Lethbridge Weddings & Portrait Photography by Tanya Plonka

“Hand in hand, with fairy grace,
Will we sing, and bless this place.”
-A Midsummer Night’s Dream

If you saw Shakespeare in the Park’s summer performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Lethbridge last year, you’ll definitely remember Titania, played by the talented Megan! Between the incredible presence she had as the character and how dreamy her whole look came together, I had to get her to step into the role one more time for a creative photoshoot.

I waited until the wall of leaves turned its vibrant red colour in the fall, knowing it would be a perfect match for Megan’s hair. And it was even more close than I expected!

The most important part of my vision was a light painting portrait once it was dark enough out. Megan and our helper Leslie were amazing and committed – it started snowing on us as soon as we arrived at the final location and I needed Megan to hold still! None of us could feel our hands by the end but it was worth it :)

Gown by Amanda Epp
Makeup by Leslie Van Zwol

???When I saw the birthday outfit Sadie put together for herself, I knew I had to get her in front of my camera for some goth Halloween vibes!? It had been way too long since I last worked with Sadie and I was waiting for just the right photoshoot to have her model for me again. (I love how different this was from our last one too!) I managed to squeeze her in during a golden hour for these goth styled portraits. While the initial goal of my photoshoot was to use some old film, I’m definitely glad I brought my mirrorless camera too.

To celebrate the end of high school, Brooklyn’s family treated her to a fun session of downtown Lethbridge grad photos. Her mom and brother came along in the beginning for a few photos, then let Brooklyn do her thing! She had wanted an urban location so I chose the city hall area for how many diverse settings it gives. Brooklyn’s baby blue grad dress looked amazing with the local architecture and pops of blue sky, plus she knew how to work it!

I last saw Lejla when she was a flower girl at her aunt’s wedding, and I hardly recognized her all grown up! Lejla was now graduating high school and I was so happy to catch up with her family during her Galt Museum grad photos. Lejla selected an ornate mermaid-style purple grad dress, which looked so striking against her dark hair and the rich colours during golden hour.

Lejla wanted a bit of nature in her photos as well, so we started nearby at the High Level Bridge in Indian Battle Park. She was up for climbing onto anything for photos (with some family help) and was a natural in front of the camera, already knowing how she prefers to pose. It was hard not to get carried away and photograph her into the night (that particular colour of purple being a favourite of mine did not help this). Even the Lethbridge wind added an amazing element!

I began planning this colorful self-portrait project during our very first COVID lockdown in the spring of 2020. When things opened back up faster than expected, this project went on the back burner and I spent the next year spotting random colored objects in my house and creating a mental checklist.

The next spring I had ample time with all of the pandemic restrictions. I spent almost the entirety of May collecting items of every color, digging through and rearranging dance costumes, and scouring the internet for makeup ideas to imitate.

I wanted a Vanity Fair, classic fashion inspired look to contradict how silly the photos were, so I set up a simple gray backdrop in my living room and lit the photos with a single light with very large diffuser. All of the photos are true self-portraits, using the Camera Connect app from Canon on my phone and hiding the phone either under myself or the draped fabrics, with the exception of orange. (Though I did get one Annyong shot on my own before enlisting Cam’s help for that!)

Each setup was an eclectic mix of everyday household objects, newer items that hold lots of emotional value to me (a TON are dance related), and vintage objects (mostly toys) I have held onto. In exploring how to best let go of these childhood possessions, I wanted to find a way to honor them before I say goodbye. Photos have been one great way of doing that. (These toys are a fraction of what I still have!)

After I completed each photo (and variations), I spent a bit of time documenting my makeup with close up portraits. This quickly turned into a mini project of its own! It was a fun challenge to bring that same energy into a much smaller area.

I had such a great time teasing these out on social media one by one and seeing everyone’s reactions. Here is the full set!

Lauren had her Pavan Park high school grad photos in the daytime before her grad ceremony. She was one of the few lucky high school grads who still got to have a ceremony, thanks to the small size of her school. This meant her whole day got to be a celebration!

Lauren chose a powder blue dress with a fun poofy skirt. She really personalized the look by adding cowboy boots! She left no detail forgotten, even having a manicure to match her dress. Lauren was a natural in front of the camera and I appreciated her willingness to climb through and sit in all the coulee brush I asked of her :)