Reviews of Photography by Tanya Plonka (Photo Studio)

Melissa Setiawan

Tanya is amazingly talented at her job. She has taken pictures for us for the last few years for family shoots, maternity photos, newborn photos and even a live shoot of our band. She is extremely professional, punctual and efficient. I’m always surprised at how many perfect shots she is able to capture. Now I just trust she will deliver a pleasing final product. She works quickly and with ease while still being approachable, fun and friendly to all ages. She can be serious, fun and/or creative and really knows how to use the light and setting in any situation to capture tastefully beautiful moments. Highly recommended!

Tayler Platt

I have had the pleasure of Tanya taking my yearly photos for the past 4 years now and I am here to tell you that she is not only an incredible photographer but a wonderful person. She is an expert at her job and makes you feel very comfortable in her presence. I live on a farm and each year Tanya comes out to take photos with me and all of my animals, which includes 2 horses, 4 big dogs, and 8 cats. And anyone with animals knows it takes great skill, talent and patience to work with animals, let alone get good quality pictures of them. Yet Tanya manages to get them to cooperate perfectly each time! They all love her, and it can be really hard to find a photographer that is willing to work with animals and knows how to work with them, and Tanya checks both of those boxes. Tanya is also extremely creative and is full of ideas so you never have to worry about having a photo that looks boring. For 4 years we have done photos at the same location and each year she has new ideas to make each photo special. She offers many options as far as which prints you would like if you just want a few, or if you’re like me and want all your photos, she will edit them and give them all to you on a flash drive in a personalized box. I highly recommend Photography by Tanya Plonka for any kind of photos you would be wanting as Tanya is a wonderful, fun person to work with and is extremely knowledgeable about the art of photography.

Pieter de Groot

Tanya and her partner did an amazing job with our wedding! We couldn't have been happier with the quality of her work and her professionalism. We felt so comfortable during the whole process. They made it fun and natural even though we normally aren't comfortable in front of the camera. She was also very timely with getting us the finished product and we enjoyed the personal touches she included in the packaging. Thanks Tanya!

Richard Haynes

Tanya is an amazing photographer. She has an eye for beauty and is very engaging, efficient and provided myself and my whole family a great experience and even better photographs. I recommend Tanya to anyone looking to update their family photos or for a special occasion where they need to capture their memories!

Catherine Peters

Tanya and Cam were AMAZING at our wedding! They captured everything so perfectly and made us feel so comfortable! The candid shots they got were amazing as well! Everyone that has seen our pictures says it looks like a fairytale or that they are from a movie! I couldn’t imagine our day without them!

Brittany Van Velthuizen

Tanya is both talented and very organized! We had not met her or Cam until the day of our wedding but she put us right at ease, and we are absolutely in love with our pictures. We would definitely recommend her to anyone!

Jessica Charlton

Tanya is amazing with a camera. The beautiful sunset shots she took of our wedding were stunning. I can't say enough about how amazing she is. She gave us everything we dreamed of and more. A truly special experience.

Lisa Szpytko

Tanya is amazing, she does her research and is so thorough and efficient! We had 11 adults, 2 babies and a dog and she managed to get the babies and dog to even smile and was great at orchestrating the different combinations. Thanks so much!

Krysty Thomas

We hired Tanya to capture our September 2017 wedding here in Lethbridge. We couldn't have asked for a better photographer. Our photos were stunning and we have received so many compliments on them. Tanya is very talented, patient and experienced. Her and Cam were so great on the day of our wedding. They made sure we captured everything I wanted and then some. Even put up with several props we had lined up. Would 110% recommend! Tanya also traveled to Waterton to help us capture our engagement photos as well. They were breath-taking! Thank you Tanya! Will call again to help us capture our lives moments.

Kallie Val-Zehan Desruisseaux

Tanya is professional, talented, an amazing photographer, and my go-to for all my most important photo moments. Tanya photographed my wedding, my newborn baby, and several more meaningful moments. She continues to be my favorite person for gorgeous photos that are not overdone or overpriced; just beautiful.

Kelsie McGee

Tanya did such a beautiful job with our wedding photos. We did a relaxed/casual country wedding and she was perfect for the job! I highly recommend her.

Cassie Morris

Working with Tanya and Cam for our wedding was so easy! Tanya touched bases with us a couple times beforehand to figure out exactly what we wanted, and on the big day Cam and Tanya worked seamlessly to get amazing pictures that perfectly captured our day. We could not be happier with how our photos turned out! They will be an amazing keepsake for years to come. The photos were also delivered to us in a classy wooden box that displayed one of our pictures, which is beautiful. As a bride on a budget, I also liked how flexible Tanya was with hours and pricing. We opted for 4 hours coverage, and considering the quality of the photos, the overall price ended up being a steal of a deal. I would wholeheartedly recommend Tanya for any photography services that you may need!

Kelti Boissonneault

Where to begin with the awesome experience? Tanya and I met a few times before my wedding to go over details and what shots in particular I wanted. She came prepared with a second photographer who was as excellent and professional as she was. The shots are amazing. Each and every moment we wanted to treasure was captured in the best possible light from the best possible angle, and the final product was absolutely superb. Tanya is worth every penny she asks for. She has an amazing eye and is super efficient. She kept us on schedule too, which was awesome. I cannot recommend her enough.

April Hanson

Tanya has a knack for capturing every personality in her photos & helping everyone come out of their shell to thoroughly enjoy the experience. Our family photos were all about play, action, teasing & showcasing our family dynamic. Tanya was able to capture all that. People laugh when they see them, know it's the REAL us and LOVE the creativity behind it all! Can't wait for our next family photos & neither can both of my teen boys!

Sheridin Kuta

I picked Tanya as my wedding photographer based on her previous work at other weddings for my cousin and friend. She was very responsive and answered all my questions. She made sure my photos were tailored to our style. We wanted outdoor, natural photos and she found places nearby that were true to our theme, including by a river, mountains, forest, and a cute crop of fireweed. On the day of the wedding, she had all the various family combinations so we didn't need to think of all the details and she captured one-of-a-kind moments that I would've missed had it not been for the photos. Highly recommend! Thank you Tanya.

BEAR With Us for Bears - YouTube

I am commenting about the work by Photography by Tanya Plonka. My only Google account is the one you see for Bear With Us. This review is from my wife and I, Ella and Mike McIntosh. Tanya and her husband Cam were a delight to work with. We chose the best photographer for our special day. Tanya's ideas, energy and desire to excel were evident in the many photos we have of our wedding day. Tonya and Cam's technical abilities overcame and made some challenging weather an asset to our wedding day photographs. We suggest you hire Photography by Tanya Plonka for your special occasion. - Mike and Ella McIntosh

Jason Miller

Tanya was recommended by the staff at the Bayshore in Waterton. A few phone calls and a couple of emails got the process started. Tanya is as professional as they come. Our outdoor wedding was slow to start as we waited out a rain storm. Tanya passed the time taking casual pictures of the family. Once the weather cleared Tanya was quick to take charge and ran us through a series of shots. We had booked Tanya for 4 hours, she made sure to use each minute wisely and this yielded a plethora of quality photos. Professional, prompt, great personality and fantastic photographer.

Natasha Mazac

Tanya did amazing capturing our little wedding get away in Waterton! We married in June when no one was sure if the wedding was still going to be able to happen and she was extremely flexible and ready to make anything work. Even though things changed from our original plans she gave us lifelong memories and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. Her husband also caught some awesome candid shots of the whole family!

Catherine Petersen

Tanya is very easy to work with. She was on time for our elopement and took a lot of diverse shots. Our final photos are amazing and I definitely recommend her for anyone who needs a photographer! Thank you, Tanya!

Jodi Groenheide

Tanya did the photography for our jamani duo debut album, "Timeline" - she was amazing! The end result was fantastic, and the process was a lot of fun. Tanya perfectly balanced working with our ideas and bringing her own creativity to the session. She had great ideas for locations, worked quickly and efficiently, and kept us relaxed and smiling the whole time! We hope to do it again sometime - just hopefully not on the coldest and windiest September day!

Stephanie Dunsdon

Tanya and Cam photographed my wedding in Kimberley in August 2021. Even though they had never shot in Kimberley, they clearly did their homework. Tanya clearly communicated what the process was, and if something in the schedule went amiss, she rolled with the punches like a true professional. I couldn’t be happier with my photos!

Alyssa McQuaid

We have contacted Tanya on a number of occasions for different types of photos including engagement photos, wedding photos, family photos and even promo photos for my band. Tanya has gone above and beyond what we expected on all occasions and is easy to work with, friendly, and she makes sure you get everything you need. She is willing to work with you to make sure that you get exactly what you want out of your session. For our wedding, my husband and I wanted to go to the mountains for our couple photos — she made it work in between our ceremony and reception. Most recently, we wanted to include my recently passed brother in our family photos and Tanya worked with us to make sure it worked out beautifully. We look forward to working with Tanya again in the future to preserve amazing memories of our family.

Ray & Cheryl Burgess / Dick

Thanks again for the wonderful work! You made it an easy and enjoyable experience and the quality of the product you provide is excellent. We will be sure to consider you for future photo needs for us and our family.

Kit Zachery

Tanya did both my engagement and wedding photos, and they turned out spectacular! She's extremely friendly, in addition to being generous and fair with her pricing (you get a discount for getting both engagement and wedding photo sessions done with her). Tanya and her partner, Cam, both move very quickly, so you get a lot of photos/options during your session! They are great at coming up with ideas in regard to poses, locations, etc. and the pictures always turn out fantastic.

Ami-Marie Perry

I don't have enough good things to say about Tanya. I have worked with her a few times and this last time was with our wedding. Not only does she have great prices, but she gets EXACTLY what you want.

Julie vv

My husband and I had Tanya Plonka as our wedding photographer in June 2020. She was amazing to work with, made us super comfortable, hiked to places to get the best pictures, and within a few weeks hand delivered to us a USB of the most amazing pictures ever! We highly recommend her as a photographer, and would definitely get her again.

snickles83

Tanya and her husband were amazing. Everything was clearly laid out and organized. They went above and beyond our expectations and we appreciated the speed at which they were able to get everything perfect.

Sandra Mintz

I entrusted Tanya with a very challenging and extremely delicate project- to bring my late husband's image into a family photo, shot outdoors, with our kids and our dogs. It was obviously very important that the finished piece be nothing short of perfect, and it was! I wouldn't have entrusted this project with anybody but Tanya, because I knew that the caliber of her professionalism, care and attention was first-rate. Tanya has done many gorgeous photos of my family, but this one in particular was completed with perfect taste, grace and elegance. Tanya is simply the best.

Katja Hanebaum

Tanya is so kind and so organized. She did a beautiful job.

Raylene Webster

It was an absolute pleasure having Tanya come and take our wedding photos. Her and her assistant took some of the most beautiful photos with stunning angles. The area was beautiful and Tanya knew exactly where to go and where to take photos. If you are ever in the Crowsnest Area i would chose Tanya 100 times again! Thank you so much Tanya!

Brittany Carr

Tanya has a wonderfully bubbly personality and is an exceptionally talented photographer. You won’t regret hiring her. I became acquainted with her first as a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding. After working with her and seeing the resultant photos, I knew that I wanted Tanya to be my wedding photographer as well. My favorite things about Tanya: 1. She’s super friendly, upbeat, and flexible. Tanya is always happy to be there taking photos with you. I love her positive energy, and she has great chemistry with her husband when they shoot together. Their enthusiasm is infectious. 2. She makes you feel comfortable. I am not a fan of getting my photo taken and it always seems to translate into super awkward pictures. Tanya made me feel comfortable and we had a great time with her. As a result, I loved every photo she took of us, which is amazing to me. 3. She’s well prepared. We are not from Southern Alberta and she was excited to travel to a new destination to take photos. She staked out areas for our wedding photos ahead of time and had her favorite areas planned out. More time for photos, less time wandering around! 4. She’s a true artist. What drew me to Tanya (besides her personality) is that she and her husband take a perfect mix of formal, artistic, and candid photos of the entire wedding, and you and your loved ones are always the focal point. Many people with whom I shared my wedding photos love them as much as I do. Finally, the photos come packaged with a beautiful keepsake box and personalized keepsake USB. Small touches like this really tie everything together into a perfect package.

Margaret Simmons

Tanya did photos of my parents for their 55th anniversary. She made them feel very comfortable and you can see the awesome results in the great shots she got. I'm definitely happy Tanya was our photographer. My parents love the photographs!,

Kendal Prill

We had our wedding in Waterton Park in July of this year and one of the best decisions we made was to hire Tanya as our photographer. Her husband, Cam, and her are an amazing photography team. They know the area like I know the inside of my home. They work so well in sync with each other that I swear they were communicating telepathically. Our wedding was Harry Potter themed and Tanya completely embraced it by coming with ideas for photos that involved some magical touches. HIRE TANYA. Seriously, you cannot go wrong with her and the pictures last a lifetime.

Henry Ross Jacobs

Tanya is amazing to work with! We had a blast at the shoot, and the pictures were excellent. We really enjoyed the whole process! Thanks T! We'll come up with some more nerdy shot for you soon!

Veronica Zdun

Takenya is a very talented photograher

Robbie Rolfe

My spouse Vanessa and I hired Tanya to photograph our wedding ceremony and reception in Lethbridge in September 2018. She did a phenomenal job! Her attention to detail was excellent and she was very professional to work with. We were pleased with the results and would recommend Tanya's services to our family and friends.

Kendi Crowder

Tanya was great, prompt and professional. Even though our wedding was small she still gave it the attention we hoped for, including the children, unsmiling and energetic alike. Photos turned out wonderfully. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for that personal touch.

Isabelle

Andrew and I met with Tanya last year to do our engagement pictures and loved our experience. Both of us had never had our pictures taken professionally, but Tanya made the whole experience comfortable and made us feel completely at ease. Tanya and her husband Cam also took our wedding pictures this past May. We loved how the pictures captured our glee and the joy we felt that day. Both Tanya and Cam were lovely and we could not recommend them enough!

Jodie Dunbar

Tanya and her husband did a great job of our wedding photos. They were professional- timeley and made taking photos seem like the most natural thing in the world. We loved the sneak peak of our photos on her blog and we’re very happy when she delivered our photos in a cute little keepsake box. We hired Tanya for the fun and energetic shots we saw in some of our family’s photos and for her skill at shooting pets- she definitely delivered what we had hoped for.

Bailey Noble

Tanya was fantastic! We had her as our wedding photographer and all of our photos turned out so beautifully. We were very pleased with how she was able to capture everyone's personalities and the happiness of the occasion. She was very accommodating with the online photo gallery when a family member asked that it be reopened. She also drove us to a location to complete our photos when our MOH/BM left with our bag accidentally (car keys and all)! 10/10 would recommend! ⭐

Deandra Fontaine

Tanya and her husband Cam did an amazing job photographing our Waterton wedding!! They know the area like the back of their hand. Such a delight to work with & photos came out absolutely stunning!! Highly recommend them for any occasion. Worth every penny ????.

Lexi Brevik

100% impressed with the service and product we got from Tanya! Booking and payment was so easy. She was even willing to do a not-so-easy hike to get to the location we had our elopement ceremony! Not to mention be one of our witnesses. Our pictures turned out perfect. I would definitely recommended Tanya and plan to use her again! Thanks Tanya!!!!

Nicole Barnett

Tanya is amazing! Our family session was quick and easy - my kids and husband didn’t even complain! The pictures turned out beautifully!

Lauren Denney

Our family loves Tanya! We have worked with her three times - twice for family weddings (one in Waterton and one in Calgary) and once for family photos (in Pincher Creek). Not only are her photos beautiful but she is a pleasure to work with - kind, flexible and patient. We would recommend her to anyone!

Betty Florence

What an amazing experience that we had with Tonya! It was a very playful shoot and she captured all of us at our most relaxed. I would highly recommend her and will definitely use her expertise again!

Heather Kerr

Professional, fast, prepared, and amazing outcome. I loved my professional head shot photos. Tanya was able to direct me on how to stand, where to look, etc and the pics came out fantastic.

JJ Clifton

We have used Photography by Tanya Plonka for our family photos for years. She does amazing, quality work every time. Many people could learn the technical stuff to be a photographer. Not everyone has the gift of being able to capture the beauty and personalities of the people they are photographing. Tanya absolutely has that gift! She gives us great photos every time. I highly recommend her!

Vanessa Nent

Tanya is amazing from start to finish. I have never had family pictures go so smoothly, she placed everyone and had the settings all picked out. Our family pictures turned out beautiful and stress free. Thanks again for the quality and professional photos. We absolutely love them.

Tori Ellis

Tanya was amazing!! She went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience, was very responsive to messages and her photos turned out beautiful! The fact that when I first booked covid hit right after, she was also very responsive and willing to move dates and kept in touch to make sure I could get a date if I was wanting a specific one. I would 100% recommend her to anyone wanting a wedding photographer, she’s just went out of her way to make sure we had a great experience overall.

Kari McLean

Tanya and Cam travelled to The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton in June 2021 for our wedding. We had a small family celebration and they captured all those special moments in very beautiful pictures. They were organized, very professional and amazing to work with. These are memories that are very near to our heart and we could not be happier. They were so fast in sending out this cute wooden box with our picture in it and a cute USB stick with over 500 pictures on it. We would HIGHLY recommend Tanya and Cam for any special moment you want to capture!

David Lenz

My wife and I got married in June and had Tanya shoot our wedding. We were absolutely thrilled with the results. We shot in two locations - Galt Museum and our venue the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. The individual and family wedding photos are absolutely beautiful and we could not be happier. I would strongly recommend having Tanya shoot after the ceremony as we elected to extend her into that time. The candids that were captured of our grandparents (who generally aren't too smiley) and the kids (who are all over) are photos that we will come back to forever. Having pictures from the reception and dance was worth it. From a logistics perspective I couldn't have been happier. Tanya was organized from the first time we met to the final delivery of the pictures. I really appreciated the updates throughout and access to a quick edit of the photos a few weeks after the event. From the close of the event to the time that I was holding the pictures was *exactly* as we discussed in the opening meeting. Honestly with the horror stories you hear of photographers losing photos, or taking months, or killing you with print charges just do yourself a favour and hire Tanya and her husband to take care of you. You will not be disappointed.

Jordynne Fritz

I would highly recommend Tanya as a photographer for any occasion. Both her and Cam were so wonderful to work with. Tanya made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera even with the crazy wind we had on our wedding day. Her prices are very reasonable, she’s very accommodating and I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast we got our photos back. Love love love all of our photos ????????

dixie crowshoe

Having two photographers to capture the beautiful moments of our wedding was great. The amazing photos, professionalism, friendliness and regular contact leading up to the wedding made everything less stressful.

Jasmina Salter

Tanya was great throughout the entire experience. During my daughter’s photo session I was amazed at all the positions and spots Tanya would go into just to get the right shot. Tanya was friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. She made my daughter feel comfortable and was very patient. I was really impressed with how fast we got our proofs and the quality and quantity of pictures.

M B

Tonya is the best! She has an eye for detail and was able to perfectly capture our favourite moments from our wedding. Not to mention our wedding day was extremely windy and cold but she stayed so positive and upbeat in challenging conditions :)Pictures turned out beautifully!

Jordanna Nicolson

Tanya and Cam were absolutely amazing. They did our engagement photos as well as our wedding photos and they turned out so well! I would highly recommend them!

Roxanne Kratky

I first met Tanya over 6 years ago when she photographed my best friend’s wedding in Waterton. Having personally watched Tanya in action and seeing her portfolio of work, I knew that I wanted (needed!) to hire Tanya for my DeWinton Community Hall wedding. Tanya and her husband Cam were so incredibly fun and easy to work with - friendly, prompt, professional, and patient. Tanya’s talent is obvious with the beautiful photos she takes, and her blog is such a fun and personal touch. Highly recommend Tanya, you won’t be disappointed!!!

Raiven Jarvie

Tanya and Cam are incredible to work with! They made our wedding day so easy, and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful photos. I recommend them to everyone I know, and we'll be using Tanya for all of our photos in the future. Just amazing!