Tartes ended his studies in
Nõo Secondary school in 1982 with a gold medal and graduated from
University of Tartu in 1989 with
cum laude as biologist-zoologist. He became Doctor of Philosophy in 1995 with a thesis "Respiration Rhythms in Insects". Since 1989 he worked in
Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany. Between 1996 and 2004 he served as the director of the institute. Between 2005 and 2010 he was a professor in
Estonian University of Life Sciences. From then on, he continued as a freelance nature photographer and writer. == Awards ==