Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

After one year off, Ammena Dance Company is back!

It was so fun to return to poster design brainstorming with her. With a number of Beyonce songs in the show this year, we were inspired by both a classic European feel as well as the aesthetics from the music video for Formation. Donning a very Beyonce-inspired wide brimmed hat that will be used in one of the pieces, we explored downtown Lethbridge around her new studio location. We were very generously given access to a private property that made it onto the final poster, and had been exactly the feel we were going for.

This year’s show will feature Bollywood, tango, bellydance, burlesque, The Greatest Showman, Footloose and more, so please come check it out! There will be lots of themes of starting anew :)

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After a couple years of watching as an audience member, this year I had the privilege of photographing the Diva Cabaret drag show. Each spring the event is held at the Lethbridge Casino in support of Lethbridge Pride Fest and has grown in popularity so much that this year they added two additional performances for a total of four shows (two back to back shows each night). Even with the extra shows, the event was still almost entirely sold out!

The extra drag shows this year allowed for variations in performances and outfits each night. Friday and Saturday each offered a different experience, making it extra fun to photograph throughout the weekend. They even added a few drag kings this time around! I was especially excited to hear two songs that my own dance group has performed, including an intense group performance of “Cell Block Tango” by several of the drag queens.

The show explored ideas of race, diverse relationships, body positivity, and self-expression with lots of comedy mixed in. Everyone involved, both on stage and behind the scenes, did an amazing job!

Viewer discretion advised: this post contains some sexual images.

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Rockuronium had a special live music performance at a party for many of their friends and peers, and their guitar player treated them to some live band photography! I love how the band gives all the members a time to shine. Despite there being so many people on stage, they frequently took turns singing and rotating members to the front. The band is totally made up of doctors and health care workers and their name is a medical pun – I always appreciate a good pun! :) I loved being able to crash the party and watch them perform.

Be sure to check out Rockuronium on Facebook to see when they’re performing next!

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I was excited to photograph the Five Alarm Funk Lethbridge Canada Day performance at Henderson Lake… after seeing the band live many times, this was my first time doing photos! Five Alarm Funk are a band you need to dance to and it’s a lot easier doing that without 10 pounds of camera gear strapped to you. Between all of their props, high energy playing, and numerous costume changes, Five Alarm Funk are as fun to photograph as they are to watch. They had a huge crowd up and dancing for their entire one hour set and could have played numerous encores if only there was time.

Next time they visit, make sure you check them out!

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This year I had the pleasure of photographing the Lethbridge Canada 150 Celebration for the City of Lethbridge. Most of the festivities were held at Henderson Lake, with special performances from local acrobats, fire spinners, and other performers. Leading up to the fireworks, Five Alarm Funk and Dan Davidson were headliners on the main stage. Here are some of my favorite images from the day, but I’m sure you’ll see more on the city’s social media accounts!

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I currently have the honour of having my photography on display at the Galt Museum. Last year I was contacted by curator Tyler Stewart to contribute to his music inspired exhibit “From Pianos to Power Chords” and I eagerly jumped at the chance. Music has been very important to me my whole life, from my first concert at the age of 8, to the various instrument lessons I have taken, to being heavily involved in dance for the last 12 years.

Concert photography is literally the reason I became a professional photographer. What started out as a hobby quickly grew into a passion. It was this passion and the overwhelmingly positive feedback I received from the local bands I photographed that convinced me to switch my major into photography and I have never regretted that decision. It is such an honour after all these years to see my band photography as a part of this exhibit of Lethbridge’s history. A couple of my photos go WAY back… for example, the Grady photo (Gordie Johnson) at the Roadhouse was taken the first day I owned my first digital SLR!

The exhibit runs until April 30 at the Galt Museum and I highly recommend checking it out! My photos here only show off my contribution but there’s so much more on display that paints an amazing picture of the history of music in Lethbridge.

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