Courtesy of Jason Savage

Portland is known for a lot of things: beer, beards, our airport carpet, our love of waving other people through intersections. And also, our strippers.

Now, Portland photographer Jason Savage has come up with a way to appreciate that last one: trading cards featuring the city's exotic dancers.

Katara Tastic: "Pay your taxes!"

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"The idea originally came from some conversations I had with several dancers," Savage said over email.

"I was starting to go to strip clubs after work at my second-shift job, because there wasn't much else to do at that hour, and I didn't feel like going right home," he said. "I began to get to know some of the dancers, and we joked that there were so many strippers in Portland, that they should all have their own baseball cards."

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Blazer: "Strive for your own perfection because you have to make yourself happy before you can make anyone else happy."

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Stripping Out Loud was born from these conversations, and though it began as what he called a "novelty project idea," it turned into a way to humanize people who are frequently objectified.

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Isaiah Esquire: "Life is a lot more fun when you stop waiting for others' permission to live it."

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"I wanted the images to tell a story about each dancer, and show their personality and heart," he said. "I wanted to also keep it light, to a degree, so I chose the ambitious number of 69 dancers to have in the project, because I can have a juvenile sense of humor."

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Cherri Bomb: "Freedom means nothing when you're scared to be free. Don't be tamed; always stay wild."

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His photos capture the personality of each dancer, with a photo on the front and information about the dancer, as well as a quote from each one, on the back. None of the photos shows full nudity, though some do show nipples.

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Favi: "Recognize your privilege and use it. Be ready to fight for equality."

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As he continued to work on the project, Savage said, "I realized I wanted to show a wide spectrum of exotic dancers, including male, transgender and various body types."

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Max: "I smile when I feel like it, not when you ask me to. Don't ask me to."

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He also realized his project was about making a statement that sex work is a legitimate profession.

All told, Savage spent three years on the project.

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Sapphire

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"My view is that as long as someone in the profession of sexual work is an adult and wants to be doing that, there is nothing wrong with it," he said. "I have talked to numerous dancers who tell me that they love what they do. I titled the project 'Stripping Out Loud' because it shows performers who are proud to be strippers."

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Naughty Annie No No: "Why can't we all get along? I mean, we all bleed the same. Cut us open, and we are all pink on the inside, so let's just stop the hate."

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He plans on donating proceeds from the card sales to

, a group working to end sexualized violence and victim blaming, and

, a sex-positive theater company, organization he says "are making a positive difference in the world, and are giving a voice to people who have been largely dismissed."

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Toxic Suicide: "I'm not here to be anyone else but me. I'm not here to fit in. I was born to stand out and I'm uniquely strange."

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The full card set can be purchased for $21 plus shipping at

.

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Courtesy of Jason Savage

Aaliyah: "Life is a gamble, and we scramble for money. I might crack a smile, but ain't a damn thing funny. Being happy is the goal, but greatness is my mission."