Conversations with Ruth Pranoto

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruth Pranoto.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was younger, I’ve always loved taking photos for fun, but I never took it seriously. There was a point in middle school when the teachers asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. At the time, I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer. I spent my free time learning how to use Photoshop instead of hanging out with my friends or doing other middle school stuff. It wasn’t until high school when I realized I was wrong about my goals. I had a chance to join the yearbook staff to utilize my skill in graphic design, but everyone was required to learn the basics of using a DSLR camera. Since then, my interest in photography grew and I taught myself as much as I could. Then I took some mentorships from well-known photographers in the area. My new skill was tested when I had a friend who needed senior photos, but she couldn’t afford the photographers in our area so I volunteered to take her photos. Once I posted the results from the session on social media, I got a lot of good feedback. Others took notice and wanted to hire me for their senior and prom photos.

I wanted to expand my knowledge in photography. Before I started college, I began offering family and wedding sessions. I took classes about digital and film photography in college. I had the opportunity to take photos at a studio and learn more about studio lighting and photography. I also learned how to take photos in film, process the film, print them in the darkroom, then scan them too. I was studying a completely different major at the time, but I was at my happiest when I was doing photography. That’s when I realized I wanted to pursue photography professionally. Since the beginning of my journey, I had a difficult time gaining the approval of my parents of being a photographer, but my husband always believed in me and supported me even when we were still just friends. I honestly don’t know if I would still be pursuing photography right now if it weren’t for him.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road was definitely not a smooth one. I grew up in a strict Asian family who wanted me to pursue engineering since engineering runs in the family. My parents and sibling are engineers and most of my relatives are also engineers. When my parents discovered that I wanted to pursue photography as a professional career, they made me stop going to mentorships and hid all of my photography gear. To this day, I still can’t find some of my gear. I had to find other ways to learn more about photography and continue my passion for it. I wasn’t allowed to bring my camera with me in college, I had to hide my camera from my parents to bring it with me. Sometimes I rented from friends or companies whenever they take my cameras away from me. I tried to please my parents by studying computer science and engineering in college, but I loved photography so much the thought of not being able to do it for the rest of my life was painful. I decided to let go of their expectations and pursue my dream of being a professional photographer.

My physical health set me back a bit. I wasn’t able to breathe through sessions so I had to take a break from taking pictures. I tried to find other creative ways to relieve my stress. I became a calligrapher, then a florist for a short time. But I didn’t realize how it added more to my stress because I didn’t love them as much as I loved photography. My health got worse and at the time, there were no doctors who were able to help. I visited the hospital numerous times and always got a different and inaccurate diagnosis. I was exhausted. So I’ll never forget the doctor in the emergency room who found the problem. I ended up having to go through emergency surgery. When I was admitted for the surgery, I had a lot of time thinking because I didn’t have the energy to do anything else. I didn’t even want to look at my phone. It felt so lonely because the hospital didn’t allow my husband and our baby (who was only a few months old at the time) to visit me due to COVID restrictions. I was at my lowest when I had to breathe through the oxygen mask. I realized that I should just do what I love to do because life is short. My family and I thought I couldn’t make it so there were lots of tears that fell during my time at the hospital, but thank God I’m still alive. After I was discharged, I focused on recovering from the surgery. Once I was able to take photo sessions, I’ve been doing photography again ever since. It’s difficult to be away from my family whenever I’m out taking photos, especially now that we have a baby. However, I’m thankful to be invited into my clients’ lives and to be trusted in capturing their milestones.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Photographer based in Southern California who specializes in Weddings, Events, Families, Maternity, Newborn, and Motherhood. I love everything about weddings and events because they’re all so beautiful in their own way. I love capturing all the details couples and families plan for their events. When I became a mom, I started offering newborn and motherhood sessions. I had a better understanding of moms and what they go through once I became one. As a mom myself, I can relate to other moms so I try to be kind and thoughtful before, during, and after the motherhood sessions. And having started my own family, I got better with knowing how to handle each situation that unpredictably comes my way during family sessions.

I love capturing how each moment felt and I also love showing how every couple and family love each other. Each session is a journey because no one has the same life story. I’m proud of being able to tell each client’s unique journey through the photos that I take. I do my best in having my clients feel comfortable with me so that they feel confident in front of the camera. I direct and pose my clients as needed, but I let each session flow by themselves because it shows the unique personalities of each couple and family. I like showcasing their own special love stories and not the ones of my clients of the past or future. I’m so thankful for my clients for always supporting me and trusting me with my creativity during their sessions. As a result, I’ve had the honor of receiving several awards for being the best wedding photographer in my area.

Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to expanding my photography brand using my married name, Ruth Pranoto. I’m excited to meet new clients and see my amazing returning clients again! I’m planning to offer more mini-sessions whenever I take breaks from full sessions and weddings. As always, I want to better my photography skills, so I’m looking forward to experiment with different photo styles in my free time to improve the images I take. I’d love to meet new event and wedding vendors, so I and my vendor friends can all collaborate together. My traveling plans changed due to COVID restrictions, but I would like to offer destination weddings and sessions in the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ruthpranoto.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruthpranoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ruthpranotophoto

Image Credits
Ruth Pranoto Photography