Õhtuks koju / Coming home for eve

Kui videvikuvalgus võtab maad, siis nagu liikuvad laternad, süttivad tulukesed sinakates orgudes ümber Longyearbyeni. Need on hilised teelised mootorsaanidel, kes koju tõttavad – koju, kus neid ootab soojus, armastus ja keegi - loodetavasti.
Koju oodati ka neid, kellede saatus möödunud päevadel sai pisarais kirjutatud. Ootasid isad, emad...õed ja vennad - ja kahjuks paljudel neist tuleb alatiseks ootama jääda. Ei kostu enam nii tuttavlikku uksehäält ja samme trepil...Jääb vaid loota, et aeg leevendab nende kaotusevalu.

Norra on mulle Teravmägede näol olnud külalislahke, pakkunud palju toredaid emotsioone, sõpru ning tutvusi, andnud leibagi. Sestap puudutasid möödunud päevade traagilised sündmused Norras mind sügavalt, küllap teidki, ja paljusid üle maailma. Uudised, mis sealt meieni jõudsid tundusid nii uskumatud, ebaõiglased ja valusad...need vapustasid.
Selles kurbuses minu südamlik kaastunne leinavale Norrale ja kõigile neile, keda see tragöödia valusalt puudutas.


When twilight lays out on land, then lights, like moving lanterns, come up in the bluish valleys around Longyearbyen. These are late wanderers on snowmobiles, who now hasting home – home, where are waiting warmth, love, and someone - hopefully.
They were also awaited...those, whose destiny became written in tears on past days. They were awaited by dads, moms...sisters and brothers - and unfortunately many of them have to wait forever. There won’t be anymore this familiar door sound or steps on stairs...We could only hope that time will relieve their brokenheartedness.

Spitsbergen as part of Norway has been hospitable for me, given me many great emotions, friends and acquaintances, even bread and butter for some time. Therefore these last days tragic events in Norway touched me deeply, probably you too, and many others around the globe. News what reached to us sounded so unreal, so unfair and shocked.
In this sorrow my deep condolence to the mournful Norway and all those, who became closely touched by this tragedy.


Üksik uitaja tagasiteel koju, Longyearbyen 2009 / Lonely wanderer on the way back to home, Longyearbyen 2009

Ajatu olemise hetk / The moment of timeless being

Lapsepõlvest saati on mind võlunud ürgne mets ja jändrikud ning vanad puud – vist paljuski seepärast, et isa on mul metsamees. Tudengipõlvest saati on traditsiooniks saanud Eestimaal matkates mitte telki kaasas kanda - või kui siis, ainult suvel nende põrguliste sääskede pärast. Muul ajal, iseäranis just talvel lumehanges, on mulle meeldinud ööbida lageda taevavõlvi all, kus mõnus tähti vaadelda enne rännakut unemaale. Paremat katust on raske ette kujutada.
Nii vanad puud kui ka tähed taevalaotuses loovad vaatlejaga ajatu ühenduse, justkui mingi vool läbib hinge ja haarab kaasa rännakule kaugetesse aegadesse – mõnikord universumi äärealadeni välja. See uitmõte võib kanduda teinekord nõnda kaugele, et unustan enese maise olemise tükiks ajaks ja ärkan siis justkui unest - Nii hea on vahel ära käia...

Pildilolev kuivanud mänd asub üsna minu kodupaiga lähedal. Seekord soovisin jäädvustada ajatu olemise kaht elementi koos – puu on näinud aegu, mida mina pole, tähed universumi lõpututes avarustes aga mäletavad seda, mida isegi vanimad puud kogenud pole. Ajavool peatus hetkeks, minus ja kaamera sensoril...

Esimesel ööl kui puu all magamiskotis lebasin, jäin tukkuma ja magasin õige särituse lõpuaja maha. Pilt kärssas ära. Teisel ööl uuesti proovima minnes nii väsinud enam polnud:)


Since childhood I’ve been fascinated by boreal wild forest and scrubby old trees – I think partly because of my father has been forester. Since student times I have made my own tradition do not carry tent with me when trekking in Estonia, my homeland – well, except in summer sometimes when there are way too many mosquitos around. In any other cases, particularly in wintertime in snow, I have just loved to sleep out under the open canopy of heaven, where so comfy to watch the stars before journey to the land of Nod. I can hardly imagine better roof than this one.
Both, an old trees and stars in the heavens create timeless contact with watcher, like there is a flow through the soul which carries away on the journey through the distant times - sometimes all the way to the edge of the universe. This pilgrimage of mind could perchance drift so far away, that I forgot earthly being of myself for some time and then suddenly like awake up from a dream - It’s so good to drift away at times...

This particular dead pine on image can be found quite close to my homeplace. I wished to capture two elements of timeless being – the tree what has seen times I have not, and stars in the endless space of universe remember ages what even oldest trees never have experienced. The flow of time stopped for moment, inside me and on my camera sensor...

The first night when being out in sleeping bag and trying to capture it, I took a nap, slept in and overexposed my attempt. Second night I wasn’t so tired anymore:)


Kuivanud mänd täheradadega ümber Põhjanaela, mille loob maakera pöörlemine ümber oma telje, Eesti sügis 2009 / Dead pine with startrails around North Star (Stella Polaris) due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, Estonian autumn 2009

Pika aasta linn / Long-year-city (Longyearbyen)

Tegemist on suurima asustuse ja administratiivkeskusega Teravmägedel. Ta asub Spitsbergeni saare läänerannikul Adventfjordeni (Advendi fjord) lõunakaldal. Longyearbyenis elab umbkaudu 2000 elanikku, arvukus sõltub ka natuke aastaajast. Tegemist on maailma põhjapoolseima linnaga (kui linnaks saab teda nimetada) ja kõige põhjapoolseima asulaga, kus elab püsivalt rohkem kui 1000 elanikku.
Kõik sai alguse kivisöe kaevandamisest. Ameeriklasest ettevõtja John Munroe Longyear, kes koos oma kompanjoni Frederick Ayer’iga rajas Arktika Kivisöe Kompanii Bostonis, asutas Longyear City 1906. aastal, alustades kaevandustegevusega. Hiljem 1916. aastal müüs ta asula Norrale ja see nimetati 1926. aastal ümber Longyearbyeniks (byen tähendab norra keeles linna).

Mulle on Longyearbyen viimastel aastatel saanud justkui teiseks koduks.


It is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard. Located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, on the southern side on Adventfjorden (English: Advent fjord). Longyearbyen has around 2000 inhabitants, bit also depends of the season. It is the world's most northerly town, and the most northerly settlement with a population greater than 1000.
It all started with a coal mining. American entrepreneur, John Munroe Longyear, who together with his companion Frederick Ayer established the Arctic Coal Company in Boston, founded Longyear City in 1906 where they developed the mining operations. Later in 1916 he sold it to Norway and the settlement was renamed to the Longyearbyen in 1926 (byen in Norwegian means the town/city).

Last years Longyearbyen has become for me as a second home.


Longyearbyen Teravmägedel üle Advendi fjordi vaadatuna, märts 2010 / Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen as seen from the other side of Advent fjord, March 2010

Õhtu tulek pingviinide maal / Coming of the evening on penguin land

Lühike Antarktika suvi on läbi saamas. Külma haare ümber valge kontinendi tugevneb taas. Päike libiseb horisondi taha peitu ja taevasse tekivad taas külmale nii omased ehavalguse sinakas-lillakad toonid. Hääletult seisavad värvikirevad barakid Novo lennurajal andes erksamat tooni siinsele lõputule valgele. Täielikku vaikust häirib üksnes diiselgeneraatori lakkamatu mürin, mis nii olulist energiat siin töötavaile inimhingedele annab.


Brief Antarctic summer is coming to an end. Hold of cold around the white continent is strengthening again. Sun slides to hide away below the horizon. Low light of dusk brings out bluish-magenta tones of midnight sky which emphasises and reminds arrival of freezing temperatures. Soundlessly nicely painted barracks are standing at Novo airstrip giving some extra color in this endless white. The absolute silence is only disturbed by the nonstop noise of diesel generator, giving so valuable energy for those are working here.


ALCI Novo lennurada Kuninganna Maudi maal Ida-Antarktikas, jaanuar 2011 / ALCI Novo airstrip in Queen Maud Land of East Antarctica, January 2011

Tagasipöördumine / The returning

Aastad on möödunud tollest päevast, kui minu isa mind esimest korda sellele järvele kalale tõi. Olin toona veel posiklutt. Hiljem vanemana jätkasin juba armsaks saanud paiga külastamist ka üksinda...
Nüüd kus olen ise isa, on see päev taas tulnud...esimest korda jõudsid minu pojad selle järve vetele ja esimesed kalapurikadki said püütud.
Väga raske on kirjeldada mind vallanud tunnet, aga mingis tähenduses pöördusin ise tagasi lapsepõlve radadele...too aastatetagune päev on edasi antud - uus põlvkond on tulnud...


Years have been passed from that day where my dad first time took me to the fishing on this lake. I was a young boy on those days. Later as became older, I regularly kept visiting alone once beloved place...
Now when I am a dad, that day is back again...first time in their life my two sons arrived on this lake and their first fishes were caught...
It’s hard to put into words what I felt as a dad, but in some meanings me myself returned back to the paths of childhood...that day what years behind once was mine, has been now passed on them - the new generation has come...


Kavadi järv Haanjamaal, juuli 2011 / The lake Kavadi in Estonia, July 2011