The plan was to get a PhD and become a professor, but I told my mom: “An MFA is like a PhD in fine arts. I can still be a professor.” The MFA program in Film/Media Production at UT Austin was my best time in school.

“What are you going to do with your two Master’s?” my parents asked. I never returned to academia. A good story makes my heart race. My short films, both narrative and documentary, traveled to festivals and won awards. One, featuring an all-child cast, screened globally while I remained a "starving artist."

On a film set, some friends in the crew started making nicknames. “Jing! Jingaling, Jingaling…” We sang each other’s nicknames and laughed.

Becoming a wedding photographer was a fluke. Photography was my side hobby while I competed in swing dancing and worked on films. One day, a dancer couple asked, "Jing, we love your dance photos. Will you be our wedding photographer?" Another day, a filmmaker asked, "Jing, can you shoot our wedding like a documentary?" Heck yeah.

I had many passions: filmmaking, photography, dancing, travel, food, and advocating for women and children, but I felt lost. So, I took a break and traveled the world, visiting friends old and new and learning from wise, resilient people. Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and back to the US – I shot weddings in Ghana and China and discovered my love for wedding stories. In 2015, Jingaling Photography was born.

One foot remained in the film world as I became a regional film festival director. Meanwhile, Jingaling Photography captured timeless love stories in Austin and beyond with our cinematic storytelling approach. I still often tear up with joy at weddings.

A win-win for my filmmaking itch? Wedding films! We offer selective film services to our photography clients, telling their love stories elegantly through a filmmaker's lens.

With my family of four, I strive to balance life and work during the pandemic. Storytelling is my passion, and my tween daughter thinks it's cool. She loves photography, filmmaking, and acting, exploring her own dreams freely.

YOU ARE LOVED THE WAY YOU ARE. WILL YOU SHARE YOUR STORY WITH ME?