Ilmar and Verner Kaur "Nearby nature"

Until March, the museum's staircase gallery will feature a selection of nature photographs born from the shared passion for nature and photography of father and son – Ilmar and Verner Kaur. 

Ilmar, who works as a weight-loss surgeon by day, and 11-year-old Verner, began their photography journey in 2024 on a trip to Uganda. In the same year, Ilmar Kaur won the Estonian Nature magazine's nature photo competition in the animal photography category and, as a special prize, the opening of a solo exhibition at the Estonian Museum of Natural History. 

Taking pictures fascinates both father and son because it makes the experience of nature more immediate, gives them the opportunity to share what they have recorded and thus speak to people. In their opinion, you don't necessarily have to travel far to engage in nature photography - Estonia is a great place for this. A memorable encounter and a good photo can be surprisingly close - this realization also gave rise to the title of the exhibition. 

This is also one of the last exhibitions that can still be visited in the historical building of the Estonian Museum of Natural History on Laia Street. After the mushroom exhibition in the fall of 2026, the museum will close its doors in Tallinn's Old Town to begin operations in the new Loodusmaja building on Vesilennuki Street in early 2027.