Lindsay Ruth at LR Photos

Lindsay Ruth at LR Photos Photographer of adventurous and playful families. Sharing favorite Grand Rapids, MI parks and hikes, books I’m reading, and my thoughts on creativity.

True Stories are the most beautiful ones. Let's tell yours.

When I sat down with Lydia and her team , they had already started getting to know me through a brand questionnaire.One ...
04/29/2026

When I sat down with Lydia and her team , they had already started getting to know me through a brand questionnaire.
One of the questions was:
How are you hoping this branding work moves your business forward?
My answer was this:
I’ve built this business with a DIY mindset and a shoestring budget. It’s taken years of therapy and showing up to my art to get to a place where I feel mostly confident. I’m proud of my work. But my brand hasn’t caught up yet. I’m ready to invest in something that actually reflects who I am and the art I’m making.

When I first walked into their space, I was greeted with a floor-to-ceiling, real-life Pinterest board. They had me pull the images I loved, and the ones I didn’t, until we started to see a clear direction take shape.
At every step, I felt seen. Known. Celebrated.
And I cannot wait to show you what we’ve been building together.

I’ve always struggled with confidence when it comes to my art.Ever since I was young, I believed the message that I wasn...
04/14/2026

I’ve always struggled with confidence when it comes to my art.
Ever since I was young, I believed the message that I wasn’t good enough, artsy enough, creative enough. I’ve done so much work in therapy to heal those scars and learn to believe in myself, but at the end of the day, it’s still something I wrestle with. I think it’s a journey I may never fully “arrive” at.
The other day, I received a message from a mom I photographed TEN years ago. She told me those photos are still some of her favorites. I went back and looked at them, and they are good, really good.
I was just starting to charge for my work back then. I was brand new. I’ve changed a lot since then, but at the heart of it, my message has stayed the same. I wanted to capture story then, and I want to capture it now. I was drawn to real life then, and I feel even more pulled toward it today. What does your everyday look like? How do your children play?
When I look back over the years, I think my biggest obstacle hasn’t been skill. It’s been believing in myself.
So thank you to the people who have believed in me, often more than I believed in myself.
I’m still here. I’m more confident than I’ve ever been. Confident that this work matters.
Grateful to be trusted with your stories. Still completely enamored with honest, real storytelling sessions.
And still so honored every time a family lets me in.
My new website and branding are almost ready to be released into the world. Working with Lydia and her team has been such an incredible experience. I truly feel like they’ve held a mirror up to my work and created a brand that feels like a beautiful, honest reflection of who I am and the work I want to make.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll start sharing pieces of it, and to celebrate, I’m going to be offering something special to some of my past clients, so if you've worked with me before keep an eye on your email.
P.S. I’m now booking storytelling sessions and have one opening on April 25. Message me if you’ve been thinking about having your real life documented.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing about my Project 365/2025 and how, even through the hardest year of my life, ...
04/13/2026

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing about my Project 365/2025 and how, even through the hardest year of my life, I kept going with it. And how glad I am that I did.
I’ve been getting some DMs asking if I’ll be sharing the project in its entirety anywhere.
The answer is… not fully.
I did create a slideshow of all of the images and a printed photo album that is gorgeous. But while I love sharing some of the images, I can’t share all of them.
There are many, many photos of my kids in this project, and they are more aware than ever of their privacy. Any photo of them that I share gets vetted by them. We all know that once something is out there, it can’t be taken back, so when it comes to their privacy, I hold that line.
This project, while I love sharing parts of it publicly, is ultimately for me. It’s for us. It’s our life, documented.
So no, I won’t be sharing the entire project.
And in the same way, your photos are ultimately yours.
When you hire me, I believe this story belongs to you. Yes, I am the artist who sees your life in all its messy, beautiful reality and turns your everyday moments into art. But these are your images.
They are not just for public consumption or social media, unless you want them to be. Don’t let that stop you from having your story told.
This is your life. Your intimate, beautiful story. The messiness. The stretch marks. The laundry everywhere. The spilled smoothies.
The stories I am interested in telling are the real moments of motherhood. Not perfect. Your life exactly as it is, right now.
Because if my Project 365 has taught me anything, it’s that all of it matters.
I’m currently booking sessions and have one spot open on April 25.
If you want your real life documented, send me a message.

When you walk through fire, you come out changed. Refined. Clearer about what stays and what does not.I’m still here. We...
03/26/2026

When you walk through fire, you come out changed. Refined. Clearer about what stays and what does not.
I’m still here. We’re still here.
And part of stepping back into the public world means stepping back into my business in a fuller way.
For me, my business is not separate from who I am. I am my business. When you hire a photographer, you are hiring the person. The art. The way I see the world. The way I hold people. The way I pay attention.
This last year changed me. It deepened me. It clarified what matters. And that absolutely shapes the way I show up behind the camera. I am more interested in the messy everyday stories of a life well lived than ever before. I want to tell the stories of the spilled smoothies, the messy rooms, the sweaty heads from jumping on the trampoline. Show me how you play, how you love, how you interact and I will reflect those things back to you and document your beautiful messy life.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be launching a rebrand and a brand new website with
And for that new website, I’m looking for 2–3 newborn families (0–2 months) to gift a storytelling session to in exchange for using the photos on my website.
If you know someone, tag them or send me a DM.

When my oldest picks me up from work at Art of the Table and I climb into the passenger seat, we start the 12 minute dri...
03/23/2026

When my oldest picks me up from work at Art of the Table and I climb into the passenger seat, we start the 12 minute drive home. After sharing a few pieces of his day, he asks me, “What’s your story of the day?”
It’s a question that has been an integral part of his class at , the nature school my kids have attended for years, and it’s now become part of our everyday lives.
I take a second to think, and I’m always able to come up with a moment from my day that stands out. The person looking for a gift for their 95-year-old grandmother (something consumable, nothing hard on her teeth). The frazzled mom who came in with her rambunctious toddler, who I entertained while she found the right wine for her dinner party.
It’s a question that invites curiosity. It goes deeper than “How was your day?” It creates connection.
This is the same reason I love storytelling photography. A portrait is great. It has its place and is part of the story, which is why I include a few in my sessions. But it’s the other images that draw me in. The ones that spark curiosity and connection.
A storytelling session isn’t for the world to consume. It’s not about a perfectly wrapped-up version of your life. It’s for the people in the images. It’s so you can see the beauty of your own life reflected back to you.
This photo, to a casual eye, looks like a waffle. But to me, it’s so much more. It represents a family ritual. A slow day at home. A fire in the fireplace. Coffee, a book, and a dog on my lap.
So when you book a session with me, this is where I start: what’s the story of your everyday?
Meals around the table? Playing on the swing set? Games on the couch? Climbing trees?
What’s the story of your day?
Show me how you play and interact with each other, and I will show you the beauty in your everyday.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be launching a rebrand and a brand new website from .
And for that new website, I’m looking for 2–3 newborn families (0–2 months) to gift a storytelling session to.
If you know someone, tag them or send me a DM.

My constant companion, my emotional support animal, my dog Beesly. If I’m sitting down and there’s an open lap, she’s in...
03/21/2026

My constant companion, my emotional support animal, my dog Beesly. If I’m sitting down and there’s an open lap, she’s in it. Beesly showed up in many of the 365 photos.
I’m sharing pieces of my 2025 through my 365 photo-a-day project. My marriage of 22 years ended, and the project I thought I was starting on day 1 became something entirely different by day 365. I’m so glad I kept documenting, even through unimaginable pain and grief. These images knit together a story I didn’t expect to tell. A story of how far I’ve come. Through the grief. Through the pain. A reminder that when the rug was pulled out from under me, I had two choices. I could check out. Hide. Hit the escape hatch.
Or I could take the next step.
And then the next.
And then the next. Even when that step felt small.
I have two teenagers who rely on me for everything now, and in my mind, there was no other option.
Is it imperfect? Hell yes.
Are they the wrong steps sometimes? Also yes.
And still… I’m here.
Because of my community. Because of the people who showed up. And honestly, because of the five years I’ve spent doing work in therapy. And because of this girl. I know not everyone is a dog person. But I don’t want to think about where we would be without the animals in our lives. We aren’t just dog people or cat people. We’re animal people. I run a pet sitting business and there are always dogs in and out of our house. We also have a cat and a snake (with a story so crazy he deserves a post all his own). But today’s hero is my dog Beesly.
P.S. After the year I’ve had, I’m stepping back into my business in a bigger way. In the coming weeks, I’ll be launching a rebrand and a brand new website (from Lydia Writes Good). So stay tuned! I’m also looking for one newborn family (0–2 months) to gift a storytelling session to in exchange for images for my new website. If you know someone, tag them or send me a DM.

“You needed a soft place to land.”Someone said this to me when my marriage ended in 2025 and for the first time in 17 ye...
03/16/2026

“You needed a soft place to land.”
Someone said this to me when my marriage ended in 2025 and for the first time in 17 years I needed a part time job and a regular paycheck to help hold the three of us steady.
I’m sharing a bit about my year through my 365 photo-a-day project. I’m so glad I kept documenting, even through unimaginable pain and grief.
After nearly two decades raising and homeschooling my kids while building my side businesses (pet sitting and photography), I suddenly found myself back in the world of traditional work. I was fortunate enough to be hired at and it has truly been that soft place to land. I work there 3-4 days a week, learning about wine, beer, and small batch products while helping people find the perfect gifts for their people. It’s been a great fit and I really enjoy it.
At the same time, my pet sitting business kept going. It has become more of a family effort than ever and it works beautifully for this season of our lives.
Because of the foundation I built before everything fell apart, my photography business could hold steady while I focused on rebuilding our life. I still photographed quite a few sessions in 2025, and honestly my work deepened. The storytelling feels more honest than ever.
Now I’m investing in LR Photos again. My new logo (created with ) is finished and my new website is almost ready. I’m excited to share it soon.
In the meantime, I’m looking for one newborn family to gift a storytelling session to. The session would be used for my new website.
If you know a mom with a brand new baby, tag them below or send me a DM.

I mentioned yesterday that I would be sharing some of my personal photos from my 365 photo-a-day project from 2025. I ha...
03/13/2026

I mentioned yesterday that I would be sharing some of my personal photos from my 365 photo-a-day project from 2025. I had no idea when I started this project on Jan 1 what it would come to mean to me by Dec 31. My goal for my body of work is to be a storyteller. Although I do love the occasional portrait, the photos that draw me in are the ones that capture a moment, a slice of life.
As my world fell apart around me, I kept documenting.
One of the things reflected back in these photos is that my community saved us. Shared meals. People who answered my call when I couldn’t get out of bed because the grief was so cavernous. Friends who taught me about power tools and worked on my car with me. I stayed in guest bedrooms, on couches, and on hide-a-beds. The kids and I hosted brunches and dinners and a Friendsgiving, filling our home with people.
My parents and my sisters hopped on video calls at the drop of a hat, helped me navigate paperwork, and even sent a cleaner to my door. I cannot say enough about my incredible community.
What I see in these photos is the kind of love from my people that holds you steady when everything shifts.
Photo 1 - Sleeping in the guest room of a close friend.
Photo 2 - Shared meals.
Photo 3 - Weeding a friend’s garden to work out my anger.
Photo 4 - Journaling in a friend’s backyard.
Photo 5 - Kayaking many, many times.

If you’re looking for a different type of family photo session, one that documents your everyday life and reflects back to you the beauty in your life I would love to chat.

03/12/2026

Just a little reintroduction of who I am and what’s been happening. More to come soon with a new logo and new website from . I can NOT wait to share it with you.
P.S. I’m currently looking for a family with a newborn to gift a session in exchange for using the photos on my new site. Send me a DM or tag a friend with a newborn!

One of my closest friends of more than twenty years invited me over on Thanksgiving to photograph her extended family. T...
12/18/2025

One of my closest friends of more than twenty years invited me over on Thanksgiving to photograph her extended family. There are some invitations you say yes to without hesitation. This was one of them.
For a few sweet years, when our kids were toddlers, we lived next door to one another. The kind of friendship where you borrow an egg, spend long hours on each other’s couches, and the kids disappear into the backyard for whole afternoons. The kind where you can empty their dishwasher because you know exactly where everything goes.
I have been around for birthdays and celebrations and have met much of her family over the years. Still, being there on Thanksgiving felt different. Sacred, even. When I walked in, I found myself saying, “I have not seen you since you got married,” and to another sister, “I have not seen you since you got engaged. Congratulations to you both!.”
Not everyone lives close. Schedules are full. Distance is real. And still, they make time for one another. They show up. They gather around the same table. They laugh. They disagree. And they choose one another anyway. That quiet commitment is something you can feel when you are in the room.
I loved being invited into it. To witness it. To photograph the ordinary holiness of a family being together. Not posed or perfect, just present.
This is the work I care most deeply about. Being welcomed into spaces that matter. Documenting the stories you are already living, exactly as they are.
If this kind of family story is what you have been longing to have documented, I would love for you to message me.

Like many photographers, fall is my busiest season. That was true this year too… full-time single motherhood, three othe...
12/15/2025

Like many photographers, fall is my busiest season. That was true this year too… full-time single motherhood, three other jobs, and the work of finding our new normal. I’ve been slower than I’d like. Delivery of sessions has taken longer. This season has been hard. And we’re doing it anyway.
So it may not technically be fall anymore, but I still have fall stories I want to share.
This family invited me into their beautiful home with one simple goal. Photos of them being a family. Doing the things they love. The dad has a love of his special cars. Games on the couch. Easy togetherness.
At the end, I suggested grabbing a few photos on the front steps. And the mom said, “Actually, we love this spot. We sit here and watch the kids play ball in the driveway.” I loved that. So that’s where we ended because it meant something.

That’s always the point for me. Show me your beautiful imperfect life and I will show you that is where the meaning lives. I love to be in a home and with people in a way that feels almost documentary, but still me. It’s like holding up a mirror to motherhood, not to fix anything or make it prettier, but to reflect back what’s already beautiful.

These are the lived-in moments. The real ones. The ones you’ll want to remember.
This is your life. And friend…it is stunning.
Not perfect. But full. Honest. Messy in the best way.
And so, so fleeting.

If this kind of storytelling feels like what you’ve been longing for, I’d love to chat.

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