I'm Ruta Swanson, a Lake Tahoe wedding photographer. If your wedding day is taking shape around Lake Tahoe - Incline Village, South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Tahoe City or a private estate in Glenbrook, I'd love to hear about it.

Light is at the center of how I work, though I rarely depend on natural light alone. Getting ready spaces are often dim with tricky window light, and reception lighting shifts as the evening unfolds. With years of experience in artificial lighting, I work with the conditions as they are, complementing and shaping the light when needed. Whatever the setting or hour, the goal stays the same: photographs that feel natural and considered.

My approach to weddign photogpahy is editorial: thoughtful direction, a strong eye for composition, and the judgment to know when to step back. Portraits and details get shaped when the moment calls for it, then your day is left room to unfold. What you receive is a carefully curated gallery that feels like a story book, every image is there for a reason.

From Edgewood Tahoe and the Chateau at Incline Village to the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe, Gar Woods and the Elm Estate, plus private estates around the lake — I'll work closely with your planner to build a photography timeline around the light, family portraits and the flow of the celebration, so photography fits into your day instead of taking it over.

Your preview gallery arrives the day after the wedding, with the complete edited gallery delivered within four weeks.

For couples who want a wedding film too, my husband Kris provides video and aerial coverage as an FAA certified drone pilot. Working as one team gives your photos and film a shared perspective, with less for you to coordinate between vendors.

If you are drawn to photographs where skin tones look natural, composition is thoughtful and the whole image feels calm and effortless, I think we would work well together. When and where are you getting married?