From the Haugen Heart

Graduation is right around the corner and completing a college degree is an important milestone. Here are three young people that have graduated from Western Oregon University.

This is not the time of year that most of us are looking to do outdoor portraits but there are plenty of options in the studio where it is nice and warm! Here is a little sampler of what we have.... The white background lends itself to all kinds of possibilities. This is our Tuscan Wall. This background is actually blue-gray and look awesome in black and white or sepia tone. The classic beige... This is the Tuscan Wall again... This is real barnwood from a reclaimed barn. We call this our Old Master background because it evokes the feeling of  a Rembrandt painting. Our studio is in a building that is 120 years old and we have the wall to prove it! Black is timeless. Here is the blue-gray background in color. Would you like to have your face on our blog? We have more backgrounds to show and would love to have your family here!

  This is an amazing time of life as you transition from the child that you were to the adult you are becoming. Scary because of so many unknowns even if you think you have your whole life mapped out.  You are young. You are beautiful.... and you don't even know it! You will see yourself the way I see you when you see your portraits which is amazing, beautiful, and full of possibilities. Photography that makes you look good.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to clothing for your portrait but planning does make a huge difference. The goal is to have an artful image on your wall. We want the clothing you are wearing to enhance the image, not distract from it. Usually, the goal is to keep the clothing simple so that the attention goes to the faces and the relationship between the people in the portrait, not the eye catching new outfit.   1. A color scheme is the number one thing to consider. Here are ideas:  Dress everyone in one family of colors or two complimentary colors. For example, light to medium blues work well and are easy to find in most closets. Earth tones are another good choice.  Put everyone in white shirts and jeans. It is easy (despite protests about being too "matchy") and works really well at the beach or with light backgrounds.   Swap out the white shirts for black shirts or sweaters. This looks great with a medium to darker background and it is true, black i