Tom Myers, Much Loved Sacramento Icon, r.i.p.

Tom-Meyers-Charr-CrailThis talented photographer, charming and adorable man Tom Myers is seen clowning around in his office surrounded by thousands upon thousands of brilliant images he shot over a career spanning decades as a stock photographer.   Toms life and his pictures are a wonderful legacy seen, shared and enjoyed all over the world.  Knowing him was a joy.  His office was not only filled with a lifetime of great pictures but it was filled floor to ceiling with knick knacks,  gag gifts,  hats and all manner of toys and silliness.  He recently passed away after a battle with cancer.  He was 88 years old.

Tom has this way about him.  He wanders around with his camera hanging from his neck like a typical tourist.  For all appearances he’s just a regular guy snapping pictures of asparagus at the Farmers Market or the Tule fog.  If you didn’t know who he was or ask what he was up to you’d never even guess he was capturing priceless moments with his camera that might later be seen in National Geographic or the New York Times to name just a few of the countless publications his images appeared in.  My heart goes out to his wife Sally and his son Jeff (seen in the background of this photo).  The power of Toms Legacy lives on in me too because he personally taught me a few things and I often think of him and those things when I’m working on assignment.  I’m forever grateful to and for him.  He is much missed by many.

You can read his Sacramento Bee obit here.

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About charr

Charr Crail is a Northern California photographer and artist with an avid passion for creating unique digital imagery. Charr, a full-time freelance photographer, spans the divide between photojournalism and extraordinary art via photography and can trace back her evolution as an photographer/artist from three dominant sources. Her father made his living as a newspaper photographer and as soon as he could, was taking young Charr, then four, on assignments to capture a lifetime of experiences and images. He instilled a sense of adventure and curiosity in her as they would often meander down unknown country roads of the South – just to see and capture what was out there. Soon after, Charr would develop her eye for photography and journalism as “the river that runs through everything she does”. Charr’s mother blessed her daughter with the ability to appreciate art in its various mediums. Further, her mother was able to pass along the joy, satisfaction and excitement one can experience in actively creating something beautiful. It’s no surprise, then, that Charr would become a photojournalist and later a photo editor spanning two decades working for Northern California publications including The Sacramento Bee. Often, her assignments would include community events with a “close to home” theme woven into every image and story she captured. Her photojournalistic experience has therefore been nuanced through everything she produces. She’s also drawn to the wonder of color and the beauty that can be found in the composure of a face and the make-up of the human bodyscape. Charr has won countless awards for masterful pieces including; the Professional Photographers of America LOAN Collection for two consecutive years, WPPI Grand Award and her work has been featured in the Di Rosa Museum in California’s beautiful Napa Wine Region and is also part of the permanent collection. Separately, she instructs digital photography workshops that teach students how to blow out the creativity of their photography in simple methods using programs like Adobe Photoshop and how to market using mobile devices-- Visual Content Creation using Mobile Devices.. Charr lives in Sacramento with her husband Chris and kitties Leeloo and Sadie.

2 Responses to Tom Myers, Much Loved Sacramento Icon, r.i.p.

  1. quitatidbits says:

    Beautiful tribute, Charr. Tom was one of a kind~. I will never forget when I first met him one day in Hacker Color. He was such a prince and also a clown–a lovely combination.

  2. charr says:

    Thank you Marquita, so true. 🙂

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