Born in Caro, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Vassar. Bought himself a Graflex Speed Graphic large format camera and started his own commercial photography business, the Vassar Photo Service. After graduating hgh school, he stopped taking pictures in order to focus on his college education, a career in dentistry, and raising a family. His work is held in many public and private institutions, and in 2016, the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor acquired Swanson's photography collection for its archives.