I had the priveledge of photographing 1,000 beautiful faces of gay pride 2010. Vote no to prop 8 Califronia. Check out my gay rights post about the same breathing beating apparatus that is the same in every single one of you beautiful people. EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL LOVE. I am posting 199 a day for five says. so it reminds us no matter how different we all might seem it boils down to the basic human need of love and respect. Through this love we are all one of the same.  Five days to maybe ponder what is behind each face, each expression, each story that becomes insignificant with a push of a button. Yet their story is still unfolding and your votes could end up changing it. Listen up california! and o yah i should probably mention that these people signed a release as well so no invading anyones privacy….if you are one of these people on my site and wish to be taken down I totally respect this and please me email me at stahrgazemugshot@gmail.com and i should probably mention these people were to act as if they were getting their mugshot taken for criminal defense lawyer damian leone. An excellent criminal defense attorney and an amazing caring individual! create and play, christine stahr

I had the priveledge of photographing 1,000 beautiful faces of gay pride 2010. Vote no to prop 8 Califronia. Check out my gay rights post about the same breathing beating apparatus that is the same in every single one of you beautiful people. EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL LOVE. I am posting 199 a day for five says. so it reminds us no matter how different we all might seem it boils down to the basic human need of love and respect. Through this love we are all one of the same.  Five days to maybe ponder what is behind each face, each expression, each story that becomes insignificant with a push of a button. Yet their story is still unfolding and your votes could end up changing it. Listen up california! and o yah i should probably mention that these people signed a release as well so no invading anyones privacy….if you are one of these people on my site and wish to be taken down I totally respect this and please me email me at stahrgazemugshot@gmail.com and i should probably mention these people were to act as if they were getting their mugshot taken for criminal defense lawyer damian leone. An excellent criminal defense attorney and an amazing caring individual! create and play, christine stahr

1,000 faces for change

I had the priveledge of photographing 1,000 beautiful faces of gay pride 2010. Vote no to prop 8 Califronia. Check out my gay rights post about the same breathing beating apparatus that is the same in every single one of you beautiful people. EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL LOVE.

I am posting 199 a day for five says. so it reminds us no matter how different we all might seem it boils down to the basic human need of love and respect. Through this love we are all one of the same.  Five days to maybe ponder what is behind each face, each expression, each story that becomes insignificant with a push of a button. Yet their story is still unfolding and your votes could end up changing it. Listen up california!

and o yah i should probably mention that these people signed a release as well so no invading anyones privacy….if you are one of these people on my site and wish to be taken down I totally respect this and please me email me at stahrgazemugshot@gmail.com

and i should probably mention these people were to act as if they were getting their mugshot taken for criminal defense lawyer damian leone. An excellent criminal defense attorney and an amazing caring individual!

create and play,

christine stahr

Droxx

: Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth :
John F. Kennedy, U.S. President (A Gemini)

goodwill to all

Move about the world’s fields of endless possibilities today. Curiosity is the forerunner for an intellectual revolution. And don’t forget to dance, play, sing, and create. Goodwill to all.

All images subject to copyright stahrgaze photography LLC 2010

back to you

You can never give enough, you can never love enough, and you can never dream enough. For whatever you put out into this universe is bound to find its way back to you. Simple Physics. Create and Play.

Letters to John

So I was so inspired by one of the models I shot for InkdHeros we decided to do a personal test shoot. Posted are only the implied nudes due to personal reasons for my blog and the people involved in the shoot. Myself personally am disappointed in the stigma that is associated with the naked body. I think it is by far the most natural beautiful work or moving breathing art. And what is better than living art? Stereotypes of beauty is interesting within itself. Then you throw in nudity and people get all fussed. I like getting people in a fuss : )…….. Heather is the model and did an amazing job! Frances Ferris is the Makeup artist and Hair Artist and let me tell you she is one of the most creative talented people I have ever met and kicks ass at her job!

This shoot is kind of personal for me. The typical letter to end things…… it is tough. Romantic Love has never been my strong point in life and probably never will. The feelings go up and down when realizing what endings are all about. And often times we are at a loss of words and cant event sort out our own thoughts to get those words down. Being the music whore I am I pulled lyrics from my favorite songs and from my favorite cliche love story (Romeo and Juliet) to go through the mixed emotions of love within a Dear John Letter. yes it would be an email now. and no a typewriter wouldnt really happen. But one thing is constant from the new to the old. We women are wishy washy.

Ok for you photography geeks….

Shooting in a small room with Harsh lights= challenging….Thank god for digital and instant gratification. Easy to fix. I used only three lights. a 600 bouncing off from the white ceiling for a pretty even fill light and a 1200 with either an umbrella or grid on it. The gird will be easy to spot. The contrast is higher and the shadows deeper. If I had more space I would have moved my subject from the background a little more. For the Umbrella shots the Umbrella was used at a high 45 degree angle. Nothing unique nothing special…just good technique. The third light I used another 600 at half power threw a snoop on that sucker and moved it as I went. Because of that I got some uncomfortable shadows but I like it. Personal preference.

Take a gander….feedback welcomed and yes I know Heather is beautiful!!!! All images are subject to copyright stahrgazephotography LLC 2010

Baker to Vegas!

This Weekend was an amazing trip. VIVA LAS VEGAS! It was the premier of INKDHERO’s clothing line in the wonderous city of lights and fun ! Junior and Milton (the founders) are two of the most genuine good guys I have had the pleasure of knowing and kicked ass at the convention! For those who do not know Baker to Vegas is a run law enforcement officers particpate in with over 15 grueling hours of running from Baker to Vegas. The Baker to Vegas Relay is the most “positive” event offered to law enforcement officers today. It gives them a reason to maintain a physical fitness program so as to help them better perform their duties. Over the 20+ years the Challenge Cup/Baker to Vegas Relay has been run nearly one hundred thousand law enforcement personnel have tread across the desert. The original ideals of the race continue: teamwork, camaraderie, physical fitness and competition. The event has expanded in many ways — most notably in entries and categories. The number of teams has grown nearly 12 fold — from only 19 in 1985 to 247 in 2009 — and categories have grown to include probation officers, district attorneys, US Attorneys and full time civilian police personnel.

As a result of this growth the race has flourished. Today it is the largest law enforcement event of its kind in the World with teams participating from Calgary Canada, RCMP both men and women, Berlin and Hamburg Germany and law enforcement teams throughout the United States. The Challenge Cup/Baker to Vegas Relay is truly a National and International event.

for more info of the history of the race go to http://www.bakervegas.com/racehistory.php
Become a fan of InkdHero on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inkd-Hero

Anyways back to the story at hand. Here are some pictures of the event and the wonderful people that were involved! Enjoy!

more of inkdhero

As promised more of INKDHERO shoot…sorry about repeats in the last post…strange….

So here are some more gearhead info…

oooo location shoots….
That is why white lightenings by Paul C bluff and the Vagabond is my best friend. Only problem….can get about 4 hours of shooting strobes….running two 650′s…before it needs to be recharged. And if you want the model lights on….forget it…..3 hours. So make sure you have a game plan and know your lighting. It is all about time (time is money) especially if the client is paying the model per hour….No one wants to wait a hour of nothing while the photographer is charging equipment. (Not cool)…

moral is….come prepared and shoot fast. Do your homework, do a test run before the day on location, and then kick ass!

This weekend I will be in vegas with this great company and updating the blog every night with pictures from the conventions and other INKDHERO…so follow if you would like or become a fan on facebook under INKD HERO and be updated there.
Enjoy the pictures!

Inkd Hero

so i had the previledge of meeting these two great individuals who founded this company and now have the opportunity to premier it in VEGAS!! Having tattoos myself and understanding the importance of acceptance of all I immedialty indentified with their company and what they stand for. So check it out and enjoy all the pics done by yours truly : ) For the next week I am going to post different pictures from the shoot!

Become their fan on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inkd-Hero

All pictures are under copyright of stahrgazephotography 2010

InkdHero.com’s mission is to fight against the negative stereotypes and stigma associated with tattoos and to liberate those who suffer as a consequence. We aim to bring to light from the shadows the heroes among us that are cornered by discrimination and judgment in an attempt to end the prejudiced treatment they face. This will enable our Heroes to express themselves as freely as those around them.

Whether it is for equal employment opportunities or professional acceptance, we endeavor to educate, inspire and support not only all those who have tattoos, but also those who don’t, so that together we can achieve social awareness and tolerance. We want tattoos to be recognized for the works of art they are and we strive to promote freedom of expression by spreading the voice of reason. Thus, tattooed individuals can express their individuality without fear of unfair consequence.

We will begin our journey towards equality by focusing on the everyday heroes that surround us. The men and women in the Military and 911 emergency communities pledge to serve and protect their fellow man, to safeguard lives and property, to protect the weak against oppression, the peaceful against violence and to uphold and respect the Constitutional rights of ALL people. Liberty, equality and justice are what these heroes protect, and that is what InkdHero.com fights for.

From government officials to police officers, nurses to fire fighters, civil servants across the board are banned from exposing tattoos during hours of duty. While most of these ‘taboo’ pieces of body art are non-offensive and merely offer the individual a way of expressing their personality through an art form, many still view them through dated stigmas with negative connotations. With demands to either hide or remove tattoos on the rise, employers are establishing stringent tattoo laws and body-art codes that force employees from various races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds to conform to an opinionated image of what the public considers acceptable, but when dealing with such a variety of individuals and such varying cultures, is this discriminatory line drawn by social consciousness or by a persuaded personal opinion?
Tattoos can be traced back about 10,000 years to the Palaeolithic era. Predating Christianity by some 8,000 years, tattoos have been utilized by authoritative religious and political figures throughout time. They have been used to signify rank, they have served as rites of passage and they have even been used to mark bravery, fertility and signify pledges of love. With such a rich history common to the varied cultures and nations of this world, how is it that something so universal could come under such discrimination?
The most shared misinterpretation of body art is the correlation to gangs and other defiant subcultures. While these rebellious groups commonly announce their allegiance through tattoos, they are hardly the only ones to do so. It is quite common for members of the Marines, the Navy and the Army to boast their pride and loyalty to their country through tattoos, a noble deed that ironically could prevent them from getting hired if they should choose to leave the service. For example, a recent policy requires police officers to be “clean, neat appearing and well groomed” while on duty. A fair request, but one that isolates tattoos and suggests that they are offensive and unprofessional. “Police unions in many cities have fought the bans, saying they violate free expression and force officers to wear long sleeves in the summer”, Ron York, president of PolicePay.Net Inc. The Academy for Economics and Economic Education found that 36% of people believe that tattoos should be forbidden in the workplace, 41% would not hire someone with visible tattoos, and 43% of companies have a policy concerning tattoos. These policies are proving to be so discriminative that in 2009, an earmark that was part of a spending bill signed by President Barack Obama, allotted $200,000 to a clinic in North Hollywood that specializes in tattoo removal. Most of the clinics clients were found to be individuals in the job market who had no choice but to ‘clean up’ their skin. But the question remains, how are tattoos offensive, and who are the ones being offended? Does the discrimination merely lie in personal opinion? And is this opinion socially unanimous?
Tattoo statistics have been recorded since as early as 1936 when Life magazine reported that about 6% (roughly 10 million Americans) of the population had at least one tattoo. By January 2007, this number had risen to 36% of 15-25 years olds alone, as reported by the Pew Research Center. In the past decade, tattoos have been breaking the mysteriously imposed mold of social taboo and have emerged as a form of art. From portraits to religious symbols, commemorative initials to pop culture references, tattoos are returning to their roots of being a socially accepted form of personal expression. To deny someone this basic right is to deny them their right to freedom of speech, to deny them the right to express personal identity; it is to deny them the right to equality.

It is the goal of InkdHero’s to bring awareness to this prejudiced issue, to protect those who risk their lives to protect others. With the conflict of tattoos in the workplace a rising topic, we aim to educate and open the minds of employers so that individuals with body art can receive the same treatment, rights and opportunities as their peers. We believe that the visibility of clean and appropriate tattoos in a work environment does not affect the individual’s ability to perform, and without the limitations that are currently imposed upon them, these tattooed employees could perform more efficiently and comfortably without the judgemental rules binding them.