His older brother worked at a camera store and, when Tom was 14, he offered to sell him his Leica M3, 35 mm Summicron lens (with goggles), and 90 mm Elmar lens so he could buy the latest Leicaflex. So began a journey in photography and a life-long affection for and connection to all things Leica. He stumbled across the Leica Meet on Facebook, and it has proven to be the Facebook photography group he likes best because of the many excellent photographers who post there, and the positive atmosphere created by its members.