Hello Flexers,
When, on a Friday, I am in Vancouver and not on Pender Island
I always go to the Zen Café on Yew Street for breakfast with Tom and
group.
The free form conversation covers whatever topics come to mind including old
favourites like Leica rumors, new Cosina lenses (which Tom consulted on) local
issues, bike lanes, rising real estate values and the political state of the
world. And should the conversation slow Tom would enliven it with a story.
When I went to Zen last Friday I arrived early and Tom was sitting at his usual
table by the door. We had a few minutes alone together before anyone else
arrived.
I asked how he was and he said that he was seeing a lot of doctors and not
feeling up to par.
He hoped for improvement by the Spring and suggested we do a photo walkabout in
the neighbourhood I had recently moved to. I thought that was a great idea. But
it is not to be.
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada2017/TomDennisBWw.jpg.html
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada2017/TomDennisBWw.jpg.html>>
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada2017/CA153977TomBWw.jpg.html
<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Canada2017/CA153977TomBWw.jpg.html>>
Yesterday (Friday) I went to Zen. Tom was not there. We didn’t know that he had
passed away.
I was disappointed because I had been to the Walker Evans photo exhibition at
the Vancouver Art Gallery on Thursday and I had some questions for Tom about
Evans use of a Contax 35mm camera with a 50mm Sonnar f2.0 lens and then later
Evans use of a Nikkor 21mm f4.0 lens on his Leica 111 F. I didn’t think Nikon
made a 21mm in an LTM mount and I’m sure Tom would have had the answer.
As all his many friends know Tom was a remarkable raconteur. I enjoyed
traveling with him to Photokina (twice) and touring him around Hong Kong. The
depth of knowledge he had about cameras, especially rangefinders, was
prodigious.
I hope breakfast on Fridays at the Zen continues as a tribute to Tom. But, I am
not sure that it will continue as he was the animator that encouraged it and
brought it to life.
Sadly,
Howard.
