About 120,000 people in colorful clothes took part in Vienna’s annual Rainbow Parade on Saturday to call for equal rights for gays, lesbians and transvestites. I must add that to be transvestite does not necessarily mean to be homosexual. Some transvestites are fascinated with women’s clothes only, and want to feel themselves, at least temporarily, the object of passionate desire. Some quite normal from traditional point of view heterosexual relationships may lack real intimacy. When I was looking at gays and lesbians, especially those ones who not only demonstrated presence of homo feelings, but obviously had them – tenderly holding their partner’s hand, I knew to be really intimate with somebody and to be understood, you can be of any gender you feel yourself comfortable with. Person posing for photo and person depicted in his natural environment or unaware have different energetic levels and expressiveness, why I am still devoted to street photography. From my point of view many shows, manifestations and demonstrations have zero expressive value

Nothing changes in life quickly, but day after day, I grow more and more dissatisfied with possibilities Nikon D200 provides for shooting indoors. Sometimes I feel completely desperate looking through dark and unclear shots I made in cafe. From one side big professional camera can not suit spy and voyeuristic tendencies I have, from the other side small camera compromises quality especially in poor light conditions. After 7 months of my lonely life in Vienna and some disappointing meetings in WAFF, organizations and newspapers I become less optimistic about my professional journalistic future in Austria. This country has very good social security system, that reduces earning and career possibilities for freelancers. Austrians value stability and security, that often compromises originality, initiation and enterprise. Unless you are not included in social system, you cannot survive. When you are included, you have boring work and one topic that you constantly discuss with your colleagues is how many years you need yet to reach commonly desirable pension age (more…)

Karambala, I wonder what this man was thinking about, when I tried to depict him. Feeling sincere interest to people, I discovered it was impossible to cheat people trying secretly photograph them, individuality under the question always knows he(she) is object of interest, even being surrounded by others, being in the group. As if they feel it, so we always know we are loved. They say the dogs always know who is afraid of them. Dogs catch micro movements and vibrations of our bodies, and also the smell of stress (distress) I think people are subconsciously sensitive about unknown for science vibrations of other creatures from the point of possible threat or incident.

Bishkek, Osh, Sratov, Moscow, Zelenograd, Slite, Nairobi, Kopenhagen, Graz, Vienna- all places of the world I used to live in, I hope you remember me. This is fast portrait of a young worker, which I make in Karlsplatz. Light is best artist, it creates something impressive and bright without slightest effort. The lack of light makes everything dull and flat, and a few hours of work over such photos hardly improve anything. It is like relationship. When relationship is dull from the very beginning, it will hardly be better after months of closeness. Only it will be much more difficult to split. Relationship is very complicated sphere, difficult to judge and give advice, impossible to predict.

Incredible popularity of rosy cafe among older women. Cafe Aida. Spinnst du? (Are you crazy?)

Hurra-a-a! Galina has the new lens at last! She is preoccupied now only with one thought: why construction of human head is so that humans don’t see what is going on behind their back. If they go along dark street or through jungles (what is the same) – to prevent sudden attack from behind they need constantly turn their head. I miss many things walking in the city without third eye at the back of my head that I would like very much to have. Now I am writing remark about this post almost year later, being a little bit cooled down about this particular lens, but it is still good for portrait, though demands to make a few shots to secure one more or less sharp shot. 50 and 60mm lenses are considered to be best for portrait, but almost any lens gives possibility to create good portrait on excellent light conditions.

Collaboration, that is what I seek. I seek it, but never find. The thought of the day: my human relationships are imperfect and always will be so; imperfections cause sufferings, and sufferings reconciliate me with the absence of all and any relationships, with nothingness. We are mortally afraid and at the same time unconsciously strive for perfection of unknown which will never come in cramped space of individual destiny. How many books can I read during my life time, how many men can I meet? Numbers are rather limited, and years and years of short journey are spent in sufferings and adaptation to next painful imperfection. Never try to be perfect, as it is illusion and parody on divine perfection of universe.

Galina Toktalieva for Die Wiener Nachrichten
Photo by author
Audacious I am presenting here collection of photos depicting small beggars in Vienna streets. Very often they are accompanied by adults who hide themselves somewhere and then take away collected rewards. I photographed already so often the beggars, that knew all of them in the face. Some time after the begging in the streets with children will be prohibited. I associated myself with these downtrodden people, as it was very hard time for me in Austrian capital, when I lived on nobody knows what and didn’t see any improvement for myself in the future. It is difficult to photograph homeless children, they are afraid of everybody, and many a time I asked myself, do I have moral right to do that. (more…)

Portrait is always the sort of intimacy between photographer and model, even if it is spontaneous street or public portrait. With intuitive wisdom photographer tries to reveal most prominent features of model character, if possible. Normally 20-30 attempts give one interesting snapshot, and 50 provide sufficient material for normal characteristic portrait. Fast street portraits look inexpressive and dim, when author has no time to make two-three additional shots. Photographer also becomes very close to model when processing photos at big screen and struggling with inevitable blemishes of skin, which can tell a lot about habits and character of individual.

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