My name is Kairi, and I believe that every dark story casts a shadow over extraordinary moments yearning to be seen. Uncovering these flashes of light is my passion.
With my photography, I work to articulate the wealth of positives emanating from the planet’s gloomiest of circumstances. I refuse to see reality through the charcoal coloured glasses of fear and hate as presented by much of the mainstream media.
Journalists have their place in the world, but my wish is to live as an ambassador of love and peace.
Beauty is everywhere. All around us. To find it we must close our ears and open our eyes and heart.
I built this site not only to showcase my work but to offer my talents up to those who see the universe in the same way I do.
Finding a Different Perspective
To understand the roots of my optimistic view on the world, we must travel back to the beginning.
Growing up in Estonia during Soviet times I quickly learned the importance of staying upbeat in the face of adversity. As an adolescent, it was my “secret” dream to get out and see the world. To explore the places most only learn about via travel documentaries. I kept this prayer hidden in my heart, despite the external reality that surrounded me.
So when the Singing Revolution brought the fall of the Soviet Union and independence for my country, I knew it was time to capture my own freedom. I left my home and kept on moving for many years to come.
Though, to tell the truth, I must give some credit to my father for planting the seed of travel back when I was a little girl.
Every summer we travelled as a family with our tent and my father used to go off on crazy escapades to exciting places not for the faint-hearted. I remember waiting up late at night, way past my bedtime, to hear his stories upon his return.
There’s something magical about the raw adventure of a travel story that simply can’t be replicated with imagination.
My Photographic Journey
I developed a love for the art not through academic study but as a means of telling my stories. I simply found that words were not enough to truly express the emotions and atmosphere I had witnessed on my travels.
The highlights of my trips have always been the people I meet. People are the soul of a place, and they carry traditions and history with them. Feelings supersede culture, background, and upbringing – I use photographs to illustrate that all humans share the exact same emotions.
I love to interact with people. Both through conversation and non-verbal cues. The look in someone’s eyes or their body language can paint a story far more powerful than spoken words.
It is my vision to prove that the world is a much more hospitable place than we make it out to be.
A Turning Point
I’ve been living in Dubai for the last 10 years now and despite this decade being the most stable of my adult life, I’ve always got the itch to get back on the road again. Fortunately, Dubai provides the perfect base for discovering new destinations.
But it wasn’t until a few years ago that it fully dawned on me how important photography was to my very existence.
While touring Antarctica, at the mercy of the elements, our boat landed at a place called Neko Harbour. Once we hit shore, I quickly set up on the beach to watch the penguins dart in and out of the water.
As I sat there photographing them, it became crystal clear to me that their worries were far more serious than mine. Suddenly, all of my trivial concerns in life became just that, trivial.
I made peace with who I am and have guiltlessly followed my heart ever since. Although I still wonder at times if I photograph my travels or travel to take pictures. At this point, I suppose they’re one in the same.
