Summer, summer is here. Probably the most relaxed month of the summer. When you work all the time the only difference is that the days are longer and the air is warmer. Elderberries are ripe and colour the sidewalks dark purple or give you some solace while urban harvesting the kind bushes. More walks in nature, as honestly, nature calls.

I took this photo years ago during a summer music festival which no longer is, at Schilling. If you are an Estonian, then you know without any extra information who this person is. He is Peeter Volkonski. Maybe the closest thing to Mick Jagger. I like the vibes of this photo, the July vibes. Nice and warm summer nights, with music, friends and photography.

Enjoy the moment, as this is all you have.

A little while ago I had a chance to take photos of various dorm rooms at Tartu College. They have several room options in downtown Toronto for students who have been arriving in Toronto all around the world. It was my first so-called real architectural photoshoot. And I must admit that I loved it. Wouldn’t mind doing it again. If you are interested, shoot me an e-mail and let’s make the photos happen.

I guess the most fun thing was setting up the rooms, so they are ready for the shoot. One thing is to put things out you think is the best way. And the other is looking at the whole view through the viewfinder. Gathering the things and spreading them around in different rooms, so to have rooms look authentic and personal, was so much fun.

And the shooting. Well, it was somewhat challenging, as the windows were always bright, so the outside was oftentimes washed out. As I took these photos at the beginning of June when it was very sunny and hot. But at least you can still get the idea of the rooms. They are still pretty cool, I think. I like the two-desk situation and plenty of light. Perhaps not so much of a storage place, but at least a warm cozy corner one can call their own after being far away from home.

As I said these are the photos of the old rooms, where the upgrade hasn’t happened. Next time I will share the photos of the renovated rooms and kitchens to show you the difference.

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.