Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

There is way too much cute in this photoshoot! Charlie never stopped grinning during his Crowsnest Pass autumn family photos. He loved giving his dog Riley hugs, being swung around by his parents, and playing with his grandpa and grandma in the forest along the Miner’s Path in Coleman.

We hiked along the path towards the creek and bridge, finding Charlie lots of rocks and logs to climb on. His grandparents were so great for encouraging him along his adventures. It probably felt more like a one hour play time than a photoshoot to him!

Gerda and Jonathan wanted to go on a day trip adventure with their kids, so we decided to do Coleman summer family photos instead of sticking around the Lethbridge area! It was a really big deal to me to get to photograph them again and keep following as their family grows. The couple was celebrating their 11 year wedding anniversary and were one of the very earliest weddings I got to photograph!

Their family loves the Crowsnest Pass, so we travelled to the Miner’s Path to get beautiful forest shots. The location is very dog friendly as locals walk their dogs there, so it was perfect for their dog Bella the puggle to come along! The kids loved climbing on the fallen logs, finding the best sticks the pathway could offer, and chasing each other to get those sticks.

Jessica and Tyler wanted to announce their pregnancy to Jessica’s family in a very memorable way. These surprise maternity announcement photos were disguised as a family session with Jessica’s parents. A few friends joined at the end to supposedly help with a photo for the couple’s wedding invitations. That’s when the big reveal came!

The couple travelled to Jessica’s hometown of the Crowsnest Pass to tell her parents the big news. She made the excuse that they needed updated family photos, so we spent the first part of the session doing just that! We went to the Miner’s Path with their dogs Trip and Chloe and acted like everything was totally normal. I had to try so hard not to laugh when Jessica’s mom told me the dogs were her grandkids because that’s all Jessica was giving her!

Donna and Rob were gifted Crowsnest Pass extended family photos from their children. After a few blizzards forced us to reschedule and we waited for one more grandbaby to arrive, we were finally able to book a summer session. I’ve known this family since elementary school, though it’s expanded quite a bit since then!

Although the location was selected for how it looks, The Miner’s Path has been so special for photos for this group. I did one sister’s maternity photos and the other sister’s wedding photos there. I was happy to continue that tradition with the three generations. Plus he cousins loved playing in the forest together!

Ashley and Stefan took a detour while on their way to visit family and made a special stop for Crowsnest winter engagement photos. We lucked out with a fresh snowfall just in time because even the Crowsnest Pass was looking a little brown and dry for this time of year!

The couple were involved with another wedding I’ve photographed, so it was so much fun to get to focus on them this time! They have such great energy and are so cute and snugly together.

We started with the Miner’s Path for a forest look then headed into the wind to get a mountain view. (At this point Stefan pondered why he let his hair grow long, ha ha.)

I can’t wait for their wedding!

Nancy and Brett had their hearts set on the mountains for their session while still capturing rustic engagement photos. Coleman in the Crowsnest Pass had just the right feel for everything! After some woodsy vibes at the Miner’s Path, we went to the wide open valley that overlooks the mountains and then to downtown. They had one of their first dates in downtown Coleman near where we did the later portion of their photos. As soon as we arrived, they started smiling and reminiscing!

Despite having to get up early for the drive to the Crowsnest Pass, Nancy and Brett were so cheery and energetic. Their adoration for each other is almost contagious. Only a few minutes into our session, Nancy apologized: “Sorry if we’re kissing too much; we just can’t stop!”