Beacon.

On our way to Naissaar, the ferry went through this beautiful bit of fog that totally engulfed the boat. We really felt like we were cut off from the rest of the world and had no perception of how far from land we were. All of a sudden this little guy popped up and told us we were on the right track.

Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400
Blue Blue Chaddi Flew.

This is exactly how I picture my life in 20 years. Far away island, my boat parked on a cute marina right next to an empty beach opening out into a beautiful bay. Maybe I'd like things a little more tropical though :) This is another one from our trip to Naissaar, a small island off mainland Estonia. A small hike through the woods leads you to this isolated beach where we spotted a local couple stocking the boat for a small cruise.

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
Youth of Naissaar.

Went for a weekend camping trip to this awesome island off the coast of Tallinn called, Naissaar. The island is inhabited by 2 families all year round and has a tiny little coffee shop at the jetty. Met one of the boys from these families on our way out and led me to wonder what life growing up in such a beautiful yet lonely and extreme location. 

Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400

Winter Wanderings I.

Being my first proper winter, the snow and extreme conditions were always a visual treat for someone coming from a city like Bombay. There's this beautiful long stretch of trees right by the water. When it snows, it's gorgeous and white, when it doesn't you see the best sunsets.

Canon A1 // Fomapan 200
Winter Wanderings II.

Being my first proper winter, the snow and extreme conditions were always a visual treat for someone coming from a city like Bombay. Here, we were walking through an ex-soviet military graveyard on cold morning and stumbled across some really interesting spots.

Nikon F70 // Fujifilm Superia 200
Winter Wanderings III.

Being my first proper winter, the snow and extreme conditions were always a visual treat for someone coming from a city like Bombay. 

On a scouting expedition to find an underground tunnel, I managed to find this amazing and actually very colorful underpass near on of the railway stations and fell in love with the way the morning winter light interacted with the space. Wish I had a colour version as well, but for now the BW will have to do :)

Sokol 2 // Kodak TMax 400
Winter Wanderings IV..
Being my first proper winter, the snow and extreme conditions were always a visual treat for someone coming from a city like Bombay. The architecture here is stunning with its midieval castles and tiny alleyways. A closer look at some of the details that make the architecture and structures here so great. Amazing attention to details in this beautifully crafted wooden door somewhere in the Old Town.
Sokol 2 // Kodak TMax 400
Them Sunday morning blues I.
Spring is finally here, even though it was -1 yesterday. But this means some jizzworthy blue skies and kadak sunlight till almost 9 PM! This one was one of the first colour shots I took with the amazing 12 euro Soviet made Sokol that I found at a flea market. Loving the sharpness and colours that the 50mm attached to it is giving me. Looking forward to more experiments!
Sokol 2 // Fuji Superia 400
Elevaator.

Built in the early 1900s, this beautiful structure used to be a grain elevator in the heart of the city. After many glorious years of being one of Tallinn's noblest buildings, it lay abandoned and lifeless for many years. Currently it is in the process of being completely refurbished and converted into a swanky new office complex.

Canon A1 // Ilford Pan 100
Haze.

This was taken one night after a 14-16 hour shift. Tried to fool around with some long exposures. It isn't the best, but I think it definitely conveys what driving home exhausted after long shoot days are like. Thank god I wasn't driving.

Canon A1 // Ilford Pan 100
Njoying in the sun.

When bright sunny days are suddenly a rare luxury, you try to soak in as much as possible. Found these 2 gents enjoying a cigarette outside a little cafe in the old town. Trying to grab a little tan at the then end of a seemingly endless winter.

Canon A1 // Fomapan 200`
Maushi.

We were location scouting in the countryside and stumbled across the cutest little house. On further investigation, we met this adorable maushi who gave us a little tour and history lesson on the area we were exploring. Truly amazing human being right here, just wish I could capture the full extent of her enery with this frame.

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
Maushi's Toys.
During the tour around her house, the most interesting part for me was her small toolshed in the back. It was full of small little trinkets and randoms.

Canon A1 // Ilford Pan 100
Danger Maushi.

Introducing a curious specimen from Colombia. She has this beautiful source of positive energy that continues to flow through everything that she does.

Yes, sometimes she talks too much and you may try to find the mute button, but the semester would've been so much duller without this tiny human around :)

Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400
Good Vibrations.
We call her Mama Mady because she's the best. Everything from early morning wake up calls, to getting coffee in bed and the BEST breakfast on Sundays. Definitely one of the reasons why Tallinn has been so great these last few months. I think this shot really defines the kind of person she is and I'm so grateful to have received that amazing energy. Hopefully lots more smiles and laughing about the rough sex that our flatmates have :) 
Canon A1 // Fujifilm Superia 400
Dirty Laundry.

While shooting a small outdoor exercise, we stumbled into a small backyard in this very peculiar area called Kopli. In a generally grey and dull neighborhood, it was great to find this sudden attack of colour fluttering in the breeze.

Canon A1 // Fujifilm Superia 200 
Fish Meister.

My boots started coming apart a few weeks ago and I tried to glue them back, but it was a disaster. Luckily I managed to find this awesome old Russian man sitting in a tiny stall smoking a cigarette who agreed to stitch them back for 4 euros. Through his broken english, I learned that he used to be well respected fisherman and travelled to places like Casablanca to fish back in the day. He now repairs shoes in a small cabin in the Russian flea market in Tallinn. His eyes still burn with an amazing sense of adventure.

Sokol 2 // Fujifilm Superia 400
My name Boris I.

Found this delightful gentleman while waiting for the tram. He had little specks of snow in his elaborate hat and the most imposing nose ever. (His name wasn't really Boris, he just looks like a Boris)

Canon A1 // Fujifilm Superia 400
 
My Name Boris II.

A little before closing time at the Russian market on a Sunday evening, we came across this intense game of speed chess. From what I gathered, each player had roughly 3 minutes to outsmart the other. It was amazing to see these 2 gents going at it with crazy pace and precision. Tried to capture a small moment of calm and contemplation in the chaos. 

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
My Name Boris III.

My search for Boris contiued and I thought that maybe I found him in this quiet, contemplative and brave man who managed to sit patiently for a bus in the freeezing cold while smoking his cigarette. I need to get a set of balls like he has some day.

Sokol 2 // Fujifilm Superia 200
The Grand Neeruti Hotel.

Ok, I lied. It's not a hotel nor is it in Neeruti. It's actually some sort of cultural centre on the countryside a few hours from Tallinn. But, it does look like it came straight from the set of a Wes Anderson film. Since I'm such a fanboy, I tried to do some symmetrical justice to the beautiful structure and capture the stunning colours that it had, but maybe next time I should carry a tripod :) 

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
Into the Wild.

Another one from our scouting expedition in the countryside. This was a perfect spot to pitch a tent, open the Old Monk and spend a few days in Estonia's epic wilderness.

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
Spiralling out.

Location scouting at some interesting structures around the city. This belongs to a recently restored grain elevator situated at the heart of the city. Stuck between a rich and noble heritage and a confusing and uncertain future, the building is currently at the cusp of quite a transformation.

Canon A1 // Kodak Colorplus 200
Patarei I.
A mini photo-series from a roll that I recently developed myself. Very proud that this was my first experiment with the developing side of the photochemical process :) The roll was shot inside this old, abandoned Soviet prison by the Baltic Sea. The prison is called Patarei and was very important during Estonia's long struggle with the erstwhile USSR. It is now open to the public to explore and a few weeks ago, we decided to go on a little adventure!
As you can see, things lie around in shambles and complete disarray. But the remnant medical equipment, peeling walls and stained sheets were enough to create one of the most eerie and surreal environments that I've experienced.

Canon A1 // Fomapan 400
Patarei II.

So I went back to the prison, this time with some color film, on a bright sunny day. Things do look a little more cheerful thanks to the amazing cloud porn going on, but the place still gives me the chills.
This is a shot from the top of one of the guard towers. Keeping watch during the winter would've probably been as brutal a punishment as being locked up inside.

Canon A1// Kodak Ektar 100
Mico.
At the end of the semester, Mady and I decided to get small tattoos done. Through some bizarre coincidences and connections, we ended up taking a 3 hour bus ride to a little town called Tartu where we met Mico at his awesome little studio. We spent a very memorable afternoon there and came home very happy with some really beautifully done ink work. Mico really is a great artist and I think this image really sums up our afternoon with him and his energy. Thank again man :)
Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400
Tartu.
After the day in Mico Goldobin's studio, got a chance to walk around Tartu and check out some of the phenomenal architecture that it has to offer. Tried to play with these low angles to give you a sense of how big and majestic these structures really are.
Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400

View from the Top.

On our little road trip to Saaremaa, we stopped at this bizarre town called Paldiski that could very easily be the location for a zombie apocalypse film. Old Soviet town with a beautiful lighthouse by the coast. We managed to climb all the way to the top and were pretty much in the clouds. In that misty environment, managed to spot the head of this telecom tower peaking through the clouds.

Canon A1// Kodak Portra 400

The Adventures of Little Ms. Cutes I.

A few weeks after Budapest, the tables turned and I got to play host and guide in Tallinn. This park right by my house is always a great place to spend a magical evening.

Canon A1 // Ilford Pan 100
The Adventures of Little Ms. Cutes II.

Morning like these are the best :)

Canon A1 // Kodak Ektar 100
Mask Masti.
I got to help Fanni Wu out on her very interesting documentary project. She had these funky looking masks that she wanted to play around with. 
Canon A1 // Fujifilm Superia 400
Doobie Brothers.

Found these 2 BMX riders in a park on a frozen day in Tallinn. The sun did come out for a bit and it gave a me a chance to channel my inner Lubezki. 

Canon A1 // Fomapan 200
Feels.

This one was shot behind the scenes of a short film I was assisting on. The DP did an amazing job lighting this one scene and I quickly had a second to jump in a take a shot before set-ups changed. Wish I could've got a wider one to show you what everything looked like, but knowing how rushed everything is on set, I ony had time for 1 shot.

Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400
Midnight Sun.

As gloomy as it gets in the winter, the summer is almost an extreme opposite. This is the view from my window around midnight in the middle of June. Things never get truly dark, everything just stays in this beautiful navy blue tone. 

Canon A1 // Canon Portra 400

Jaani Paaev.

We we're back in Estonia for our final screenings and graduation a few weeks ago and that meant that we got to celebrate another mid-summers eve. This time I was lucky enough to score an invite from @doristaaker and her boyfriend and got to experience a true Estonian celebration. The warmth and hospitality shown by their family and friends was amazing and as they lit the massive bonfire, it was the perfect way to say goodbye to this bizarrely beautiful country and it's people.

Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400

Horizon.

The end of this 2 year adventure took place on a magical beach on the Estonian coast where everyone danced, sang and ate sandy sausages grilled on a very intimate fire. At one point in the evening some of the revellers decided to invoke their inner children and a lot of acrobatic activities ensued, followed by the most stunning sunset ever. Here is @farid.salame gazing at the sun going down after being exhausted from aforementioned acrobatics still being performed by @doristaaker in the background :) 
Canon A1 // Kodak Portra 400
Back to Top