Tonya Malay has been doing wedding photography since 1993 where she specializes in wedding and sunset photography exclusively. Tonya's experience has led her to over 900 wedding shoots. She still approaches each wedding with great passion and enthusiasm. Her style calls for candid and traditional photography with a pinch of photojournalism that is present in both black & white and color images. When asked what her main goal is in photography Tonya would answer “to allow the bride and groom to enjoy their special day by keeping posed pictured to a minimum and concentrating on capturing those special moments candidly.”



AP: Info about the company: location, number of employees, focus/specialty, website, contact info.

TM: Tonya Malay Photography (that’s me!) is located in Bonita Springs, Florida. I began photographing weddings in 1993, starting with a few friends and friends of their friends. My first year I photographed 5 weddings, and by 1995 I was shooting over 40 weddings per year. While I have dabbled in both portrait and commercial photography, my passion has always been weddings. I now photograph weddings exclusively. My business has exploded over the years and I now work with both my husband Mike Malay and my full time assistant and associate photographer Emma Burdis. We now average between 70 and 80 weddings per year. I am always the principal photographer at all of our events while Emma is my candid photographer and Mike does third shooting and lighting. Please feel free to visit my website at www.tonyamalay.com.

AP: The latest trends/techniques in professional photography.

TM: Brides and grooms are requesting lots of candids and creative shots. While they still love beautiful portraits, they really would like to enjoy their wedding day. I remember when I first started photographing weddings that the trend was traditional. Everything was posed and the photographer pretty much was attached to the couple like a life sucking leech. I have enjoyed the freedom to capture special moments and details in additional to both casual and traditional portraits of the families and bride and groom. Most of our coverage is fun candids, but I still enjoy capturing those beautiful portraits. I just do a lot of portraits in a short amount of time so that my couples can enjoy their day. Most importantly, we make the wedding day fun for our clients. Fun, fun, fun is my motto. I don’t scream and get testy while I’m working. We love to laugh and we all have a very easygoing attitude which makes our couples much more comfortable on their wedding day.

AP: What sets you apart from other photographers?

TM: I try to make each one of my brides feel like they are my only bride. Customer service prior to, on the day of, and after the wedding is the key to success. There are many talented photographers, but giving a client superior customer service will make the difference. Meet your deadlines and give the client notice ahead of time if you know you’ll be late on proofing or an album. Simply do what you say you are going to do, and do it on time and to the best of your ability. Bottom line is - communicate with your clients. Return emails and phone calls promptly. Keep in touch with them while you are working on their pictures. Don’t make your clients have to call you to find out where their pictures are.

AP: Favorite subject/event to photograph and why?

TM: Brides and grooms…brides and grooms…brides and grooms. There is nothing like capturing one of the most special days in a couple’s life.

AP: How many wedding/senior bookings this summer (and on average)?

TM: I average between 70 and 80 weddings per year. How do I do this you ask??? Weddings are the ONLY thing I do…which leaves me plenty of time for the wedding workflow with the help of both Emma and Mike. We are working on our weddings full time.

AP: Apollo products they use most often/popular sellers/your favorite?

TM: Memory books ROCK! My clients love the way that I proof their weddings. The photo covers are so much fun, and the quality is the best I’ve seen in a press printed album. I have tried several companies, and both the quality of their albums and the customer service is unsurpassed. Terri, I love you girlfriend!!! (Terri is my favorite customer service rep…) I also love the quality of the prints, and I am very picky as I started my career in a photo lab myself. I am a nightmare I’m sure for any photo lab, and it says a lot the Apollo can meet my high expectations.

AP: What cameras do you use?

TM: Fuji S5 Pros with Nikon glass

AP: What’s in your Camera bag?

TM: Camera bag? What’s that? We look like 3 pack mules arriving to an event…one case full of backup equipment, another case full of Quantum Turbo Packs (13 to be exact), one backpack with our community Fuji camera with our Fish lens (we fight over this all day), the case containing our Digicom Headsets (yes, think Franck from Father of the Bride), 2 small camera bags with our camera batteries, bridal emergency kit (bobby pins, safety pins, stick pins, sewing kit with 20 different color threads), 3 camera setups with Stroboframe Pro RL’s, Fuji S5’s, Quantum T2D flashes, multiple Nikon lenses, and a light pole with our external flash. I’m sure I’m forgetting something…

AP: Do you like to shoot indoor or outdoor? And why?

TM: I love shooting both indoor and outdoor…sunsets are my specialty. I can easily handle outdoor night photography as well as low light indoor photography because of the external flash technique that I use.

AP: What lens is our favorite to shoot with?

TM: “Say hello to my little friend”…the FISH…

AP: What’s your favorite photo shop tool/filter?

TM: Canvas texture…if you have a picture that’s you have completely blown to kingdom come and then some and you think it’s unsalvageable, just throw on the Canvas texture filter. It hides a multitude of sins….

AP: What is your MUST have in photography equipment?

TM: Our Pocket Wizards and external flash…my hubby has the thankless job of holding the light pole all evening…by strategically aiming the second light I am able to give more dimension to my subjects in low light conditions.

AP: Any tips or advice for your fellow photographers out there?

TM: Please don’t answer your phones when you are in a crummy mood. No client should feel like they are inconveniencing you. Every client should feel like you are thrilled to death to be talking to them. Make every client feel special, like they are your only client. Be honest and be yourself.

AP: Do you have a funny or crazy story that happened when you were shooting?

TM: This past October, I was photographing a wedding for a couple from the Midwest. We had a freak heat wave, and it was beyond HOT. My 6 foot 3 groom dropped like a bag of rocks out of the blue. One minute I’m taking their picture, the next minute he’s on the ground covered in sand. Everybody was just standing there totally flabbergasted, and then people starting running around like Tasmanian devils grabbing water and towels. The photographer in me was cringing because the sunset was just starting to light up - one of those sunsets that are so amazing and you only have a few of those a year. So, 10 minutes later once the groom was stabilized, I ask the bride, ”Are you game for a few more shots???” Mike was absolutely horrified that I asked, but the bride jumps up and says "Let's do it!" So I did some bridal portraits while they got the groom on a golf cart ready to ride him back to the resort. They were just the nicest couple, and I got the sweetest thank you letter from them following the wedding.