From the Haugen Heart

I (this is Neil talking) get asked every once in a while what is it that I do here at the studio, besides use a camera. Like many other things, my duties changed quite a bit with the switch to digital. I’ve always been the new information grunt of the studio , meaning that I am the unfortunate soul who is assigned to read about new or changed or re-discovered ideas or equipment that may be of use here in the studio. In another essay, I noted that we used the same cameras for twenty-plus years. The biggest “workflow” change in one long period of years came when we switched film speed, or sensitivity to light, of our basic film. We had to re-test to establish the best quality exposure at what “speed” or ISO rating, and then adjust our hand-held light meters to that setting. It took about five days, mostly waiting for the film to be developed a couple times as we tested and re-tested. Ah, the good old days. Now, our “film” (i.e., camera) needs changing every couple of years or sooner, as ...

It is just weird these days ... for the first 25 years we had the studio, a camera was a camera was a camera. And now, it isn't ... at least, it's not the same. The main "tool" we thought we worked with for all those years was the camera. By my third year, I'd settled on the Mamiya RB67, and we also purchased one for Miriam when she joined the business. We then used our RB's for the next 22 years . (That's the old RB in the image with me. Lotta metal, huh?) Now we change every cameras every couple years. Why? Well, it has to do with WHAT has changed with the digital revolution, and we’ll talk about that in a moment. Film cameras are either small format, medium format, or large format. Our old RB’s were medium-format cameras, as they used 120/220 sized roll film. The negatives it produced were 6x7cm, or roughly two and a quarter inch by two and three-quarter inches, with ten on a 120 roll of film, and 20 on a 220 roll of film. "Small" format came...

I (Miriam) just got a nice email from a mom that made me feel like it is all worthwhile. “Thanks again for the wonderful session. You were so thoughtful to take time to get to know Eric, and thus captured the essence of who he is. I have been telling everyone about you, and look forward to doing business with you in the future! Fondly, Annie Nelson” Here is one of Eric’s portraits - and it was a pleasure to get to know Eric and his mom!

I had so much fun photographing last week. I thought I would just share a few highlights. Casey Higgins is a senior at CV. We met his mom, Helen through our work with the Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis, a charity we support (she is the director). Like a lot of 17-year-old guys, there were other things he probably would have rather have been doing than portraits. But he was a good sport and great to have in front of the camera. John Carpenter is pastor at the Oakville Presbyterian Church. Miriam grew up as an active member of this historic country church so finding that some of their parishioners had purchased a gift certificate for his family was very exciting! John, Mary, Hannah and Heidi were all involved in the home consultation. We decided that this portrait needed to say ”Oregon” to everyone viewing it. We chose the Falls City falls for the trees and water. Megan Miller is a High school senior from Lebanon. She saw our display at the Northwest Horse Expo. No horses in this sessi...

From Miriam: We just got back from Sunriver where we always spend Labor Day weekend with my family. We like to go to Central Oregon because there are so many great places to hike. Here we are at the top of Mt. Tumalo with the Three Sisters and Broken top in the background. L to R: Miriam’s dad, Huck (89 years old!); brother Bruce’s family: Linda with little Nora Jane and Willamina due to make an appearance at New Years, Bruce, Gavin and Claudia; brother Greg; sister Janet, family: husband Stewart, Eleanor, Aaron, Brett (Kate’s husband), Kate, Tonya (Aaron’s husband), and Janet; Neil is standing on the far right and Miriam, Lars and Anna are crouching in front. (Nels spent the weekend in Seattle with fiance, Danielle.)