 He graduated from Tallinn Polytechnic Institute in 1959 with a degree in chemical engineering.His choice of the subject was influenced by his grandfather, a pioneer photographer and radio-engineer, who started photography in 19th century and experimented with radio-transmitting two years after Alexander Popov.Without working out the required three years Vetemaa abandoned his engineering career and entered Tallinn Conservatoire that he graduated from in 1965.