I opened in June my photography exhibition “H2O”. I wasn’t planning an opening at all, but it sort of happened organically. I am glad that there were people to share a special moment with me.

My friends in Estonia may find this exhibition already familiar, which is true, as I presented the exhibition as a part of five photographers photo sale and show “Vaba Teema” in the end of 2014.

Now a large Estonian community in Toronto can also visit this exhibition dedicated to an important part of our lives – water. We take it for granted, but when it is gone even for an hour, it is greatly missed! I will present the exhibition again in fall, in Estonia in Tartu Public Library, as I want more people to see it and be more aware of water.

Exhibition consists of seven framed and matted color photographs, which portray water in its different forms. Each photo is carrying a specific color of a rainbow. I find this an amusing fact, so the photos can help to celebrate June as a Pride month, here in Toronto!

I am busy currently taking photos of Estonian House, which in few years will loose its original shape and will be transformed into something new. Back at home 13 portraits and interviews of people I photographed in Estonian community here in Toronto, are waiting to become and exhibition. I am looking at the moment for donor/donors who would support with prints and getting the frames.

I am thankful for Piret Noorhani and Ülle Veltmann, whose help made the exhibition possible!

All photos exhibited can be purchased as simple photo prints or framed and matted.

NB! The exhibition is opened until 20th of August, during the opening hours of Estonian House Cafe: Tuesday to Friday at 11 AM to 3 PM.

You can find new photos daily from my blog Imagine this, Instagram kerlyilvesphotography. and weekly photos of my Canadian adventures at Toronto.Canada.Estonia. and news about my photography life monthly from this homepage, which I have been trying to change with a help of a volunteer web designer for months. Unfortunately the work is not really successful! Yet!

In the end of May I had a chance to travel to Muskoka to do some communal work and take photos in the nature. Being together with interesting people, while enjoying the warm weather and swimming, not so much the black flies to whom I am very allergic! I was asked to take photos of the workers and I put together a tiny gallery, click on the photo to see the photos!

Recently I have been quite slow at doing photography for others. I have been just enjoying the nature walks and working on my personal projects more. I really love to cruise around the city with the bike and find shots for my future project-exhibition.

From the work side, the most exciting event was when I did some photography for Katrin Somermaa, who presented her play “Kati karu” at Estonian School kindergarten. It was very exciting and took place in very low-light situation.

Have a look at the whole gallery of the play here: Kati karu play.

I proudly present my photos taken at a local so-called Chinatown, Hiinalinn in Estonian, where I have been wandering with my film camera since August 2014.

It has been a great experience and I have produced nearly 2000 analogue photo frames, which I have hand-developed, scanned to computer and edited some. These photos were presented as a series during the last Vaba Teema in December, 2015 in Tartu University Library. The exhibition is called “Walls have eyes”.

The exhibition is opened in a wonderful Tort and Trühvel Cafe, which is located in Tartu Linnaraamatukogu (Tartu Public Library) in Kompanii 3/5 Street and is openen Monday-Friday 10-18 and on Saturday 11-15.

Please go and have a look, the texts are also in English. All photos are accompanied with photo cards, these and everything on the walls is for sale. Have a cake and some pastry in the cafe and enjoy my photos. Photos will be up until 19th of March, 2016. Your visit to the cafe is highly appreciated.

I was contacted by Estonian Animal Protection Foundation, whom I have been supporting on voluntary basis, while taking photos of abandoned dogs and cats.

Prettier photos usually guarantee to foster animals better chances finding home. EAPF love my work a lot and recently they asked for a kitten photo which may be used to advertise their Valentine’s Day charity basketball show.

The photo was needed to be one of three webpage photos rotating in the front page at Vabatahtlikud.ee. This is a site, which is a gate between those who look to do good and those who are in need of helping hands.

I had a great chance to experience half artificial and half natural occurance.

While we had extremely low temperatures in Tartu, Estonia, here and there in the city one could see light pillars.

A light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in the form of a vertical column of light which appears to extend above and/or below a light source. It wasn’t as good, as when you Google it, but an exciting photography opportunity for me.

I contacted several online portals and send my photos to them. Got some feedback and they published my photos, which is great!

Have a look here: DELFI light pillars.

Weather and peopleLight pillars in Tartu

My long-time friend and photo lover from Estonian Animal Protection Foundation, used one of my photos for their annual Christmas card design.

They were so kind to even write my name on it, which is excellent. I was so proud that I managed to do good for the home-looking animals and that they found a use for my photo as a card.

Past two months I was busy taking photos for Archimedes Foundation, as they were compiling a database consisting of photos taken of the most prominent and most interesting projects and programs called to life due to the funding of European Union structural funds.

It was a great challenge for me, as the places where different, located in few towns all over in Estonia and I had to get interesting photos from all the 30 places I visited.

I was honored to meet all the wonderful people during my assignment, who taught me so much about their jobs, their institutions and about their passions.

The last part of the project was to take photos at the final so-called thank you event in the hall of Science and Education Ministry.

Check the thank you events gallery: Archimedes FLICKR.

The best part of the project was that I found few of my photos in an extra between Estonian largest daily paper Postimees. I snapped these two shots for you, just to give you an idea of what my photos look like.

I have been taking photos of the homeless animals or those who are in foster care for years.

Recently I got awarded for my contribution on helping them, which gave me even more motivation try harder with my photos. It has taken me to a point where I would actually started thinking of pets/animal photography, as it really interests me.

Few of my photos were published in Postimees online, biggest Estonian newspaper. I am glad that the news got out and that the foster animals are under limelight to get more help. You can see the link here:

Save your pets

Totally Lost is an open and ongoing project curated by Spazi Indecisi for European Cultural Route ATRIUM. It’s a research that maps the remains of the architectural heritage of Totalitarian Regimes in Europe through photography and video and  a visual tale that explores these architectural spaces as fragments to be reconnected as democratic places.

Totally Lost investigates the relationship of these totalitarian objects with the landscape and the relationship with today’s social context, collecting and bringing to light very diverse places that lies neglected all throughout Europe: factories, mines, power stations, homes, places of propaganda and power, bunkers, resorts, radar antennas, monuments and memorials, planned communities, entertainment venues, sanatoriums, hospitals and much more.

I sent photos from few locations to this project and my Linnahall (City Hall) series was published in their exhibition and also on their website. Pretty cool that the old Soviet era architecture is still appreciated and that I was able to contribute in this project. Check for more photos of Linnahall below.

Published article in Totally Lost.

In 2020 a graphic designer contacted me and said that she was inspired by my photo of Linnahall and she asked for a permission to use that photo in her design. Unfortunately I missed my chance to forward her the photo, but check out the design she created nevertheless.