Some old Goex Stuff

A number of years ago I got a Call from GOEX back when they were here in Moosic PA. They needed photography to celebrate their anniversary. They new I was big time in to building 18th century Rifles and was also a commercial photographer! I got the account and helped produce their 80th anniversary cans!
Also some ads were needed for contemporary publications ! ( Muzzle-blasts Muzzleloader Etc
I was a traditionalist and so was their president!
The vice Pres ( son of the Pres) was more into the modern inline stuff and BP substitutes!)
We ran with traditional ads for about 8 years then the company moved to Louisiana!
I have a few photos from my archives I thought you guys may like to see.
So i Will post them here:
Jim
Yes that is me shooting the smooth bore!

Appreciate you sharing those, very nice work.

Sweet. I love GOEX. My first powder.

cool J.W.

Very nice!

Very much like the staging and lighting in the ad photo. You're quite the artist Jim.

I know I've seen that ad. Had a subscription to Muzzle Loader Magazine and picked up Muzzle Blasts here and there at shows.

I know a celebrity!

I traded Bill Scurlock six BP-related cartoons for a three-year subscription back around the same time. I think only two or made it into the magazine before they had a fire and started over. I never knew what happened until years later. If your ad was in one of those, I may have the issue yet - or may have lost it in a divorce. Not my divorce. I've lost a lot of stuff over the years which was in the hands of friends who lost their stuff (and mine) when they got divorced.

I miss the traditional stuff. I have nothing against the modern inline stuff, but it's just not my bag and it's sad that it's probably diverted a lot of people who would have otherwise gotten into traditional muzzle-loading. Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but it seemed a lot more popular back then.

Jim, that is very cool. Didn't know I was hanging out around someone of such prominent status in circles, and in a time I look back upon with great sentiment.

Excellent photography, sir.

A framed copy of one of Jim's posters for Goex hangs
in my living room. He is a true camera professional,
and a friend.

Paul

Really a lot a style. Nice work.

Very cool,thanks for sharing!

Hi Folks
Thanks very much for the nice words.
The style of photography that you see in the poster was called "Painting with Light" it was popular in the early 1990" this was before professional digital cameras and Computer manipulation.
The process uses a view camera; in this case 8 x10"
It is done with a series of exposures to one sheet ( in this case Transparency film) film

One creates the soft mood then another creates a base exposure while others are done in a dark room lights off with the shutter open to physical hand paint the objects with various intensities of light as well as softness ( using nose grease on plastic sheets in front of the lens) As you can imagine the total exposure could take up to 15 minutes or more. For the light source I was using a fiber optic light source and as you may expect you sort of had to have the knack of "feeling the force" so to speak to get one good sheet of properly exposed film. And it could never be duplicated in camera. I did a good bit of this technique for my clients back then which kept my studio open and my family fed. Now days I can somewhat create this look with a single exposure with much manipulation in photoshop; however while still nice, it somehow lacks the warmth and mood that the original process gave.

Jim

No "soul" in the digital copy ............ It lacks the feel and warmth ? Sounds like the difference between an AR 15 and a K98 ......

JW,look up Wallace Nutting.... early 20th century time period. He was a reasonably well to do,"player" in old house restoration. Big into period perfect rooms N such. He then,gets the idea to start,spreading the gospel of cool old houses,rooms,antiquities........ he uses B&W film,then gets,usually women to color the pictures. Markets the heck out of them. Don't get too hung up on some of his B.S. ..... just an interesting perspective on commercial photography, nothing more.His signed originals are still affordable.

Nice photos, JWF! Btw, I used to have an oval can (half filled) of FFg, but tossed it once I used up its contents.

Little known things about little known things, thanks for sharing JW, I have a whole new appreciation for some of the old photography.

You had your eye open during the follow-through, only disciplined flintlock men can do that! Cool.

JWFilips said:

Now days I can somewhat create this look with a single exposure with much manipulation in photoshop; however while still nice, it somehow lacks the warmth and mood that the original process gave.

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Throughout the 1990s and into the first decade of the 2000s, I was doing a lot of work on the technology of transferring images on motion picture film to the digital environment and to a lesser degree the development of digital motion picture cameras.
Quite of few of the more well established movie directors were resistant to the transition from film to digital capture of their movies, with the main complaint being the lack of warmth seen in digital photography that film delivers.

Ian said:

You had your eye open during the follow-through, only disciplined flintlock men can do that! Cool.

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Ian,
In all my years of shooting flintlock Never have seen the flash!

Since you folks like to look at interesting photos I thought I would share anorther: This one is from the 2nd GOEX ad I did for them with the "Light Painting technique. ( Everything in the photo is my stuff) It read something like ....If you have gone this far to do things authenticlly Don't you think you need to use the "Real Black Powder" ...GOEX You will see in the photo the rifle is being readied for Cleaning with Tow and a Tow worm ( Clasic 18th C procedure , etc) Hey I was grasping at straws to come up with these ads!


I still need to find and post the Brown Bess painted image....hope to find it soon
Jim

Jim, your photography skill and artistry are only second to one thing-your gunmaking and skill on horns and such.
I am impressed. Beautiful work.

Brad said:

am impressed. Beautiful work.

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Seconded