From the Haugen Heart

What is a Superhero? Fighting crime? Running into burning buildings to save lives? Running faster than a speeding bullet? We all have ideas. Your child's idea of a superhero may be the Dad who Can Fix Anything or the Mom who Knows the Answer To Every Question.... or the way a kiss always makes a hurt feel better. Our focus is on Superheros and raising money for Doernbecher Children's Hospital during the month of April. What is it all about?  Read more...

This year Haugen's Children's Contest - Tutus & Ties - benefits Doernbecher Children's Hospital. If you live in Oregon or Southwest Washington, chances are you've heard of Doernbecher Children's Hospital, maybe even have a child who has been treated there. Doernbecher's mission is to provide the premier children's healthcare experience in our region through excellence in care, advocacy, innovation, education and research. They do this by providing quality and compassionate, family-centered care to every child, every day. Doernbecher knows that going to the hospital can be scary so they've made sure that everything is designed for kids-- from playrooms and playgrounds, to medical equipment and exam procedures-- helping to take away that fear and uneasiness. Last weekend I had the privilege of meeting and photographing the Elstad family.  Jack and Hannah are four-year-old twins and big brother, Ryan, is seven. Ashlie and Jason are a...

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Children's Contest this year and supported Operation Backpack. Today we announce the winners! People's Choice The People's Choice Award goes to the image that earns the most "votes" or donations to Operation Backpack. The winner this year is Vienna. Vienna is only two years old and she can already dribble better than I can. Of course, that isn't saying much since I am about as coordinated as a chicken trying to hang glide. It may be a little early to make predictions about a WNBA future for Vienna, but she is already chasing her big sister around the court and sleeps with her basketball! Best Expression Cooper is the boy of a thousand faces. He just turned one and really put on a show for us during the session. I love the vintage pedal car that has been in the family for two generations now. I see lots of car shows in Cooper's future. Best Storytelling This image deserves a good titl...

A beauty contest? Really? in 2013? First a little history: This is the 35th year for the contest. It all began in 1979 with 9 contestants and we called it the "Baby Beautiful Contest". The contestants weren't all babies and personality and expression were always more important than beauty, but we just liked the alliteration of "Baby Beautiful" so we stuc k with it for a long time . The problem was, the name said that it was for babies and we were including children as old as 12 ! The name also said that it was a beauty contest when personality, expression, and a great story were what really counted. Now we include siblings, parents, and even great grandparents and because story telling is an important piece, art takes precedence over beauty. Sometimes the face doesn't even show.   One of the winners was from the first year of the contest was in the studio recently with his new baby boy (how cool is that!) He is an awesome Daddy: "Anyone co...

A tie? That's right, we had two winners for the Children's Contest this year. The donations were rolling in for Operation Backpack right up until the final cutoff at 5:00 pm on May 18. But, we had a problem. There were two contestants that were neck in neck. The difference in the amount raised was very small and we wanted to reward both families in their efforts to raise money for school supplies for needy school children. So, the decision was made to have two winners. Both famlies will receive a 24" wall portrait valued at over $700. The blond bombshell is Riley. She is 17 months old and full of spice and personality. Her favorite activities involve "reading" books and sucking her fingers. This is her at just a few days old: Lindzee is a familiar face to Haugen's followers because she has been a part of the contest every year since she was a baby. Now, at age 7, she is turning into a young lady. Her favorite activities are ballet and playing with h...

I never really thought about an alarm clock being an essential school supply until I went to a meeting of the Salem Keizer Assistance League Auxiliary the other day. I was there to talk about the children's contest which supports one of the Auxillary's favorite charitable projects: Operation Backpack. I knew that they provided school supplies to children who need them so these kids can be successful in class and with their homework. What I didn't know is that they get requests from some of the schools for alarm clocks.  After I thought about it, it made complete sense. The kids being served are probably not being driven to school by their parents. They probably don't have a cell phone or even a $5 alarm clock from Walmart. So how are they going to wake up on time to get themselves to school? An alarm clock is an essential for these kids. The members of the Salem Keizer Assistance League Auxiliary collect funds throughout the year to support their program and then, in t...

I love this time of year. There is a hint of spring in the air, I am photographing lots of children, and I get to support Operation Backpack and make lives better for children whose lives are a bit tough. The Children's Contest Our normal session fee of $125 is just $35 for the participants in the Children's Contest and ALL of that goes to Operation Backpack. In addition to the $35, we are donating 10% of all our sales to the cause of providing school supplies for needy school children. Last year over $1,000 was raised. That's something like 40 backpacks filled with supplies!   How does the Contest work? In a nutshell, we do a portrait session of your child or children (any child under the age of 13 is eligible). You choose any portraits you would like for yourself and one to go in the contest. The public gets to vote for their favorite by making donations to Operation Backpack. The contestant with the most donations made in their name wins the prize 24" wall po...

"Is your favorite superhero the Green Lantern?" No. I think I'll wait for the movie to come out on DVD. "How about Batman?" That would be Gotham City....Guess again. "Let's go back to a classic. Could it be Superman?" Oh, I think you are getting warmer.... My favorite superhero is Super Ty . He is a precocious six year old and his mission right now is protecting his new baby brother from mutant monsters, jumping higher than a basketball hoop, and whipping up "out of this world" food in the kitchen with his mom and Tutu. We had a chance to delve deeper into the character of  the "boy behind the cape" recently and ask him a few questions.This is what he had to tell us: What is your favorite color? Orange (I wonder if this has anything to do with the OSU Beavers?) Favorite Food: Bread with jam and butter Favorite Sport: Basketball Favorite Toy: Buzz Lightyear's Lazer Beam Favorite Game: Pokemon Black version and...

"What should I bring to my session?" Please bring your children! Seriously, what else do we need? I know what you are really asking. What about clothing, props and things to make them smile. I have lots of things for making them smile and a lot of props but here are ideas for clothing and other things that you might consider bringing to the session Clothing I have a small but growing collection of clothing just for children's portrait sessions: hats, vintage clothing are the focus at this point but I am adding more all the time. Avoid logos and bold graphic designs. Solid colors are best and if this is a sibling or family portrait, color coordination is essential. 0-12 months I have always loved naked babies so for the under one year crowd, I always believe the less clothes, the better! I love seeing their toes, rolls and that skin as soft as velvet. It is nice to have an attractive diaper cover available and it becomes essential once they start walking. I keep a f...

I have been photographing Lindzee since she was a baby and now she is getting ready to turn six! Love her, her mom and grandma to pieces! I interviewed her recently for this exposé and here is what she had to say: Favorite Color: purple Favorite stuffed animal: My little kitty named Cokey Favorite Doll: Molly. She is an American Girl Doll. Favorite Cartoon Show: Jake and the Neverland Pirates Favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz Best Friend: Audrey My favorite Things to do: I love to use my imagination and pretend. Today I was making dragon potion. Mom says I am a great helper. I also love to cuddle and think it is really fun to be tickled. She really, really wants to win the Children's Contest this year (no pressure, Mom!) so would like everyone to vote for her  by making a donation to Operation Backpack in her name as soon as her photograph is posted on the voting site. Keep checking this link as new photographs are being added each week.  

Baby Photography in Monmouth Oregon sets the stage for Haugen's Children's Contest. "Hi, my name is Vienna. I like sitting in my Bumbo seat and eating Little Puff's baby snacks. "My favorite person? I have a lot of special people in my life: Mommy and Daddy, of course, and Grandma and Grandpa are very cool, and let's not forget my sissy, Callia. "My favorite body part is definitely my tongue. I can stick it out really far! "I think everyone should vote for me for the Children's Contest because I have an adorable tush and a sweet personality." To vote for Vienna, go to the Children's Contest website , click on Vienna's portrait and "order/ prices" in the upper right corner. Then you choose the amount of your donation. All of the money goes to support Operation Backpack which purchases school supplies for needy school children. No prints are included with your donation although you can purchase prints with the fam...

It's back! The Children's Contest has been an annual event at Haugen's since 1979. (Can you believe that! That would make this contest number 33!) Many of the early contestants have children of their own, now. The entry fee for the contest is $35 and goes in it's entirety to benefit children in the Mid-Willamette Valley. We support Operation Backpack sponsored by the Willamette Valley Auxilliary of the Assistance League which purchases school supplies for needy school children. You will receive a complimentary 5x7 portrait with your entry. How does the contest work? 1. Schedule your portrait session before March 31 by calling the studio - (503)838-5416 or email us today . 2. Schedule a consultation. If you have not been in to the studio before, we find it really helpful to meet with you to plan the session to make sure that your images are truely memorable. We will talk about clothing, backgrounds and possible props. 3. Arrive at the studio a few minutes ear...

The entry fee for the contest is $35 and goes in it's entirety to benefit children in the Mid-Willamette Valley. We support Operation Backpack sponsored by the Willamette Valley Auxilliary of the Assistance League which purchases school supplies for needy school children. You will receive a complimentary 5x7 portrait with your entry. The sessions are 30 minutes with master photographer, Miriam Haugen, one of the Northwest's top children's photographers! View a slideshow of entries from previous years. How does the contest work? 1. Schedule your portrait session before March 31 by calling the studio or emailing us today - (503)838-5416 or miriam@haugensgalleri.com. 2. Select a background and clothing to match. We don't have a set theme this year, but feel free to be as creative as you want with props and clothing. Click here to see background choices. 3. Arrive at the studio a few minutes early for your session with clothing (and props?) in hand. Don't st...

The winner of Haugen's 2009 Children's Contest is.... Lindzee! Congratulations to Lindzee and her mom, Kristina. They will be receiving a 24-inch wall portrait for their home! Now, we weren't planning on having a prize for second place, but we just couldn't help ourselves! This next little guys got way too many votes to ignore. So, Our second place winner is... Austin! Austin's and his mom, Jill, will be receiving an 11x14 portrait! Thank you to everyone who participated in this years contest!