Meet Ruth Yang | Wedding & Family Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I chose to pursue a creative career despite being raised in a family full of engineers because I love being able to show how I see the world through photography. Everyone knew me at school as one of the few artistic people for winning art contests. Then I made graphic designing ads, edited videos for school work, and took photos of weddings for friends and family. It was not easy for my family to accept my choice of career in the beginning, but eventually they were able to accept it. Gradually, as I showed them more of my work and as I was awarded some recognition as a wedding photographer, they started to see that it is a viable career option. I am glad I kept pursuing my passion over my family’s standards of what is a good career because I get to work with other amazing wedding vendors who are innovative. I learned from other people along the way and I love working with others to make beautiful art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a fine art wedding and family photographer in Southern California who specializes in documenting how people love each other. My main wedding clients are fashion-forward people due to my love for fashion. I used to work full-time for some of the famous fashion companies while I worked part-time photography and I love being able to take pictures of people with their own personal style.

Originally, I was pursuing graphic design, but then I was required to take photos for the yearbook at my high school. It was my first time using a professional grade camera and I had no idea how to use it. They taught us the basics, but I was eager to learn more about how to use the camera well. I taught myself how to use advanced photography methods that I eventually learned in the future after taking workshops from some of the well-known photographers in my area at the time. Then I wanted to keep improving my skills so I ended up taking some photography classes in college where I learned more about film and the darkroom. My college professor noticed my personal work and told me I had an eye for photography. That was when I realized I should pursue photography in the long run.

It was not easy getting to where I am today. I had some struggles along that way that forced me to take a break from my work and heal for the sake of my physical health. I still continued where I left off after I started feeling better, but I try not to overdo it so that I am also taking care of my own health for me and my family.

The most important lesson my career has taught me is to value my time. Instead of doing nothing, I have to do one of the things on my to-do list so that I am able to finish at least one task that day. If I procrastinate, it is more difficult to catch up on everything and it is more stressful in the long run. Being able to be productive instead of being idle is what keeps me going in my business. I want to be more present with my family and the only way to do that is to manage my time well.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area, I would recommend heading to Downtown Los Angeles area because that is where most of the attractions are. There are many photo spots and a lot of trending restaurants in downtown. There are also many museums and shopping centers nearby. If they want to stay local to LA, there is Universal and Six Flags, but if they are willing to drive down to Orange County, then there is Disneyland. They might be able to catch a concert from a famous singer from one of the arenas or concert venues as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my parents, my husband, my kids, and my friends. Even if my parents did not agree of my choice of career initially, they still supported me in ways they could when I was honing my skills as a photographer. My husband always helped me with whatever I needed whether it be taking care of the kids while I was away taking photos of clients, putting some of savings aside to buy the camera and other photography tools I needed, helping me with my website, and many more. Whenever I come home from a long wedding day and I feel exhausted, coming home to my kids always brings a smile to my face. I love seeing their cheerful energy because they were excited to see me, their mom, come back home to them. Before I met my husband, my close friends supported me in photography by recommending me to other people they know and some of them even hired me to take photos of their milestone. All of these people made it possible to help me get to where I am now. I hope that they get to read this and know how thankful I am for them and for how much they have helped me throughout the years.

Website: https://ruthyangphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthyangphoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthyangphoto

Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/6OfJJWzjI

Image Credits
Photo of Ruth Taken By: Kurt Boomer Photography
Photos of Brides, Grooms, Flat Lay, and Tablescape Photos Taken By: Ruth Yang Photography