Achivement by Erik

Finally, Erik got what he deserved - after many years of dedicated photographing, he won a prize in our main nature-photo competition "Nature Year Photo 2011". I'm really proud of him - among 1850 participants and 11000 photos... to be one of the best! Amazing. I know I could never achieve something like that in my entire life.
This photo, called "Fervent Singer", won a 2nd prize in "Animals in Action" category + a special reward from Estonian Ornitology Society and the State Forest Management Centre.

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I don't even remember how many early mornings this photo required... just waking up, morning my morning hoping that one day, this magical moment unrolls in front of you. And one morning, it really did - a lucky morning for Erik.

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A hard life of being a photographer's wife will be awarded, too - one of the awards included a weekend away in a forest house. In summer, we'll take our kids and go...

Royal

Some weekends ago, Erik went to Saaremaa island to photograph eagles. This is practically the only shot he got from this trip. He named the photo "Royal" as eagles are one of the most majestic birds who we have in Estonia.
Photographed by Erik, January 2011, Saare county

On the first snow

The first snow drew Erik to the near-by fields to find out if he sees any animals. And he was lucky already on the first day... - here is the result.
Photographed by Erik. October 2010, Harju county, Estonia

Wood, fog and silence...

Erik went to the forests for a weekend in the start of October and came back with this wonderful photo. Photographed by Erik, October 2010, Lääne county, Estonia

Along the bank of the lake

Erik went to photograph the wild bears to Finland a week ago. This is one of the photos he took there. Photographed by Erik in July 2010, Finland.

A moose baby

Photographed by Erik, Harju county, June 2010

In the fog

Do you see beautiful and slender birds here in the fog? They are cranes, living near our home.

Photographed by Erik on a foggy morning, June 2010, Harju county

Fox babies are out

Foxes are having their cute little babies again! :) I'm not able to photograph them this year, but Erik paid a visit to them a few evenings ago and here's one of his photos.
June 2010, Harju county

Wild flowers in Muhu island

We are spending this weekend in Muhu island. The weather is shiny and beautiful and I've been to the forest to search for wild flowers there. Here are two shots I took today:

Harbinger of Spring

Photographed by Erik, Harju country, Estonia. April 2010

Jogging through the snow

Photographed by Erik, March 2010, Harju county

Portrait

Photographed by Erik, Harju county, January 2010

Enjoying the afternoon sun

Photographed by Erik, Harju county, January 2010

Panorama with roe deers

Photographed by Erik, Harju county, 18 January 2010

On a beautiful sunny Sunday

Photographed by Karin, January 2010

View from our balcony... with an elk!

Photographed by Erik, January 2010

View from our balcony

Photographed by Karin, 10 January 2010

My very first photo award

PHOTO: "Longing" - photo by Karin. Special prize in "Estonian Nature Photo" Contest 2009.

On Thursday, I had a very special moment in my life - I went to Tartu town to the official ceremony of "Estonian Nature Photo" Contest 2009 to get my very first award in photographing! My fox photo had won a special prize in this 2nd largest nature photo competition! I was so surprised by it and of course, also very, very happy. I have never won anything before and sure it's not that easy to win in big competitions where thousands of photos have been sent and many of them, taken by the professional photographers. So it was absolutely wonderful to get the award among all those professional photographers and once, in my life, feel that I had made a photo which makes a difference!

The photo won the prize because it has a new perceptive - tells a story much better without showing the fox' babies face. Another photographer in the Nature photographer's Society told what emotions he felt while looking at my photo:

"This fox baby is either longing for her mom, dreaming about a chance to go over the gulf to take a trip to Sweden, takes sun from the warmth of the stone or misses her brothers and sisters who might have been killed under the wheels of vechiles"

You can read some more evaluations in the Looduspilt webpage where the photo has been up for a while, too - http://www.looduspilt.ee/?page=pilt&id=29406

Some photos of the final award ceremony:

Photo by Meelis Kalev

In the same contest, Erik's moose photo was awarded with the special prize of Estonian Hunters. Congratulations to him, too, as this is also his first award. :)

PHOTO: "Are we going to buck with our horns?" - photo by Erik, Special Price of "Estonian Hunter", Estonian Nature Photo Contest 2009

On a misty summer morning...

Photographed by Erik, Lääne county, Estonia - September 2009

Photo-hunting bears

In June 30, I and Erik went to photo-hunt bears. It was a special gift from Erik to me for my successful end of doctoral studies.

In Estonia, a very first hide to see bears has been put up this summer which is situated in the eastern part of Estonia, in the deep forest. We had to stay in the hide for the whole night. And just wait... and wonder if the bear will come or decides not to come?

Photo: The start of the trip: Erik has packed all our photo technique to one bag. HEAVY!!!

Photo: On our walk to the hide which was situated deep in the forest.

Photo: The hide looks like that. The place where bears should show up is not on the photo, but is on the left side in the middle of old trees.

Photo: Everything is ready to photograph. Now, the only thing is to wait... And we wait... and wait... until midnight when the bear decides to come. Unfortunately it's too dark and we can't get good photos. He is there also during night, but it's even too dark to see him well.

Photo: The bear comes back at 3.30 and by then, it's light enough to have at least a photo for your own memory (photographed by Erik). The bear stays there for a few minutes and it is a good impression for the rest of your life - to see a bear in wild nature...

Thank you, Erik!