Chicago freelance photographer Steve Starr personifies the old adage that you should find something that you love and make it into your career.
He's a fixture on the Chicago social circuit, especially at the swankier functions in and around the Gold Coast where he's often seen spending as much time hobnobbing with his subjects as taking their pictures.
Starr's pictures appear in online social blogs, and magazines such as Chicago Social and Today's Chicago Woman.
But despite his vast connections, Starr has only been in the freelance photography game for six years. His other pursuits include a couple of books about old Hollywood glamour and a collection of art deco photo frames, and that old school approach is evident in the small Kodak camera that he uses and the signature scripted watermark on each picture.
You get the sense that Starr isn't bopping around from event to event for purely financial reasons. He truly gets a kick out of it and seems to be on a mission to spread that joy around.
What you won't see with his pics is the "poser" shot with the subjects trying to out-cool one another. Starr insists that you smile, and has a, shall we say, unique approach toward getting what he's looking for, which often includes multiple takes.
"If you don't have a good time, what's the purpose of going out to a party anyway? I don't need another party, I go out every night and I want to have a good time too," Starr says.
Starr is hosting a Holiday Party Honoring Photographers in Chicago on November 29, 6-9 p.m. at Tocco restaurant. Click here to RSVP.
