Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/31

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Subject: Re: [Leica] California west coast LUG gathering
From: "Peter Choy" <pmcchoy@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 18:51:02 -0700

Jim,

That was a great report on last weekend's  dinner in San Francisco. 
It really conveyed the spirit of the occasion and I hope will inspire
others to continue the tradition of organizing similar get-togethers
for lost Leica souls and itinerant lens-workers the world over.

The dinner provided me with the unexpected bonus of having Ed Popejoy,
whom I met for the first time, fill in some 62 year-old blanks
in the "coming to America" chapter of my family's history.   Ed,
who lives on his own private airstrip, is a pilot as were my father
and uncle.  By sheer coincidence, Ed happened to know some pilots
who had crossed paths with my father and uncle, and was able to tell me
details of their "scarf-and-goggles" role in the story of U.S. aviation
in the 1930s.

Keep me in mind if and when you should convene a meeting of West Coast
RapidGrip beta-testers.  I've just pointed Tom A and Tuulikki northward
in the direction of Gary Todoroff, and I'm sure Tom would want us to
agree on our field-test before submitting the results for him to ignore!

Rgds,
Peter.

P.S. I'm relieved that the choice of restaurant worked out.  It was the
best place I could think of within a 200-yard radius of my house.



> Last Saturday night (7/29/00) 22 of us, LUGgers, relatives, and friends,
> gathered to have a fine dinner, photography chat, photography show and
> tell, and, of course, Leica hardware show and tell. At one time, there must
> have been $50,000 worth of black Leicas lined up in front of Tom
> Abrahamsson. Impressive sight!
>
> The group consisted of many LUGgers that I personally know, Tom Abrahamsson
> and Tuulikki, Peter Choy (our gracious host), Gary Todoroff from Eureka
> (northern CA), Jeff Alford and wife, Godfrey DiGiorgi, Scott Green, Ken
> Isaka and son Ansel, and Ken Gerlach, and a few that I had never met before.
>
> I brought my wife Jennie (LUGger assistant extraordinarie,) my daughter
> Jillian (Leica/Hasselblad photographer extraordinarie), Jillian's fiance
> Dan (also photographer assistant extraordinarie), and Jillian's best friend
> Jane, who is a great photographer from Banbury England. She is here
> studying photography with Jillian. Jane worked as a police and crime scene
> photographer in England before coming here on a student visa.
>
> Tom Abrahamsson showed off his newest Leica M accessory, the "Rapid Grip."
> It is made of aluminium, hollow handle (which will hold spare batteries for
> you TTL folks) therefore very light weight, and a spot to hold your softie
> should you take it off of the camera release in order to use a cable
> release. This is a very well thought out and engineered piece of equipment.
> But, of course, no one would expect anything less since it came from Tom
> and Tuulikki. :-)
>
> There were prints and cameras floating all over the room, all evening long.
> Each person had to give a little talk about who they are and what they do.
> And, of course, their rational for being a LUGnut. As a result, each
> presentation was rewarded by a special gift. A "one of a kind" softie from
> Tom and Tuulikki Abrahamsson. It is in deep green (BRG) with a white "LUG
> 2000" screened on it. Each in a special little zip lock bag with a photo
> label, with inscription "Summer of LUG." Very very cool. And very very useful.
>
> There didn't seem to be any way possible to leave at the end of the
> evening. Prints, cameras, and good conversation kept people engrossed
> seemingly forever. There weren't any digital prints however. Cibachromes
> from Ken Isaka and Gary Todoroff, and B&W prints (mounted and unmounted)
> from lots of other folks. Ken Gerlach has a Leica photography show in an
> upscale coffeehouse "Barrone", in Menlo Park CA. If anyone is around there
> they should stop in for a look. Barrone's is in the same building as
> Keppler's book store, on El Camino near Santa Cruz Ave. Jerry Haussler
> passed out post cards made from his photos as did Gary Todoroff.
>
> This was an extraordinary evening.
>
> We have to thank Peter Choy for setting up this gathering. The restaurant,
> food, service, everything was exemplary. Even parking was a simple.
>
> Thanks Peter.
>
> Jim
>