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2011-06-13T22:35:00.006-04:00

Congratulations Lorien & Steven!

2009-08-17T22:39:00.026-04:00

Date: July 25, 2009
Ceremony: St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Newnan, GA)
Reception: The Major Long House (Newnan, GA)

Wow! So, I haven't blogged here in a while. My apologies. It has indeed been pretty hectic, from back to back weddings, to vacation, to upgrading the website, to editing, editing, and more editing! :)

I've missed blogging on a few weddings/engagements I've recently shot, but I'd really like to start blogging on Lorien & Steven's Wedding! (I promise I'll write the other ones later as well.)

Vicky, Lorien's mother, was a referral sent to me by a past client (Debbie and Joe). Lorien & Steven tied the knot on July 25, 2009! Boy oh boy was the wedding celebration a blast!!!

The ceremony was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and the service was very lovely. The reception was fun and was held at The Major Long House in Newnan, GA.

Lorien and Steven looked so cute together! The couple was very laid back, which made their big day even more fun! Whatever posing they were asked to do, there were no questions asked. They were always up for smiling, kissing, waving, and even jumping! Shooting them made me enjoy my job even more! :)

The reception was a mixture of dancing, chatting, sitting, eating, and drinking! The couple's first dance was very romantic. The tossing of the garter and bouquet was also pretty hilarious. One of my favorites was the cake cutting - smashing the cake on each other's face is always so freakin' funny and entertaining!

There were A LOT of pictures taken from this wedding, but as usual, I love sharing a few shots to everyone. Feel free to contact me if you'd like access to their entire album as well.

Here's to the happy couple!

E-N-J-O-Y!!!

Cheers,
Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Jamie & Brian’s Wedding

2009-06-15T15:42:00.007-04:00

Date: May 15, 2009
Location: Aqua Blue

Jamie & Brian tied the knot on May 15^th of this year. Jamie's mother, Shirley, was the one who found me and contacted me to be a part of her daughter's big day.

They wanted to have just family and close friends, so it was a very intimate celebration. Jamie was such a gorgeous bride! The whole family was very nice and friendly.

After the ceremony, we had plenty of time before the reception, so we stopped by the park to take a lot of formal and fun pictures. We had a lot of cool and fun shots, and boy am I glad we decided to go to a park for a change! It was such a beautiful day, and although it was hot, it was perfect for a photo shoot!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this day. Enjoy!

The beautiful bride - Jamie.

The groom - Brian.

The cute couple.

Jamie & Brian's cute and friendly boy!

During the intimate ceremony.

My favorite shot! (Read this blog or check out this link.)

The couple at Starbucks? Yup! We stopped by Starbucks right after ceremony.

The bride and her cool mom and sisters.

This little man is so adorable!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

My Image and Website posted on TweetMyWedding!

2009-05-29T19:57:00.008-04:00

So I have been on Twitter a lot lately, and it's been fun. I'm getting to connect not only with other photographers, vendors, and wedding sites, but also making new friends and keeping in touch with current ones.

This morning when I checked my Twitter account, I saw that someone had mentioned me on one of their posts. I realized that it was http://www.twitter.com/tweetmywedding, and they have posted as I quote,

"TweetMyWedding#photofriday Love a creative photographer... http://ow.ly/9RHO @ATLweddingphoto's site http://ow.ly/9RI3 #followfriday"

I'm not sure if you're all familiar with how Twitter works but they basically posted one of my pictures (http://ow.ly/9RHO) and have listed my website (www.mangopixels.com) for their followers to see. TweetMyWedding has 3,328 followers and it's still growing!

If you'd like to check out their tweet about me, click this here.

Twitter is a cool and fun tool to keep in touch with your people and meet more!

Are you on Twitter? Follow me at www.twitter.com/ATLweddingphoto

This is the photo that took a spot on their Twitter page:

That's Jamie and Brian, one of my most recent clients. I haven't yet blogged about their wedding yet, but that will be coming soon - so stay tuned! :-)

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Dayna & Mudi’s Big Day!

2009-05-27T18:25:00.012-04:00

Date: April 25, 2009
Ceremony: Rehoboth Presbyterian Church
Reception: Druid Hills Golf Club

Dayna & Mudi's Wedding was definitely one of the most fun weddings I have ever been a part of! It was a very, very long and fun day.

It started out as the bride and her girls having brunch in the "bride's room" inside the church. After an hour or so, the groom and his men arrived to have lunch but they were already dressed, so they basically just ate, chilled, took pictures, and had fun. The bride and her girls got ready at the church.

The ceremony was very beautiful. It was quite a big wedding so the ceremony was expected to be quite long as well. Dayna had 5 bridesmaids (including her maid of honor) and 2 flower girls while Mudi had 5 groomsmen (including his best man) and a ring bearer. A 15 minute ceremony wouldn't do justice for a wedding party of 15. :-)

After the ceremony, the couple took off in a classic Rolls Royce (how freakin' cool?!) to the reception area. I always think it is a great idea to have cocktail for the guests after the ceremony so that they wouldn't get bored while the wedding party and the couple's family are taking formal pictures. And that's exactly what they did!

The reception was _____. I can't find a better word for "fun" so help me out and fill out the blank! Again, there were plenty of food, guests, and dancing. In fact, if you look at their wedding program, there was a big block of time allotted for what they wrote "dancing…dancing…and dancing!" The groom's family is Nigerian and the bride's family is Jamaican, so a wedding with no dancing just wouldn't make sense at all.

I was literally there from 10AM until 10PM. You wouldn't believe how many pictures were taken for their wedding. It was such a fun, and I have to admit tiring day, but believe me, it was so worth it not only to be a part of Dayna and Mudi's big day, but to also be able to document this special day for them.

Dayna and Mudi were very fun to work with, and they were very laid back. They were open to pretty much all of my suggestions, which made the day go by a lot smoother as far as picture taking goes.

It was a wonderful wedding and with confidence, I can say that this was definitely what most brides would call their "dream wedding."

Some pictures from their wedding are displayed below. You can also read the blog about their Traditional Engagement Ceremony and look at some pictures from that night by clicking here.

Please…enjoy and let yourselves be entertained!

The lovely couple.

The new Mrs. Dayna Benard

Mrs. Dayna's groom - Mr. Mudiagan Benard

The coolest and most fun wedding party!

Wait 'til you get home Mudi! Haha.

The bride's shoes on her big day!

One of my favorite pictures of the night -
How cool was the bride for kneeling down just to feed
her new husband some wedding cake?

The lucky bridesmaid who caught the bouquet!

Good job Mudi!

A very nice classic Rolls Royce. I can't say I'm not jealous. :-)

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Dayna & Mudi’s Traditional Nigerian Engagement

2009-05-27T00:55:00.012-04:00

Date: April 23, 2009
Location: Christ Our Hope Catholic Church

I'm not even quite sure how to begin writing this blog. :-)

Dayna had originally booked me for her April 25^th wedding, but later on decided for me to document their traditional Nigerian Engagement Celebration as well on April 23^rd. Her then fiancé (now husband), Mudi, is Nigerian so his family wanted to make sure that they celebrated their engagement in their traditional Nigerian way.

It was a blast! I am so happy to have been a part of their engagement celebration, because it was more than what I imagined. There were lots of guests, lots of food, lots of music, and definitely lots and lots of dancing!

It started out with the introduction, prayer, and then came Mudi, the groom to be, entering while being surrounded by his family. After a little bit, the bride to be, Dayna, made her entry, while she was surrounded by her friends. Her face was covered as she was not allowed to be seen by the guests during her entry. She then kneeled before her parents while they prayed for her, kneeled before Mudi's parents while they also prayed for her, then sat by the groom, and finally unveiled herself.

I have never seen so many people dance with passion! It was amazing capturing everyone while they were enjoying themselves. I definitely sweated – a lot!

Everyone was so nice and sweet and I've enjoyed capturing this special day for them.

Stay tuned for the next blog as I write about their wedding day!

Thanks and hope you enjoy some of the images from this celebration:

The decorators sure did a great job with this place!

He did an amazing job!

The groom's formal entrance.

The bride's formal entrance.

The formal proposal in front of everyone.

The guests welcoming the bride's parents.

It was part of the tradition for people to throw money
at the couple while dancing. How awesome?!

Dayna dancing the night away!

-Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

Debbie + Joe = Mr. & Mrs. Maddox

2009-04-27T22:50:00.005-04:00

Date: March 28, 2009
Location: Harvest Baptist Church

It was such an honor for me to cover Mr. & Mrs. Maddox's wedding on March 28, 2009. Because I took the couple's engagement pictures and got to know them better during that time, I felt so much more comfortable working with them during their big day.

The ceremony was very nice, and the pastor who married them is actually Joe's brother. I thought that was pretty cool. The singers who performed gave me goose bumps! They were very good and their voices blended very well. Debbie and Joe didn't mind seeing each other before the ceremony, so we were very productive with finishing the formal pictures before then. Their guests were very fortunate to not have to wait to eat the food at the reception as soon as the ceremony was over. How lucky were they!

Debbie is actually in the catering business so she and her team took care of the preparation of the food at their reception. It was A LOT of yummy looking and tasting food! If you would have been there, I have no doubt you would have agreed with me.

The entire day was a little short because Joe had planned a surprise for Debbie right after their wedding. As soon as they did their formal exit, they literally ran to their vehicle and drove straight to Savannah. Debbie told me when they came back to town that Joe had planned a surprised dinner and lots and lots of flowers for her. How romantic!?

Here's a glimpse of their special day. Hope you like 'em!

D & J during the ceremony.

Wedding rings on their invitation.

Awesome vegetable tree!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Debbie & Joe’s Engagement

2009-04-21T19:27:00.013-04:00

Date: March 8, 2009
Location: Heritage Park, McDonough, GA

Debbie and Joe's connection has started long before they even knew it. They've had some common friends for a long time, they went to the same church, and Debbie's sons have even known and hung out with Joe in the past as well. For whatever reason, however, Joe and Debbie did not meet all that time. Cupid stepped up and finally, the couple was introduced to each other, and the rest is history.

Debbie and I have kept in touch since the day she booked with me to schedule their Engagement Session. Something always came up though, like bad weather, sickness, etc. On March 8, we finally got lucky and had everyone healthy, and the weather was sunny! Per Joe's request, we shot their engagement pictures at Heritage Park in McDonough.

The couple was very fun to work with, and I had no problem posing them. It seemed like they practiced posing in front of the camera before they came to see me. :-)

Joe and Debbie tied the knot on March 28, 2009. I had the privilege of covering their big day as well! Stay tuned for a new blog and more pictures of them!

Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

New Logo!

2009-03-29T23:15:00.012-04:00

When Mango Pixels was first started, my immediate thought for the logo was of course "mango". I designed and created the original logo myself, and I thought it was simple, colorful yet classy. I liked it. :-)

A few months ago, however, I thought that it would be pretty cool and more appropriate to create a new logo that tells what Mango Pixels is all about. A "mango" shape, obviously, but I really wanted to incorporate a "wedding" theme at the same time. So I thought, it was time to re-design the logo.

I really liked the shape of the original logo so I knew for sure that part would stay. After a few attempts, I finally came to a conclusion! I decided to keep the mango shape, but, instead of putting a stem on top of the mango like the original logo had, I would re-place it with a "diamond ring", giving it a wedding-y feel.

I hired a professional designer this time to create it for me professionally, but the design was, of course, still made be yours truly.

Of course with new the new logo comes a new business card design! The new business cards are on their way from the printing company - so stay tuned!

I hope you guys enjoy the new logo - I love it!

*Click on it to make it larger if you'd like! :-)

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Milana's Maternity Pictures

2009-03-18T22:41:00.027-04:00

I can't believe I'm just now posting this blog. Milana had her baby on December 31, 2008 (that's right, New Year's Eve baby!). We did her maternity shots a couple of weeks before her precious Izabella was born. We were afraid that she would go into labor soon, and the weather wasn't really cooperating with us during that time. I guess it was understandable since it was during the winter time.

We first started doing the studio shots, since we figured that if she did go into labor before her due date, then we would at least have something. Haha. I guess we did get very lucky when we finally saw the sun come up one day, so we took advantage of it. We went to the park and took as many shots as we could, although it was still pretty cold so it was a little tough, but we still made it work. :-)

Check them out:

Love always,

Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

Nik & Seema's Engagement Session

2009-03-10T16:10:00.008-04:00

Date: January 31, 2009
Locations: Hindu Temple and Chastain Park

I had the opportunity to photograph Nik and Seema’s Engagement Session. I didn’t realize how big Chastain Park was! It was a lot of walking, but it was probably good to get some work out done while working anyway.

Nik and Seema were very nice. They arranged to have one of their friends drive for all of us at Chastain Park since one of the spots where we wanted to get pictures taken was too far from the parking area.

For this shoot, the couple picked two different locations. They wanted to get some shots in their traditional Indian clothing at the Hindu Temple. I’ve always wanted to go to that temple, because it looks so pretty and gigantic, but every time I tried, the big gates were always closed. So when Seema requested this location, I was really thrilled and excited! We couldn’t get any pictures inside because photography wasn’t allowed in there, but the outside shots did the job.

Afterwards, the couple changed into their casual outfits and we took some shots at Chastain Park. It was such a beautiful day, and although the park was very crowded, we were able to find some cool and romantic spots. Because it is still in the winter season, the grass and trees were all dead and although the shots had some cool wintery feel, we still wanted to get something green in the background in some of the pictures. We were lucky to find an empty baseball field and took advantage of the opportunity. The grass was really nice and green (fake, of course), and Nik and Seema seemed to have enjoyed sitting there for a bit.

The shoot went very well and I enjoyed working with the couple!

Here are some of my favorites:

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

WeddingWire’s Bride’s Choice Awards

2009-02-19T15:02:00.006-05:00

It is my pleasure to announce to everyone that Mango Pixels, Inc. has been selected as WeddingWire's 2009 Bride's Choice Awards Recipient.

"In its inaugural year, the Bride's Choice Awards recognizes vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride's Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through surveys and reviews. Our winning vendors have set the bar high for this competition, demonstrating excellent service and expertise in their industry."

Thanks to everyone's continued support, and we'll continue to serve everyone the best way we can, and ensure everyone's happiness and satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

Aris & Fabian’s Wedding Celebration

2009-02-17T19:41:00.011-05:00

Date: December 30, 2008
Location: Canton, GA

Fabian and Aris had a very intimate wedding celebration with their family. The couple is from Florida, but Aris' parents live in Canton, GA so they decided to travel and tie the knot there.

Since Aris lives all the way in Florida, we didn't actually get to meet in person until the day of her wedding celebration. The wedding celebration included only their closest family, and it was very, very romantic.

The couple and their family were all very nice and friendly. Aris' family was super happy and excited to see Aris marry the man of her dreams! Most of family members also came from out of town, and it was really nice to see a wedding like Aris and Fabian's brings a family from all over the States together. Since the wedding was the day before New Year's Eve, they all got to spend the New Year's together and all welcomed the newly weds as they enter the year of 2009 as a happy married couple!

Congratulations Aris and Fabian!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Brooke & Brandon's Wedding

2009-02-01T01:12:00.010-05:00

Date: December 13, 2008
Location: Gaithers Plantation, Covington, GA

B&B – Brooke & Brandon were an amazing couple from Covington, GA. I met with the couple back in October and I was quite surprised when they said that they were having a garden wedding in December. The first thing that came to my mind was “freezing.” :-)

Surprisingly, Brooke & Brandon were very lucky or should I say really destined to tie the knot on December 13, 2008! The weather was perfectly perfect! The day before their wedding, if I remember correctly, was freezing, dark, and if I am not mistaken, rainy. December 13^th was bright, sunny, and although a bit cold, very much tolerable, especially during December!

Brooke and Brandon exchanged their vows at Gaithers Plantation in Covington, GA. The place was beautiful! It was huge, serene, and best of all, romantic! The couple and the wedding party got ready inside an old house located inside the plantation, but the ceremony was outside, on a garden, next to a lake.

Following the ceremony was the reception which was also at the plantation, but covered with a big portable heater and a fireplace, which helped a lot as it got a lot colder towards the end. The couple did their first dance, cut their cake, and listened to the speech delivered by the best man and one of Brooke’s sisters.

I feel so honored to have been a part of Brooke & Brandon’s wedding, and I would like to congratulate them and wish them lots of love and happiness together!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful wedding:

Yours,

Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Milana's Baby Shower Invitation

2008-11-05T16:21:00.008-05:00

My older brother (from The Marys) and his wife are expecting their first baby some time in January, and I had the privilege of taking care of the design for the baby shower invitation.

I had the idea of personalizing the invitation (since this is their first baby and her first baby shower), instead of using a template that I’m sure thousands of other people have already used before. I suggested to my sister in law to have a picture of her belly included on the invitation, and she was very thrilled with that idea!

We’re not quite ready to do her maternity shots yet, because we wanted to wait for at least another month since her belly is getting bigger and bigger everyday (she said that her belly gains half a pound every week…yikes!). I wanted to get a better shape of her belly for the maternity shots so we decided to take just a couple of pictures of her belly just to use for the baby shower invitation.

I finally finished the design last night, and they were sent out to the printing company today, and hopefully, they will get here soon so we can get them mailed to her guests since her shower is coming up very soon (Dec. 6th).

Here is a copy of the baby shower invitation:

Photographed and Designed by:

Joyce Balatbat

www.mangopixels.com

The beautiful ocean at Biloxi, MS

2008-10-28T16:32:00.009-04:00

I realized how quickly I fell in love with shooting weddings that I did not give any attention to the beautiful places that I have been traveling to. I’ve gone to quite a few places this year, and I never brought my professional camera with me, nor did I take any pretty pictures of the beautiful sceneries that I witnessed.

I just came back from a trip to Biloxi, MS to celebrate my younger brother’s 21st birthday (I can’t believe he’s all grown up now). I didn’t bring my professional camera during this trip again, but I was amazed and didn’t realize that Biloxi had a very beautiful ocean. I automatically assumed to not expect anything pretty because of Katrina (which happened years ago anyway).

We were driving in our van next to the ocean while watching the sun set, and I just could not resist to not take any pictures, because it was sooo beautiful. I had to use my point and shoot camera, but I was still able to make it work, and I was still able to grab some cool shots of the ocean.

I want to share some of these pictures with everyone, and hope that you can maybe fall in love with them like I did!

-Joyce
http://www.mangopixels.com/

Biloxi, MS

It looks so serene.

Hard Rock Casino!

The is the view from our hotel balcony at the Isle of Capri.

Another view from our hotel balcony at the Isle.

The water looks so calm.

Gorgeous blue water and blue sky.

Sam & Bailey's Wedding

2008-10-20T12:35:00.010-04:00

Wedding Date: October 3, 2008
Ceremony: New Hope Methodist Church (Marietta, GA)
Reception: Pinetree Country Club (Kennesaw, GA)

Sam and Bailey are a young and cute couple from Florida. Bailey's mother, April, was the one who contacted me to document her daughter's big day a few months back. Since the couple lives in Florida, I didn't get the chance to meet them until a month before their wedding day.

When I first walked inside the church to meet the couple and to visit the church itself, I fell in love with it right away. It was very small and old and had the antiquey look. I loved this church specifically for its big windows. The moment I waked in the church, I knew that I wanted to do this wedding.

The big day came and everyone was very excited! I got to meet and mingle with some of their family and friends a little while waiting for the bride.

The ceremony was very romantic. Sam and Bailey were very cute together and they were so in love!

The reception was a lot of fun! I’ve never seen a bride getting down like that in her wedding dress. Bailey sure had a lot of energy and she wasn’t afraid to show it.

Since Sam and Bailey are around my age group, I had a lot of fun with them and we got to do a lot of fun stuff, which was my favorite part! I love having silly and cute pictures of the bride and groom, and Bailey specifically requested for some funky pictures herself, which I did not think twice about.

The whole group was very nice, and the family took good care of me. It was a pleasure documenting Sam and Bailey’s most unforgettable day!

Congratulations Sam & Bailey!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Here are some of my personal favorites from their wedding.
There were a lot of pictures that I really loved,
and picking a few to post here was really tough.

Bride pushing the car while the groom is driving to get to the church.

The jumping pictures were a lot of fun to take!

Bailey looked gorgeous in her dress.

Bailey's pretty dress.

Bailey and Sam together.

This is one of my personal favorites.

Another favorite of mine!

Lovely.

I know you're probably tired of pushing,
but don't kick my car Bailey!

My Homepage Song

2008-10-13T11:33:00.007-04:00

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the song and the band used on the homepage of my website. The song is entitled “Hero Everyday” by The Marys. Hero Everyday was written by my brother for his wife to use as the song for their first dance on their wedding day. I love both the lyrics and the melody of this song, and have decided to use it on my website for my guests to enjoy.

Don’t forget to visit their website at www.themarys.com to hear more tunes and find out more about their upcoming shows. Their songs are also available on iTunes!

Support The Marys and they will keep you rockin’ & rollin’!

Yours,

Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

*Firefox users, you might not be able to hear the song.

Kim & Mike's Wedding

2008-10-06T17:50:00.009-04:00

Date: Aug. 23, 2008
Location: Anchor Church @ Locust Grove

Kim and Mike’s wedding was a very, very intimate one. Their family and close friends were gathered to witness their special day. It was once again a pleasure to capture another couple’s special moments.

I have posted a blog on their engagement session a few weeks ago. I got to work with Kim and Mike more than I usually do with other couples because I got to spend some time with them for their engagement session as well. Both Kim and Mike were very laid back and stress-free couple. Their family and friends were also very nice and helpful. I couldn’t have asked for a better client. :-)

Some cute pictures are posted below from their wedding. You can find some more under the Gallery tab too!

Enjoy!

Doesn't Kim look pretty in her dress?

Mike and his groomsmen looking sharp!

Cute and delicious looking cake!

Very romantic ceremony.

Kim & Mike

These boys are so cute!

Congratulations!

-Joyce

http://www.mangopixels.com/

My New Wedding Packages

2008-10-01T17:37:00.009-04:00

If you have visited my website in the past, you’ll notice a big change in my wedding packages. I just wanted to discuss a little why I decided to modify my wedding packages.

My three wedding packages included a 4 hour coverage, a 6 hour coverage, and a whole day coverage. It seemed like the most popular one was the 4 hour package, which attracted more intimate, smaller weddings, usually under 100 people. Though I have absolutely enjoyed every single one of my 4 hour package client, I felt that I couldn’t really document their wedding day the way that they wanted me to, and the way that it should have been. Having a time limit on the wedding package made me feel a bit too stressed only because I couldn’t get all the pictures that I wanted since I only had to be there for 4 hours.

With the 4 hour package, the bride and groom usually had to pick for me to either be there while the bride was getting ready but I would often miss the dance floor, or for me to miss the bride getting ready but capture their guests dancing the night away. I didn’t really like the idea of having to miss one part of the wedding because we have only agreed on a 4 hour package.

After putting a lot of thoughts into this and asking for other people’s ideas and suggestions, I finally came to a conclusion. I’ve decided to get rid of the 4 and 6 hour coverage packages, and transform all my wedding packages to make them all to whole day coverage. I still wanted for my clients to have options and for them to be able to make their own decision, so I have created three different wonderful packages for them to choose from.

These new wedding packages would allow me to be a 100% part of the bride and groom’s wedding day. It would also allow me to fully document my client’s special day, without having a time restriction placed on the package. I am there to capture all the important moments of their day from the bride getting ready, until the bride and groom‘s departure!

I am very excited about these new wedding packages, and I hope that my future clients will see the value of having your wedding photographer next to you on your wedding day from the beginning until the very end of the celebration.

For my current clients who have opted for the 4 hour or 6 hour package, I am very honored that you have selected me to be a part of the most unforgettable day of your life! I am very, very excited to capture your special day, and I will do my best to make sure that this is a fun and stress-free celebration for both you and me!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!

Much love,
Joyce Balatbat

www.mangopixels.com

Mike & Kim’s Engagement Session

2008-08-17T14:52:00.009-04:00

Location: Clayton State University

The first time I met Kim and Mike in person, they booked with me right away. I felt pretty flattered, because I knew that they trusted me and my work right from the start.

Their wedding is just around the corner - August 23^rd. I will be shooting their wedding as well, so stay tuned. :)

Kim and Mike have been so easy to work with. We were having so much fun while we were shooting their engagement. They were a very easy going couple and very laid back. I forgot that I was working, because I was having such a great time with them!

I’m posting some of their photos from their engagement session here. I cannot wait for their wedding next week!

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Milena Marie

2008-04-02T12:00:00.007-04:00

Location: Milena's Backyard

I recently did a photo shoot of a 6 month old baby.
Her name is Milena Marie - what a cutie!!!

Milena's mom and I initially planned to do the photo shoot at 10AM on a Saturday, but we decided to move it to 11AM because babies like to nap in the morning. I wish I was a baby sometimes. I'd love to be able to nap in the morning too!

I arrived at their house a little before 11AM on Saturday, and Milena was still asleep. I'm not sure what it is, but babies and children like to smile at me when they wake up from their nap. So Milena smiled at me as soon as she saw me, like she expected a photographer to do a photo shoot of her that day.

All babies are adorable to me, but Milena was so special. She was a very friendly and social baby. Some babies I've met get just a little grumpy when they see someone they don't know, but Milena welcomed me to her home with her arms wide open! :) Yes, that was an exaggeration, but she really was sweet and nice to me.

Milena's mom was also a great help. She assisted me with getting Milena's attention while I was snapping photos of Milena. We didn't want to get Milena bored so we tried to play with her while doing the photo shoot at the same time.

I'd like to share some cute and really adorable pictures of Milena with everyone, so I'm posting some of them here. You can also feel free to view some of her pictures from the shoot under the Gallery section of the website.

As always, it was a really awesome and fun experience, and I hope everyone enjoys the pictures of Milena Marie!

Yours,

Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

Mango Pixels - INCORPORATED

2008-03-23T17:14:00.008-04:00

Mango Pixels has been incorporated as of January 2008. All contracts have been changed from Joyce Balatbat to Mango Pixels, Inc. Mango Pixels, Inc. was filed as an S Corporation.

-Joyce
www.mangopixels.com

Felicia & Chase's Wedding

2008-03-20T15:16:00.011-04:00

Ceremony Location: Kingdom Hall, Snellville, GA
Reception Location: Vecoma at the Yellow River, Snellville, GA

Felicia & Chase - definitely one of my favorite clients!

I was honored to be a part of their wedding on March 7, 2008. I had so much fun working with them. In fact, there were plenty of times when I forgot that I was there to work. I was having as much fun as the guests were.

Felicia and I had been communicating since December of 2007. Every single conversation I had with her (either email, phone, in person) was always a pleasure. She was always so polite and so sweet.

I arrived at the reception area at Vecoma at the Yellow River in Stone Mountain, GA really early to get set up. It felt really great, once again, just staring at the reception site. I love the feeling of it. Just standing there, staring at it, before everyone else came, thinking of the celebration that was about to happen in a few hours.

Felicia and Chase's immediate family came to pose for me before the ceremony began. We were very thankful that we were able to get pretty shots outside before it started raining. We did not want the bride to get wet in her wedding gown, which by the way, she looked really lovely in. And here, I'll prove it to you:

The ceremony took place at Kingdom Hall in Snellville, GA. It was a very quiet and intimate ceremony. All of Felicia and Chase's family and friends were there to witness the lovely couple. Afterwards, we drove back to Vecoma for the reception.

The reception was a blast! People were eating, socializing, and most especially, dancing. I like wedding receptions where people are not afraid to dance. Wedding receptions are fun and enjoyable, and Felicia and Chase's family and friends sure did prove that!

The couple's first dance as husband and wife was so romantic. You could tell that Chase couldn't get enough of Felicia in this picture:

I can't thank Felicia & Chase enough for having me as their photographer on their very special day. All of their family and friends were also very nice and friendly. It was a stress free and a very successful project! I hope that all of my future wedding projects are as fun as this one was!

Cheers to the happy newly weds!

Yours,
Joyce Balatbat
www.mangopixels.com

Maja's Photoshoot

2008-01-14T20:33:00.002-05:00

Location: Grant Park & Maja's Backyard

You just gotta love kids! I guess I can say that because I don't have one of my own yet. :)

Well this weekend was fun! I had the opportunity of doing Maja's (pronounced as Maya) photo shoot. Oh she was such a sweetheart! She was actually still napping when I came to their house, and I wasn't quite sure how she was going to react when she woke up. I just don't know how kids feel when they wake up from a nap, and all of a sudden, mommy says, "Hey sweetie, someone's here to take pictures of you. Let's get you dressed!" Well, surprisingly, when she got up from her bed, she came straight to the living room, walked over to me, and gave me a hug. Wasn't that adorable? So, I thought to myself, okay, I think we're off to a great start!

So Maja got dressed and we took her to Grant Park for her shoot. Unfortunately, there was something strange at that park because it was just really, really cold and windy. We walked outside their house thinking what a lovely day, it's perfect for an outdoor photo shoot! Well, I think it may have been the gazillion tall trees they have at Grant Park, so we ended up leaving the park.

You think that would stop us? Nope. Maja was just too great to work with! She stayed as long as she could outside the house so I could take pictures of her, drinking her hot chocolate during her tiny breaks. Later on, we moved inside their house, and she didn't stop smiling for me either.

She was a great kid and she was a blast! When I said goodbye to her, she told me I could come back anytime and returned to her watching of Tom & Jerry. : ) Kid's are lovely!

I'm putting a couple of her pictures on this section, but feel free to view her slide under Portraiture, Maja. Enjoy!

-Joyce

Kaye & Eric's Photoshoot

2007-12-19T15:32:00.004-05:00

Location: Newnan Park

Hello folks! Welcome! As you know, I have been working on this website every single day. It's kind of hard, but I gotta say, I am learning so much and having a lot of fun as well. HTMLs are a pain, but they are so beautiful especially when they actually work. :)

So, last weekend, I had the privilege of doing a photo shoot of Kaye and Eric Jensen. We took pictures at a park in Newnan. We were very excited about this, although, the cold weather kind of prevented us from taking more pictures and staying longer. Kaye had to put her coat back on during the shoot because the temperature was just intolerable.

Anyway, I thought I’d post one of their lovely pictures on this blog. I had fun doing it, as usual. We will have to re-schedule it again though so we can take more pictures and also so they can pose better...perhaps one day when it’s not too cold for me and them.

Joyce