Thomas Models at the FIA

I (Jami) am taking a mosaics class this summer Tuesday evening and the instructor, Amy, asked me this past Tuesday if Thomas would be willing to do some modeling. I was skeptical, but intrigued. Apparently a former FIA student has gone on to hit the Big Times and become a really big deal photographer in New York (http://www.ericogden.com/). He has a plan to do a show in New York about Flint and wants to photograph the meaningful places of his childhood, one of them being the FIA. (He attended Whittier Middle School and then Flint Central High School, both of which are a stone's throw from the FIA and both of which have since been closed down.) Thomas was very nervous about the whole thing; apparently he envisioned 50 or 60 kids lined up out the door (something like a film audition, I guess). But only 5 kids were asked to show up: one 4 year old, two 8 year olds and two 12 year olds. The photographer was not anything like I imagined. I imagined a real asshole--getting all my material out of Hollywood films and TV shows--but he was really nice and got along with the kids really easily, putting them at ease quickly. He asked them what they liked to do, and let them set up their preferred materials (water or oil paints or drawing or pastels) while he putzed about with his camera--which was HUGE, about 5 times the size of my Nikon. There were giant studio lights set up on the lawn outside and all the lights were shut off inside so that instead of flourescent lights it looked like there was a setting sun. When we showed up the little 4 year old girl was being photographed, then a boy and sister went. The whole time Thomas was waiting he was nervous about what he was going to do--he was worried that his art talents were not up to speed--that his drawing skills were inadequate (that whole "scribble scrabble Thomas" taunting from pre-school was replaying in his hinter mind) but painting seemed too fussy and too much work. He also couldn't think of a theme. In general, he felt panicked and stressed as per usual.

Suddenly, it was Thomas' turn. When Eric Ogden came over to introduce himself and ask Thomas what art medium he prefered and Thomas piped up, "Drawing," I almost fell over. But Thomas insisted that a Muse has visited him and that was that. Eric complimented Thomas' hair and they set to work. I'm not sure what exactly was going on between those two, but they were really working away together. The other kids were done in rather short order, 10 or 15 minutes tops. But Eric used at least 5 rolls of film on Thomas. After what had to have been 3 rolls he said, "Just one more." And then there were at least two more, all close ups, which I know he didn't take any of the other kids. (Here is my NOT arty photograph of Thomas getting ready to go. Note gauzy light coming through window. In fact, it was a dreary rainy day today.)

There is Eric Ogden on the left. I wanted to get a photo to prove we have a brief touch a person who has a touch with fame. Eventually, he is going to send Thomas a copy of the picture he took of Thomas. It will probably be the most valuable thing Thomas ever owns.
There at the bottom of the picture are some of the "proofs" of the pictures he is taking of Thomas. He took tons of pictures. I don't really understand the camera he was using--he talked about rolls of film yet he was able to look at proofs like with a polaroid which you would not be able to do with a film camera OR a digital camera.