturb the people, but at the same time, I wanted to get the shots I needed. Well, I forwarded 100 shots and they were well received. These three shots should just give you an idea of what the scene looked like.

April is an interesting month. Something in between winter and spring. Stuff is kind of not happening in nature and then again it starts to wake up. I have already seen the first spring blooms though, but I love seeing the whole of nature waking up little by little. Luckily there is a nature trail near to me, so I can see that change weekly.

I always remember a late-night shoot in April with my photography class students. We travelled to the countryside and tried our skills out in low-light photography. The first assignment was to find a subject in the evening and take a picture of it in the most creative way. I found this batch of hepatica – the first announcers of the spring in Estonian forests. I know it is not the best photo one can take in these situations, but I definitely loved this moody photo of the April forest.

Embrace your mornings and the longer evenings, go for a walk, meet a friend, and say hi to your local salesperson. Be present and explore! Happy spring!

I came across this comment about my recent gallery in Ottawa. I am very glad that I can reply to it publicly. Please read my replies below after a short introduction.

A few weeks ago, I got a wonderful opportunity to travel to Ottawa and photograph the Canada Freedom Convoy taking place there. As a photographer, I am always trying to cover important news around my home. Being able to shoot at such a historic event felt like it was bought to me on a silver platter. Too bad I wasn’t blessed with good weather, as my cold fingers and toes didn’t allow me to concentrate and use the best angles and composition. So in a way, this is actually quite a chaotic gallery. Nevertheless, I am proud of my work.

I have been taking photos since 1998, and constantly learning this very versatile field. I have been mostly concentrated on various events, including weddings, workshops, concerts, etc. However, I have learned it all by myself – by doing, reading and watching. No newspaper work experience, nor a photographic education in the field. But what I have learned is to always be objective of whatever I am taking photos of. I am not so almighty to bend the events which roll in front of my eyes and manipulate them in order to change their course. I am just taking photos of what I see.

My reply to the comment left above:

More Photos. The ones from Kerly Ilves. So, so many of them. You could lose your head in them. – Every media outlet can edit the photos sent to them, they do not have to share it all. In this case, they used all of them. This is out of my reach.

Why are there so many pictures of happy people engaged in kind friendly everyday human activities immersed in colourful environments of support and plenitude showcasing all sorts of massive, expensive ‘trucks’ with the occasional ‘Fuck Trudeau’ mixed in for variety? – There are so many photos of happy people, as they were there and they were happy.

Why is this newspaper running all of these? – Obviously as they run under the same rules of good journalism – you are objective while sharing the news without taking a stance.

This is all propaganda, especially the aesthetics (and it recalls most of all of the beautiful, sentimental aesthetics of fascist regimes (Saul Friedlander, Reflections of Nazism). It is a very skilled photographer at work. – Thank you kindly for your comment.

In this case, show us some photos of people dying in hospitals or spending the rest of their lives suffering chronic health problems because they contracted a virus from people around them who, like these truckers, won’t get vaccinated. – Nobody would grant in this country the right to take photos of dying patients in the hospitals at the time of a pandemic. Unless this is a special case of a very much-needed journalistic story. One can only take photos of the events that happen in front of their very eyes and are accessible to them. Also, I am not here to judge or take sides or God forbid – fabricate the events I am taking photos of! My idea as a photographer is to deliver the events as they are, without adding my own opinion. I was looking around with open eyes as usual and I took photos of what I saw.

The protest is incoherent, not picturesque. Now if the photographer photographed that, it might be worth looking at. – It was picturesque as you admitted it yourself, as you could only say it after looking at the photos.

Dear reader, do not kill the messenger, be open to different opinions, as every coin has two sides.

I got an awesome chance to travel to Ottawa and experience the current situation there. It was a bitterly cold day and doing some great photography wasn’t really an option, but I was able to snap something to share with whoever may stumble upon this gallery. I made some vegan sandwiches for the truckers and handed them out thanks to my dear close ones. It was a wonderful chance to meet the people who are fighting for Canadian freedom.

Below is a little overview of what I saw accompanying the photos I took.

As of today, Canada Freedom Convoy has been in Ottawa for 12 days. This wide protest has largely paralyzed Ottawa’s everyday life. Large trucks have completely blocked the main streets around government buildings. All trucks etc., are decorated with Canadian flags and with slogans calling to end all mandates. Some drivers allow you to leave your wish on their car or truck. This offer has been diligently used by visitors.

It is a peaceful protest. Truck drivers have promised not to leave until the mandates have been revoked. Every day, a large number of people go to support their mission. The view that one will see in Ottawa during the weekend is more reminiscent of a fun family event with an exhibition of powerful trucks, cars and tractors from 2019 when people moved in crowded places without a mask and kept a 6 feet distance. Visitors come every day to support with red and white flags and self-made posters. Many of them have put together small aid packages, made sandwiches and baked cookies, which they kindly handed into the bare hands that fell from the truck windows. It was possible to talk to the truck drivers, shake hands, honk their truck horns, sit in the cab and hug them. The messages shared were loving, supportive, emotional – people all seemed to breathe and think the same.

With the help of supporters, several million dollars have been raised to support the truck drivers. There are food tents at the larger intersections, which offer a wide range of food items, as well as clothing, wool socks, books, batteries, household paper, propane and coal, and of course fuel. There are various counters set up on the initiative of citizens offering hot food, where everyone, in addition to food, can pamper themselves with hot coffee and hot cocoa. The weather in Canada has been cold and snowy for some time, so this kind of interaction and support is very heart-warming. -16 degrees but sunny weather did not seem to keep anyone away from experiencing this historic moment during the weekend. Rather people seemed to be coming in with the temperature dropping and the evening arriving. On the big stage in front of the parliament building, the program took place from morning to night with musical performers and speeches, dances to keep the cold away. Those who needed some extra warmth entered the subway stations to rub their cold feet.

For Estonian times like these in Ottawa are reminded of the times of liberation from the rigid regime of the Soviet Union, when people came together to support each other and their views and joined hands in the Baltic Chain. Will the wish of Canadians be fulfilled, as of the Estonians at that time, only the future will show. In the meantime, a nice family event with plenty of food, support, and visitors will continue in Ottawa at its own pace.

1 2 3 ►

What a great month has started – February! The short month, the love month and the Black History month! So much joy and what else there is to do than celebrate! Don’t you feel the lightness, positivity and love in the air? Celebrate winter, life, love. Appreciate diversity, compassion and wisdom.

Take care of your loved ones, but do not go to the dollar store to buy cheap plastic items. Give experiences to them. Take them for a walk, cook a meal together or support a local business. Create something together, watch the photos of your joint memories. Just be present and appreciate what you have.

Celebrate life, celebrate you!