At the age of sixteen, a boy left his native country of Jordan and faithfully journeyed to the United States. Today, this same man finds himself happily married with two small children, living in Mississippi with a booming photography business, Chao Photography.
During his junior year of High School, Jeff Chao left the Middle East for Maryland. While in Jordan, his family hosted a missionary for a month in their home, and her son worked at Hinds Community College. Jeff became close with the missionary and her family, and decided to call her from Maryland. She invited him to come down to Mississippi for a visit, and he instantly fell in love with the state. Jeff was awarded a scholarship to Hinds Community College for soccer, and laughs, “I have been here ever since!”
Jeff met his wife, Jana, at Mississippi State University, and like many students, did not have a clear picture of what he wanted to do after graduation. “I was originally going to attend seminary and work with college students,” says Jeff. “But through many twists and turns, God led me in the direction of photography.”
“I always had an interest and a passion for photography. In May 2004, a girl was getting married in my church and I asked if I could come take pictures of her wedding. The photographer was okay with it, so I did! They ended up loving the photos, and I shot her sister’s wedding the following year. It was a small wedding and I just wanted to play around with my new camera!”
Fiddling with his camera turned into a passion, and Jeff was hooked. Jeff was working at a photo imaging store on Lakeland Drive in Jackson full-time and pursuing photography on the side. “I became so busy with photography that my jobs switched! I took photos of everything I could: school day pictures, yearbooks, and senior portraits. I was trying to get my hands in everything. I began shooting almost 3,000 seniors a year!”
Jeff now boasts an Associates Degree in Architecture and has over ten years of experience behind the camera. He shoots 25-30 weddings a year and is known for his beautiful, captivating photographs. Jeff humbly says, “Everything I do is not for me, but for the glory of God. I wouldn’t be doing this without Him. He is the foundation of my business. “ Jeff has three crucial elements that drive him each time he takes a picture: his Christian faith, capturing moments with impeccable style, and developing a close relationship with his brides, grooms and clients.
Jeff, Jana and their two precious boys are happily settled into life in Clinton. Jeff has shot over 200 weddings, and continues to perfect his craft. “Weddings are my passion and I love investing in my clients,” says Jeff. Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your awe-inspiring photos and your story! To learn more about Chao Photography, please visit his website here.
{Blog by Mitchell Walters}
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