Capturing life as it is

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!

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!

March moon

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It may be a bit surprising or maybe not, that this photo was taken in March.

March moon photographer using a 200 mm telephoto lens

The picture really doesn’t give away any signs of the season. There are no visible trees. Also, no remains of snow. Which makes it a bit of an eerie photo. Not to forget the weird bluish tint.

Some consider March spring month, for some it is a definite winter month. Which is it for you?

I consider it a spring month, as it included Women’s Day. This day is known to be a busy day for flower shops, as many people around the world are buying flowers for the dear women in their lives. It is a fun thing, isn’t it? But it is no fun thing to think about what goes on to produce, transport and sell these flowers as the article HERE points out, not so rosy. The environmental impact is relatively high.

Food for thought, that on the eve of Women’s Day, I saved these flowers from their pre-timed death. For a whole week, they bought joy and beauty into my every day.

Saved from the garbage

Vegan and gluten-free breakfast

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I think finding a post about vegan breakfast on a photography homepage is pretty random.

But again, maybe not, as I am vegan. Utterly and honestly the biggest fan of all fruits and vegetables. One can make beautiful meals out of them and they are truly mindblowing. Perhaps this is because I like food, but then again, I can’t remember loving food so much when I was an omnivore or even a vegetarian. I even didn’t eat beans as a vegetarian. Now I can just eat chickpeas as I used to eat M&M’s.

I do take occasionally photos of food on the table. A little interest I got myself into many years ago. I was thinking that it would be really unique and original, but unfortunately, my little Instagram page at What Is On The Table hasn’t really picked up in a few years. I started it not long ago and posting photos chronologically, as it shows my transformation from vegetarian, who mind you, ate fish! to a vegan who I am today.

About the photo. This is a lovely Saturday late afternoon 3rd of January, the end of the holiday break breakfast. I have never had a plate like this for breakfast: waffles and cookies. Blueberries, yes, I can understand. The cookies had to be finished, as there were just a few left. I tried a new recipe for gluten-free waffles and wanted to see how it turns out. Pretty okay, though needs some improvement.

  • Organic blueberries.
  • Organic maple syrup.
  • Besan flour vegan waffles.
  • Oat flour chocolate chip cookies.

I took the photo mostly because of the food, but also because the background and the light have this nice, lovely, homely feel. In other words, hygge. Yes, there were some little LED lights on the table, but pictured in another photo. 😉

#saynotoplastic

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is time for the new year’s resolutions. Perhaps you can say no to plastic.

NO to plastic! Why? Simply because it is one of the most hardly recycling materials, we use it everywhere. If people contaminate the environment with plastic, they generate significant damage, especially to the sea and oceans.

Follow these easy tips to avoid plastic in your daily life. It’s easy to say no!

1. Bring your reusable bags for shopping

2. Avoid single-use plastic bottles

3. Avoid plastic kitchenware and utensils

4. Avoid plastic packaging

5. Avoid plastic toys and gift items

6. Avoid plastic food containers

7. Use reusable or recyclable products

8. Avoid plastic decoration

9. Educate yourself and others

10. Support plastic-free initiatives

+ whenever you can spread the message to those who are directly responsible for the creation of plastic packages etc.

Since 2017 I have been into creating installments/exhibitions where I am using already available materials. Instead of buying or making something completely new. I installed last night a public message of “say no to plastic”. It is visible from both sides. So that the people who are stuck in the traffic, can see the message as well.

No money was spent to create this installation: the paper was reused, stickers were saved from the dumpster as half of the zip-ties, and a kind woman from a freecycling community donated the rest.

Please keep our nature trails clean and make a habit of carrying a plastic bag (indeed!) in your pocket to pick up litter during your walks. Many people are already doing it all around the world!

For great plastic information, please visit www.implasticfree.com

#saynotoplastic

December darkness

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Though it is the time of snow and colourful lights, the month of December is quite dark. Especially when there is no snow, the short days take their toll on the weaker ones, who are used to the sun and long days. Sad feelings may creep in and the gloomy days are no fun. No wonder that when many celebrate and are merry, many are sad and alone, also unhappy and desperate. Season to be merry and season to be sad. I painted quite a dark photo of December, and quite dark is the picture to describe this month. But this is something I do not wish on anybody. I wish you lots of light, love, warmth, care and happiness. Happiness for me is to take challenges and do what I love.

It was a challenge to take this photo, though it is not a single photo, two photos together, it still gives out a strong message. I know one photo would have worked itself, but I think it works better as a pair. It is my cousin and me on a cold December day. Interestingly enough, when I wrote these words, it happened to be her birthday (21st of December). Palju õnne, Sigrid!

Estonian House in Toronto is no more

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Today, the first of November, 2022 marks the end of the wonderful Estonian House in Toronto. After a long, confusing, secretive and emotional selling process, the current contract between the developer, who purchased the lot quite cheaply and the Estonian House Limited Company, has finished. After the sale of the house, the limited company was renting the building from their new owner. As of yesterday, all renters had moved out, and the whole building had been emptied and is no longer accessible to the Estonian community and other friends of the house.

Former building of the Estonian House in Toronto on Broadview Avenue in Toronto during its last few days.

I have had perhaps consecutively 5-6 years of experience at the Estonian House. But somehow the building with its old glory, activities and people has found a warm place in my heart so that this very same heart is full of sorrow, sadness and also a bit of anger. The closing down means a lot to me, I guess this also explains why I have spent and will spend my time promoting the legacy of the building which stood for more than 60 years at Broadview Avenue in Toronto.

I had a photography exhibition of the not-so-known rooms of the house, which was open from May to October. I will present a new gallery of the other photos, which didn’t make it to the exhibition in the next few days. For now, please let me share a little bit of information about Toronto Estonian House history.

Toronto Estonian House

The Toronto Estonian House was located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was established in 1952 as a limited company of the same name. The building has served Toronto’s Estonian community at 958 Broadview Avenue from 1960 until the 31st of October, 2022.

Dozens of different associations and clubs were established over the years and held meetings and events at this location. As well, an Estonian café run by various owners as well as a gift shop selling Estonian artifacts operated until very recently. The building contains halls and rooms of different sizes where both Estonian and other Canadian organizations held events. Almost every Estonian in Canada has had the opportunity at one time or another to visit the building or attend concerts, exhibitions, confirmation parties or weddings here. Many choirs, folk dance groups and Scouts and Guides, Estonian kindergarten, the Estonian Supplementary School and the Pensioners Club considered the Toronto Estonian House as their home. Many of the Toronto Estonian Supplementary Schools graduates continue to be active members of the community.

Two Estonian-owned businesses, Northern Birch Credit Union (formerly Estonian (Toronto) Credit Union Ltd.) as well as Heinsoo Insurance Brokers Ltd, were major tenants of the building. Heinsoo Insurance Brokers also contained the offices of the Honorary Consulate of Estonia from 1976 until the present. Canada recognized the illegal occupation of Estonia defacto and allowed it to operate dejure until 1991 when the new Estonian government re-established the diplomatic connection with the Consulate and the Hon. Consul General Ilmar Heinsoo. Heinsoo Insurance continues to support the Consulate to this day.

Activity in Estonian organizations has resulted in lifelong friendships and marriages and even employment in the Estonian House and the opportunity to continue to use our mother tongue here.

Activities of the Toronto Estonian House have ceased at its current address with the move to central Toronto, next to Tartu College at Bloor and Madison Avenue. The construction of the new building which began in the spring of 2022, is expected to be completed in the next year and a half.

The time has arrived to close the final chapter of the Toronto Estonian House at this location.

Eesti Maja, you are forever deep in my heart!

October colours

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Yes, it is the month of many colourful leaves, lots of colourful lights and…yes, Halloween decorations. But you may want to overlook that consumerism holiday. Yes? No? What else is there, you may ask? Lots of other fun – nature walks, exciting books, cozy hygge movie sessions on the sofa with your loved one, volunteering for the others, expressing yourself, cooking comfort food. And just loving. And understanding. Even those who seem not to get you. Give them a chance to express themselves and try to understand.

I chose this photo for the month of October, as it was taken during the month of October a few years ago. I am sure you noticed the weird lines around the photo. Yes, it could have been a mistake or poor editing, but I decided that this is great. It adds to the image and creates some kind of mood to the already moody photo. Just do things differently, do not follow the crowd 😉

Don’t forget to drink your warm tea. 🙂

Love yourself

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Photographers are known to be vain, right? You have heard about it? Good. But if you haven’t, please continue reading. I personally have no idea where this information is coming from, but I see some truth in it. Some. I used to be that photographer myself. I took photos of myself and posted them. A lot. But luckily I was young and silly, so this is far history for me.

Today I made an exception and posted this photo of myself, as it happens to be my birthday. The idea of this post is not to show how beautiful I am. Lol, I know that I am a beautiful person, but I do not need to post my face for that everywhere 🙂 BUT to inspire you to be more creative in whatever you do, in this case, photography.

Believe it or not, this photo is on one frame. No magic has been done here. After I took this photo, you could see all three of me on the screen. I will not reveal, as this really doesn’t matter, how the photo is done, as in this modern day, you can find everything online anyway. I took the extra mile at that time when I took the photo, so I can learn and explore more. And the only model I had by hand, was myself. So I had to break my long silence of posting my own face online for this post 😀

So, yes go ahead and be creative. And take a photo of yourself, if needed 😛 and love yourself!

August Northern Lights

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I took this photo a few years ago. What an exciting moment it was to be able to capture my first Northern Lights. I happen to live in a place, where their activity is hardly ever visible. So going out to “hunt” them was definitely an experience on its own. And I am glad about that. Photography is all about learning, being curious, exploring and experiencing. While doing all that the skills will get better as well. You gain confidence and most importantly, your life will get better and more enjoyable.

I think this is the main thing. Doing something for yourself, which charges you with the energy, which helps you to handle all the everyday life challenges or musts, like going to work, paying bills, waking up early etc.