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 Truck drivers have promised not to leave until the mandates have been revoked.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!

I got a wonderful assignment of taking photos of Elmar Tampõld‘s many blueprints from the ’70s. They were drawn on tracing paper, drawing paper, film-like sheets and printed on special large format architect plastic/canvas sheets.

Elmar Tampõld was an Estonian-born Canadian architect. He got his education at the University of Toronto and become a very successful architect. You can admire two of his biggest creations on Bloor Street West, between Spadina and St. George: Tartu College and Rochdale College. Will share photos of both of these buildings later this year.

The coolest part of taking photos of these blueprints was when I got to see the film-like sheets. They had most of the times tracing paper drawings taped on. I was thinking about how to take photos of these to show their best qualities. So I decided to tape them on the window. It was a nice sunny day and the backlight really gave a good kick and made these drawings alive. I took some of the whole views, but the final files show the tracing paper drawing and the end look was really clean and sharp.

The moral of the story – try to look out of the box and make the best of what you have. Also do not forget the angle of shooting as well 😉

So this is it! The new year is here. Happy New Year! Enjoy the winter beauty that the cold and sunny days may offer.

How wonderful it is to start fresh! Time for new year’s resolutions and time to leave all you do not want to drag you down to 2021. Make sure that you do not overcrowd your list and put down the things that you REALLY want to achieve this year. The list should be somewhere visible, so you can always revisit it and make a mental note of your success.

Not sure what to put down on your list? How about writing a book? Learning a new language? Clearing out your inbox? Or dedicating more time to your hobby and family. Or go vegan? Better for the planet, better for the animals and better for you! Whatever you are choosing, be determined and keep your eye on the end goal, as this is the only way you can make it really happen. Daily little notifications on the right upper side of your computer screen don’t work. I can tell it from my own experience.

Hot chocolate is still a thing, hopefully for the next few months. Or not, as I forgot. At least not for the first 11 days of the new year, as I am not eating or drinking anything with refined sugar in it. So no cookies, no cakes, no hot chocolate etc. Just a little restart and after 11th, I will try to eat less processed stuff altogether.

I can’t believe (as every year) that another year is almost done. I re-opened my photography website on this year’s May and it seemed like I just did so. Though I love being present, I can already say that I have some new material to share in the new year, as I have been busy this year, but not so busy sharing the current up-to-date works.

I feel like I am repeating myself, but indeed some wonderful things will happen. Just stand your ground, dream on and believe in a better tomorrow. The holiday season is on and magical things happen. Oftentimes the best moments are free and can’t be taken home. Like this scene, which I consider my best winter shot so far.

The pumpkin flavour is replaced by hot chocolate with marshmallows, a vegan kind of course, as who wants to put pork gelatine in their drink. Help yourself with a cookie, if not sure, which kind, then let me make it easier for you. Choose something from Vegan Very Much and you will not be disappointed. Definitely find time for yourself and your loved ones, take it slow and do not rush, finish the books on your nightstand before the end of the year. And wait for the snow.

I went through my photo archives of the best shots I have put aside, but I realized that I do not have any photos from November. Wow, seems like a really slow month for me. So I decided to choose something else instead. Something that will describe how I feel at the moment.

Lots of smoke, but no fire. Yet. It will come. Some wonderful things will happen. Just stand your ground, dream on and believe in a better tomorrow.

I still recommend getting your pumpkin flavour on, grabbing a cookie and getting comfy with a book on a sofa. And wait for the snow.

Fall has arrived and the long Indian Summer is over. Time to bundle up, pack up and get cozy.

October’s photo is taken actually at the same place, where the previous month’s photo – at the nature reserve – but instead of a very low setting, at a much higher setting.

The area as said earlier is offering great bird photography, as it is known as an area for birds to live or gather just before taking off to the south. Here is a photo of a couple of Tundra swans who are on their way to their new home place somewhere warm.

Get your pumpkin flavor on, grab a cookie and get comfy with a book.

“Notice the little things” was taken during the early hours of September 11th six years ago. I used to go with my photography class students every year on the same date just before the sunrise to a beautiful nature trail. We produced the most wonderful photos there, due to little creeks, paths, and shrubs, which provided lovely settings to catch great nature photos.

The area offered mostly great bird photography, as it is known as an area for birds to live or gather just before taking off to the south. But one should also notice the little things, especially when there is no wonderful and sunny sunrise. Then you look and you will find. This beautiful spiderweb with dew droplets on it creates a wonderful visual, which would work excellent as a desktop wallpaper or as a large-format print at any business lobby.

Get lots of fresh air, eat healthily, and spend more time outside, as fall is here and you want to stay healthy!