Towards the end of 2008, I posted my first ever blogstalkers contest for any couple that was looking for some portrait photos and would share something they’ve done for others. I can’t tell you how excited and honored I am to announce the winners of the contest and also the portrait session I had with them this past weekend: Dina and Lyndon (along with their three handsome sons Deon, Dale, and Dave) from Las Vegas, NV! All I can say is last Friday was one of THE most amazing and truly inspiring days of my entire life thanks to this extroardinary family. No it didn’t have anything to do with basketball, engineering, or even weddings. Actually, it really didn’t have much to do with photography as well, in the sense that I simply got to spend time with a group of wonderful individuals who were tied together by the unbreakable bond of a family: love, passion, trust, and true happiness.
I received several heartfelt entries from some wonderful people, which I want to thank each and every one of them if they’re reading this; but in the end, I had to go with a couple that stood for everything good in this world and have gone through so many obstacles to get to where they are. Dina and Lyndon are celebrating their 20th anniversary next month; and the way Lyndon looked at his beautiful wife Dina during the portrait session, there was no doubt these two are still madly in love with each other. To Dina and Lyndon, it’s still love at first sight and will forever be that way. They, along with their three sons, were born in the Philippines and had to go through several challenges to make it to the United States.
What inspired me the most about Lyndon and his family was how happy and genuine they were around not only themselves, but around me. I briefly met Dina and Lyndon for the first time while at WPPI a few months ago and it was like we’ve known each other for the longest of times. Honestly, I see a lot of my parents in them, and likewise, them in my parents. While photographing Lyndon’s family, I was reminded why I am the way I am today and what got me to do the things I’m doing now: it’s my mom and dad. They never graduated from high school while living in Burma (my hometown) and had to start working to support their own siblings and parents at the age of 13. My parents fought through the facist government, poverty, diseased streets of Rangoon, and with a little luck, was able to move to Los Angeles back in 1987, just to give me (and my future sister) a chance to live and be free in this world. My parents never asked more from me than to sleep early, eat right, and do my best in school. Phrases like SAT, advanced placement classes, PhD, or even college and engineering never really crossed their mind. Instead, phrases like working hard, doing the right thing, and loving one another were the things my mom and dad taught me.
And that’s why I picked Dina and Lyndon. Because they teach those same principles and more to Deon, Dale, and Dave. Because Dina and Lyndon fought against all odds to survive and give the opportunity to grow and be free in this world to their three sons. Because they’ve let nothing come between themselves and their family. Because they’ve inspired me to continue providing a service and product that will hopefully continue to inspire others. Thank you Lyndon, Dina, Deon, Dale, and Dave for welcoming me into your home and into your hearts. I hope you know how thankful I am of your friendship and how I’ll forever cherish and use it to help me reach new heights and new places in this world.
Here’s the e-mail Lyndon sent me for the contest, along with a photo of Dina and him:
Dear Mr. Henry Chen,
My name is Lyndon Lacambacal and I’m living in Las Vegas, NV. My phone no. (702)***-****. I have been a big fan of yours ever since I came upon your website. It was by chance that I came to see your website through a link when I was doing a research online about bouncing flash mid 2008. From the time I’ve seen the amazing works you have done, my admiration for the passion you have on your work make me wish to meet you as I was really so inspired to begin learning photography. So with this contest you have launched if ever I’ll be lucky to win, will serve me two purposes: to meet my idol in photography and the other which is of no less importance is to give a gift to my loving wife who would have never thought of this chance.
From time to time, I call her to view slideshows on your website as we both watched and feel the emotions of every photo you have captured. One time we were viewing them, she uttered with teary eyes how much she wished we had this type of photographs and slideshows when we were married back when it was still betamax format on video. Yes we were married long time ago–1989. Our wedding photos are fading, the wedding video on betamax has stopped working but our love for each other still keeps growing. My wife serves as the provider for our family and I’m a stay at home dad taking care of our children. I have not given her any gifts that would flatter a woman for a long time since we moved to this country. I wish to win your contest to give a gift of love to a very much deserving wife and to have vibrant colors of photos, of memories we can look at and show our children and grandchildren(in the future) and be proud of to our friends.
Thank you very much for this chance. May you be blessed with good health always to continue shooting memories.
Sincerely yours,
Lyndon
Here are some of my favorite shots of Lyndon’s family and ones with Dina and him; I’ll be putting together a storybook leather covered, digital flushed-mount album for them shortly, which will be a gift from Lyndon to Dina for their 20th anniversary :).
And I hope Lyndon won’t be too mad at me as I share with you some of his heartfelt e-mails to me the last few months, even after I told him he won the contest :P.
Dated 2/6/09: Hi Henry! Just a little note as we kept on returning to watch the slideshows/photos mostly engagements and weddings on your website. We’ve seen many photos online of other wedding photographers and me and Dina noticed the difference between your shots and theirs, maybe we have our bias but would still like you to know. All of their shots have the ooohs and aahs and the wow factor so to say, but what makes your work different from them are the emotions, the heart warming feelings you have captured that touch viewers like us. We can just imagine the contentment and smiles you have given to those you have photographed. If in basketball they want to be like Mike or Kobe, me– I want to be like Henry! Keep on shooting Henry, you are truly an inspiration!
Lyndon
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Dated 3/28/09 (after finding out that a loved one, my uncle, is in the hospital and has lung cancer): Hi Henry, how are you? You know I visit your blog everyday and this morning I read your twitter messages and I want to let you know that it is never too late to believe and have faith. To tell you the truth our prayers and faith has kept our family as we are now. We are not wealthy but we are happy. As we grow older together we found out the power of prayers. They don’t always get granted right away, sometimes it isn’t granted at all–maybe it isn’t meant to be but that is how faith is.
If I am offending you in anyway pls accept my sincere apology as I do not and never intend to. I see you as a son and I’m talking from experience. Our second son Dale is a miracle baby. If we followed doctors’ advice we won’t have him. Against medical advice to abortion when Dina had German measles on her first term of pregnancy, we decided to keep the baby and prayed that the baby wil be ok. When he was born we still don’t know if he’s ok since the effects of the measles can still manifest later on. Our baby could have defects that we don’t see yet. He might have a heart problem, a sight problem, a hearing problem, or he might not even live. If you are a parent you’ll have pain of the uncertainty of what you do not have any control of. I remember clapping loudly or banging the door almost everyday to check if our baby can hear while he is asleep. I go to sleep praying that the day will come soon when the doctors will let us know our son is fine. Now Dale is turning 16 this year, and all he had from that battle is a hearing loss on his right ear. And even with that defect, he plays the violin very well, and that brings us to tears everytime we go to one of his school orchestra’s performance. We are thankful that our prayers were answered, our son may not be perfect the way we want him to be, but he is a gift. I think that sometimes or maybe most of the time our faith gets tested, when all we can do is hang on to our faith and pray. I’m sharing this to you Henry hoping that somehow whatever questions you have inside your heart be answered.
Lyndon
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