Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Most people go for newborn photos of their babies, but babies get so fun when they can sit up on their own! Maskeen had just hit that age when his parents scheduled his indoor winter baby photos at their house.

Maskeen took a little while to warm up to having a stranger in his house but once he did, his big smiles that he’s known for came out! We cycled through all of his cute outfits before getting him toasty in his blue tracksuit and going for a quick visit to snowy Henderson Lake.

With the arrival of Kaeson, his family was complete! Not too long after his birth, they scheduled their autumn newborn family photos (along with dog Lily). We had a perfect day in Indian Battle Park as the first fall colours were coming in.

Kaeson’s big brothers were so good with him, though he was usually still happiest in Mom’s arms! He did so great for his first photoshoot.

Adelaide’s parents moved back here to be closer to family, so that meant I got to see her right away for her Lethbridge newborn family photos once she arrived! We did the photos at their home to keep everyone warm and her big sister Daenerys got to help out every step of the way. Adelaide was so chill through her photoshoot. Even though she stayed awake until the very end, she barely fussed. These sisters must love photography!

Robbie and Vanessa were up for another family adventure after their maternity photos in Waterton. We met up for another trip a few months after their daughter Violet arrived, this time for Writing On Stone family photos. Vanessa grew up in the area so the provincial park is very special to her. The hoodoos are such a unique landscape that it definitely sets their photos apart from most family sessions!

We arrived early in the morning to beat the crowds, while the smoky sky that day kept away the summer heat. Hoodoos are definitely best photographed so it looks like no one else is there, like some foreign planet ;)

I got to hear the family’s full setlist of both consoling and enthusiastic children’s songs. That was all that made Violet excited! It was definitely easier to get her to smile with one of her parents singing behind me, seeing as how I didn’t know the songs (and she probably wouldn’t have been very happy with my singing voice anyhow).

Emmalyn arrived a few weeks earlier than expected, which was quite a surprise for her mom and dad who were expanding their business at the same time and trying to focus on opening a new location before she arrived. She quickly changed their focus (and added a few long days for her dad). We did the photos on her original due date, so even though she had been hanging around for a couple weeks, she was still newborn tiny and fit perfectly in her parents’ hands.

Her mom had some favourite photo ideas of what she wanted their photoshoot to look like, so we went with a very simple newborn photo session. This meant clean backgrounds and lots of photos that would look great in black and white, and with a focus on Emmalyn.

Emmalyn did throw a bit of a wrench in our plans in that she refused to do any photos where she wasn’t being held! As a result we got so many great photos with her mom and dad holding her. In the end she compromised with us by doing a few by herself as long as she was swaddled.

Madeline’s Lethbridge newborn photography was taken in the comfort of her home just a few weeks after her mom and dad welcomed her into the world. She was such a chill baby that she didn’t even cry once during the photos! She was ready to show off her head of thick hair and cute little smile and finally dozed off towards the end of her photos.

Their bright bedroom at the house provided the perfect backdrop for a lifestyle feel to the photos. Their bed made a wonderful spot to snuggle as a family. The big window with the spring sunshine streaming in made Madeline extra cozy on the bed for her individual newborn photos. We even got photobombed by their friendly and curious cat!