Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

Hemali and Vishal brought their adorable children down to Indian Battle Park for summer morning family photos. We had planned a nature adventure out behind Helen Schuler, but soon discovered the kids hated the grass! Luckily the concrete “Listen” sculpture provided a nature-free alternative for them to pose on and was a perfect match for their cute blue outfits.

We managed to convince them to go off the main path for a bit, as long as Hemali or Vishal were holding them while I played an intense game of peekaboo, completely hiding myself in the grass and then springing up to full height. (Plus some fart noises may have helped.)

Emma and Jason planned to have a destination wedding on the coast to be closer to family members, but wanted to start things off by doing photos in the city where they met. I’m glad they did, because they were so much fun to photograph for their golden hour engagement session. We started out in Indian Battle Park (with a few very one-sided tickle fights). The couple then changed into more formal clothes to get a lot less formal with poses! Why do piggyback photos in casual clothes when you can do them in a dress shirt and summer dress?

Congratulations, Emma and Jason!

Mackenzie moved out to Alberta for school and only planned to stay during her studies, but soon those plans involved falling for Chase! Her family surprised the couple with a portrait session for Christmas. The two of them chose a gorgeous spring day to head down to Indian Battle Park with me and take some photos!

The white and purple lilacs were fully in bloom throughout Lethbridge’s river bottom. Everywhere we turned was a beautiful spot for photos! Mackenzie and Chase were so easy to get laughing, whether through piggyback rides or tickle fights with each other. Judging by how sweet they are together, I can see why Mackenzie stuck around Lethbridge!

Joy received a wonderful gift of birthday celebration extended family photos when her family came to Lethbridge for her big day. Her three daughters and their families all came home to celebrate for a few days, giving her the chance to see all of her grandchildren who had moved away.

As happy as Joy was to see everyone, the kids were even happier! They were bursting with excitement to go on their outdoor adventure in Indian Battle Park and play with their cousins, grandma, and aunts and uncles. After the posed photos were done, all of the kids got to run around and play around the bridge.

p.s. One of my favourite things about Joy’s family is that there are four sets of twins!

Amanda and Jason aren’t getting married for a while but wanted a headstart on their invitations and wedding website. We planned for a Lethbridge river bottom engagement session to make use of the space around the high level bridge, then headed to the Galt Museum. They love the look of old brick, and the Galt is one of the best places to find that!

If they hadn’t told me that Jason was new to having professional photos done and that Amanda hadn’t experienced them much more, I never would have known! The two followed directions so well and were able to switch from silly, cute, and cheesy to serious and romantic within moments. I definitely appreciate when couples will follow my instructions to “skip violently”!

Heather and Bradly love to update their photos yearly around Christmas and ended up with very warm winter family photos this year! Their session looked and felt like it took place in autumn, despite the few random patches of snow.

Their son Braxton was so excited for their photoshoot that he made sure his mom and dad were out the door and on their way well before they needed to. He had such a great smile for showing off his missing tooth and got such cute photos with his parents.