Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

It was truly a privilege to be able to photograph Lethbridge Diva Cabaret for a second year in a row! Once again the event was held at Pure Casino Lethbridge and sold out both of its Friday and Saturday shows. Many of the performers from previous years returned and we joined by new queens, hyper queens, and a few performers from Calgary.

This year marked the 5th anniversary of the Diva Cabaret’s start in Lethbridge. All proceeds went to support the 2019
Lethbridge Pride Fest. Each year the show continues to promote its themes of inclusion and body positivity.

I even spotted a few of my group’s former dance costumes among the performers!

p.s. If you missed the photos from last year’s show, you can check them out here!

Viewer discretion advised: this post contains some burlesque images (without full nudity), so may not be appropriate while you are at work.

My clients already put a lot of trust in me, but there is no trust quite like being in on a big secret! I was so excited when Kit contacted me to capture Lethbridge proposal photos of this important moment in her life. She planned to ask her girlfriend Tee to marry her on their anniversary. Kit decided on the Casa art gallery downtown with the ruse that they were simply having couples photos taken.

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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