Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

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!

I’m so grateful for families who take me along on the journey as their family grows. It’s been amazing watching Lindsay and Terry go from their engagement to welcoming Jaxson home. Aside from some perfectly normal fatigue from him keeping them up all night, the two of them are so completely in love with their baby. I got to meet him for his Lethbridge newborn photography session, which must have been a pretty exciting day for him seeing as how he didn’t sleep at all through the session! Any sleeping photos are completely fake moments where he relaxed and rested his eyes for a moment ;)

Xavier arrived right in the heart of social distancing so I had to wait a few extra weeks to meet him. By that point he was still little enough to fit in my basket! We waited for a beautiful summer evening for his Lethbridge river bottom baby photos.

Xavier started out his session great, arriving completely passed out. He wasn’t about to let us off easy though! He quickly woke up and made sure we knew about his displeasure with having a photoshoot. He made his parents really work for it and after ample swinging and bouncing he was ready to resume. Plus it helped that we tricked him into photos between each swing in their arms ;)

Weddings and events may have been postponed in 2020 due to COVID, but once restrictions eased up in the summer, everyone was grateful to spend time outdoors with their families! I was so thankful we have such beautiful, wide open outdoor spaces around Lethbridge so I could keep photographing all of these awesome families. I ended up hoarse on many occasions from yelling through my mask, but it was always worth it.

Two of the biggest trends I noticed this year were all of the babies who arrived (and these aren’t even the quarantine babies yet!) and all of the larger families who made an effort to celebrate important anniversaries and birthdays. I adapted quickly by bringing most of the newborns outdoors on warm days and talking their parents through poses. Everyone did so well!

Some highlights from 2020 include not one but TWO marriage proposals, a cat birthday, and a few more secret projects to come that I can’t share yet, including album art for local musicians and a children’s book. Each season was so amazing this year, from the long blossom season we had to the vibrant colours in the fall. Even the early snow was warm enough for outdoor photos!