Galina Toktalieva - Diary of Female Photographer©

Short skirts and street snapshots, that is street!

Islamic woman making video

Islamic woman making video

Religion Statistics-Islam-Percentage Muslim by country

1) Saudi Arabia-100%

13) Turkey-99%

88) Austria-4,7%

96) Germany-3,7%

115) USA-1,4%

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Das Ende am Nachmittag. I always keep in mind story told by Leo Tolstoy. And I am also fascinated by trains and railways. Perhaps, it is neurotical attraction to mystery of death.

Regenbogen parade

About 120,000 people in colourful 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

Beggary

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Young female beggar in one of Vienna streets listening to arguments of older woman who suddenly stopped to express her opinion on beggary.

For the first time in my life, I was brought at the place against my will and kept there shut. I felt shaken and thought it must be mistake and soon they would let me go.

At the same time, I knew in my heart that the world where I lived before would never be the same again. On incomprehensible reasons, I became outcast, object of persecution; I broke certain rules and revealed my alien nature to others. I failed to act in reality that all others people except of me shared. So albino crow in flock of black birds is hit by beaks of others till it is dead. I had feeling that all others shared knowledge I had no access to.

Many years would pass until I realize that everybody creates his own truth, and common reality for all does not exist. I would realize that unanimity and group thinking point out to higher levels of compromise only and also ability to float at surface of interactions without digging deep inside (more…)

Doris Bures, Werner Faymann

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Minister Doris Bures and Werner Faymann (SPOe) with Westbahnhof under reconstruction in background.

I must confess I had sent emails to representatives of all Austrian political parties offering my services as photographer, and Franz Voves - governor of Styria (SPOe) was the only one who replied. Thanks, Franz! When I photographed you, I was fantasizing how it could be to travel together with you in one compartment of Trans-Siberian express. Usually there is rather pleasant vibration in the trains

Thalia Buchhandlung

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Saturday. Woman in Muslim headscarf reading book in Thalia bookshop, and she is very deep in this business

The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 considered to be a secret weapon for low-light photography, justified my expectations. It is also ultra light, almost weightless, and sharp. But it also has minuses. I feel its limitations when I try do to do something except close-up portrait with it.

Group of young people in main street

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Group of people in Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna. That plump woman with hair standing on at her head looked rather funny. She addressed me with idea to get a few coins for drink

Zhanna

It was sunny spring of 1982. The university alley of apple and peach trees was all pink lace of blossoms. The air was fresh and clear. But I was ascending marble staircase of main building with monument of Great Chief at the top feeling chill in my heart.

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