Tom A - 5 Years Gone

[Archiver]

Can't believe it's been five years already. Tuulikki still posts regularly on flickr, which is always good to see. My retired camera dealer knew Tom fairly well, and when I bought my M9, my dealer asked quite spontaneously if I was going to buy a softie!

 

[DwF]

I recall first meeting Tom, our neighbor just to the north when a couple friends and I crossed the border at Peace Arch having gotten a table to sell some gear at the Vancouver Photo Swap Meet. Tom approached as he made his rounds, and rather than sneering at the new kids from out of town, welcomed us while also educating us on some of what we had, and offering sound advice on our pricing. Learning that I might consider trading my black 8-Element Summicron for a 4th gen. (like-new in box pre "King of Bokeh" moniker) for sale at a nearby table, he urged me to come to my senses! This was not because the value had jumped (pretty sure it had not yet at that time), but for it's lower contrast and rendering that he loved 🙂

Later he invited us to join the Friday group at the Zen Cafe. When we took him up on it, we were made to feel very welcome.

David

 

[fraley]

Tom's wife Tuulikki posts regularly on flickr -- https://www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/ -- I always enjoy her pics

 

[mnutzer]

There's still a lens modified by his technician available on ebay:
Super-Angulon 3.4-21mm with goggles of the 2.8-35 for Leica M3, so one doesn't need an extern viewfinder on M6.72.
I dreamed of this specification 30 years ago.
What do you think about it today?

 

[oftheherd]

Tom's wife Tuulikki posts regularly on flickr -- https://www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/ -- I always enjoy her pics

Thanks for that link. I enjoyed looking at those photos.

I never met Tom, and I don't recall that I ever texted with him. But I usually made a point to read his posts here at RFF, knowing I would learn something. I did post a few times with Roger. He could be a little pithy at times but you could never doubt he knew what he was talking about.

Thankfully we still have some posters here at RFF with great knowledge and a kind way to impart it in an understandable way.

Thanks Mr. Gandy for giving us this place to enjoy photography with others who enjoy it, and learn from that experience.

 

[Frontman]

I met Tom on one of his visits to Japan. He was visiting with his wife for a few days, and we had arranged for him to bring a rapid winder for my camera. He was staying at a hotel in Aoyama, about 10 minutes walk from my home, so I met him there and he gave me the winder and told me the story about how it was made, the materials, etc. He and his wife then invited me to dinner at a pizza place they were fond of. We had a good dinner and exchanged a few stories.

 

[phojsu]

I've been away several years deeply immersed in my BMW Airhead and other moto related interests.

I was going through my photo gear and gave my pair of M6 Classics a thorough exercise of their shutters via the Rapid Winders I bought from Tom A just as they were being developed. I can't imagine how many rolls of film I put through my Leicas before my boss called me into his office and with regrets handed me a D1-X and D1-H from Nikon with batteries, cards, etc. I was the last film shooter at the daily paper in Houston.

After exercising my M6's, I got curious to revisit RFF and was gut punched when I saw the news of Tom's passing. He & I corresponded occasionally while I was getting my Rapidwinders sorted out. He was a friend I never met in person, I admired his dedication to B & W film.

Thanks again Tom, for the most excellent alternatives to a Leicavit and being so supportive to all things B & W film.

Tom, you won't be forgotten . . . .

These images I made with my Leicas:

 

[Bolo Kukus]

Any man that can remain civil in the face of incivility is a true hero in my mind.

I have failed on many occasions to be civil, to be a gentleman, to be kind and courteous in the face of incivility, pomposity, and rudeness. What is it that makes the difference between men of wisdom like Tom, and men of the quick emotional triggers; men that are quick to respond to adversity with rudeness and snarky immature quips? Was Tom the last of the good guys? Probably not, but sometimes it seems that way.

God bless Tom and all the people like him.

Mike

Some people - we know them derisively in Australia as "bogans" - are truly stupid and respond only to incivility and rudeness. Sadly there is no other way to get any intelligent messages through to them. Their brains are like cement blocks and refuse to soak up anything related to intelligence and knowledge.

Tom and Roger Hicks were two who know themselves well. I had long email chats with Roger, sadly we had planned a meetup at Arles some years ago but for many reasons I could not get away so it didn't happen. My loss. Frances (not Francis, Roger was not in an SSM) was in her way expert and greatly talented in many aspects of photography. Her hand-colored images were superb and had she wanted she could have been renowned as a true artist in this genre. I saw an online exhibit of her work and have since wondered what did happen to her beautiful colored works of art. I hope they are in collections as they deserve to be.

Such people are rare in today's ham-fisted world. We treasure them all the more after they have left us.

 

[das]

Tom's reported work in getting Cosina/Voigtlander to do the R2C/R2S and the R4 was also so invaluable to the history of rangefinder film photography. RIP.

 

[MrFujicaman]

Some people - we know them derisively in Australia as "bogans" - are truly stupid and respond only to incivility and rudeness. Sadly there is no other way to get any intelligent messages through to them. Their brains are like cement blocks and refuse to soak up anything related to intelligence and knowledge.

Tom and Roger Hicks were two who know themselves well. I had long email chats with Roger, sadly we had planned a meetup at Arles some years ago but for many reasons I could not get away so it didn't happen. My loss. Frances (not Francis, Roger was not in an SSM) was in her way expert and greatly talented in many aspects of photography. Her hand-colored images were superb and had she wanted she could have been renowned as a true artist in this genre. I saw an online exhibit of her work and have since wondered what did happen to her beautiful colored works of art. I hope they are in collections as they deserve to be.

Such people are rare in today's ham-fisted world. We treasure them all the more after they have left us.

Here in Alabama we call them rednecks....

 

[Michael Markey]

Its eight years today since Tom A passed.

 

[Timmyjoe]

A truly talented, kind, gentle-man. He is missed.

Best,
-Tim

 

[CameraQuest]

I miss Tom, his love of life, his infectious sense of humor, his way of looking at things, his understanding of photography,
more than I can adequately express.

Quite simply Tom was a great beacon of life for those fortunate enough to have known him.