I am the most proud to announce that in the first issue of this years “Vegan” magazine, an article which I wrote as the board member of my new NGO Toit ei ole prügi (Food is not garbage) about the connection of the food waste and animal agriculture was published. I am super thankful and super blessed! I hope this is the first of many. I am so glad that “Vegan” magazine is open for my contribution.
Here is a quick peek to the article. I will publish the link once it is made available.
Here is how the notorious “Vegan” magazine cover was taken. But why the last issue of 2025 is notorious because it has photos on the front and at the back of the magazine. As the editor said: “the photos were so cute, so we wanted to use more of your photos.” Well, I am pleased! 🙂
Eke brought two bags of his handiwork and I laid them on the floor and then asked him to lay down on top of his creation – this is how the magic was done. Hehehee. 🙂
It has always been my dream to shoot a magazine cover. The end of 2025 was so blessed that it presented me such chance. And the best part is that I did a double cover, I mean the back was also my photo. It was one of the calmest, but one of the wildest photo shoots. I will share more what went on behind the scenes in the next post.
Here is a video showing the magazine and the inside photos what I took of Eke.
I will share the whole link of the magazine when it becomes available.
I was invited to take photos at an intellectual property conference dedicated to Professor Heiki Pisukese, a pioneer in the field of intellectual property law education, titled “Is the Creator Always Right?”. It had been a while when I took photos at an event, this summer in Viljandi folk, I guess. So it was quite fun to lurk around with camera and find interesting angles, great light and snap candids of the people who were present.
Presented are some, which I found the most interesting.
This photo is quite interesting. While the presenter was reading his text from a paper, which was placed on the touch screen, and while he moved the pages or moved the printed sheets, the touch screen activated browser on the desktop and opened the news of Trump and his downfall. At first me and the listeners didn’t understand how did this happen, but then after a while they figured it out and I guess everybody’s attention was on the screen instead of the listener.
Here Heiki Pisuke is holding his biography which he presented during the event.
I mean, if all, perhaps boring to the most, conferences would have such light, then….you can finish the sentence.
Yes, the wonderful, surprising, uplifting, heart-filling, and ever-so-stimulating September is over. What a release, discovery, and coming together within myself. I guess some start writing a book about it, as yes, it is such a powerful and unexpected feeling. One should definitely experience this at least once in their life. Unfortunately, I do not have any guidance on how to get to that level. Also, is this a lasting state or a temporary one?
Anyway, I didn’t want to talk about that, but of October. The month when I realized that the summer is over! 🙂 So enjoy the bright colours and let your inner sun shine bright. Lift yourself up, listen to good music, eat good food or do not eat at all, just be better to people around you and do some crazy stuff. But keep others in your mind and be respectful. Always. Remember, the world is not you.
And the photo is an old one, which I found accidentally online. Not even sure anymore, from which source. But here it is. Perfect for this post!
I was super glad to see that so many media outlets shared my press release about the opening of the photography show “Toronto Estonian House: Last Act”. Way to go! I am super happy – most likely my most shared photography exhibition so far.
Have you seen it yet? If not, then it is up until the end of October, 30th to be exact. So you still have some time!
I found a while back another photo I had taken, published online at www.tartu.ee
This post shared a press release from the Tartu City government, to which my photo was added as an illustration.
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!
I haven’t posted posts of my photos for a while, which I have found online from different websites. They tend to pop up now and then. Here is one used to illustrate the city of Tartu’s urban planning for the years 2030+.
Unfortunately, I can’t find the source of this website, but luckily I have this screenshot saved.
I took this photo, while I was exploring the river Emajõgi and Supilinn borough, as it captured the communication between the river and the borough. Emajõgi is always an interesting subject at any season. I should explore it in the winter and see what it looks like now.
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!