Our team often shoots in extreme conditions… this one being no exception. It’s a beautiful yet hot 93 degrees and slightly windy Kansas day with the sun bearing down like the deserts of the Arizona. We didn’t expect our equipment to be in much danger and with high action filming and hanging off of anything that moves we have little time to gently place our items in the cool shade.

This particular shoot we have multiple Canon DSLR’s, a steadi-cam, Polaris Ranger, Photography gear and many necessary accessories like our Zacuto EVF… which is a must in sunny conditions. The EVF allows us to have correct exposure and assist in making sure we are in focus when shooting at lower apertures. The EVF is amazingly durable and hangs  in there with the rest of our rugged gear that gets thrown around as we travel around the US.   It uses a typical canon battery and lasts most of the day if we are lucky enough to give it a full charge before. If you shoot at all outdoors this HAS to be in your toolbox as the back of your DSLR isn’t adequate for exposure or focus, as well as adding stability when shooting handheld and using the eye piece.

There is one downside.  I found this out the hardway this week and realized the importance of keeping the sun off your equipment.  If you have ever stood over an anthill as a kid with a magnifying glass just to watch the ants run for their lives or get burned then you know where this is going. Since I have found myself doing this once or twice as a kid, I guess I could consider this a payback. Your EVF eyepiece acts the same way as a magnifying glass but with excellent optics it makes the laser beam of light even stronger. If you leave the cap off the eyepice where the sun can directly enter, then you’ll quickly notice that the LCD screen inside the EVF wont stand a chance. Just take it from me… not even for 4 seconds.  I took my eye out just to change a setting on the camera, looked back in and realized my monitor was peppered with dead pixels and small melted spots in the screen.   4 seconds!?!?

We tested this a litte further with some dead grass and found when the light went through the eyepiece just right, it could create enough heat for smoke and eventually fire in about 3 or 4 seconds. The good news is if we ever get stranded we will still have fire, bad news is my EVF will have dead pixels across the screen. Overall we would still rate this EVF a 7 out of 10 and would only suggest that you invest in a large sunshade when outside if using for long periods of time to protect both the EVF and your neck from mother natures most intense source of energy.

“The choices you make define the leader you become. And the choices you make are not just about you. They’re about the positive impact you can have on your organization, your community, and beyond. Our world needs everyday leaders who will choose to make it a better place. That’s what Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2012 is all about.”

This year’s event will feature Soledad O’Brian, Tim Tebow, Patrick Lencioni, Marcus Buckingham and many more.

For more information visit http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/

I have two favorite places in the world: Current River and the Caribbean. If you haven’t been to either, I encourage you do so. My husband and I don’t slow down much.  You can always find us traveling, hiking, biking, fishing, going to the movies, going out with family and friends and etc…

HOW IN HOLLYWOOD DO YOU KEEP OLD MEN LOOKING YOUNGER THAN EVER?

By placing them in a movie with highly attractive men of today’s age. Safe House does exactly that. Denzel Washington, being the stunning man of the nineties, while Ryan Reynolds runs away with the ladies hearts of today. The movie runs a parallel scenario with Hollywood in that it represents the young, replacing the old.

The film is set in Cape Town, South Africa. Ryan Reynolds, who plays Matt Weston, is a rookie CIA operative, whose job is to occupy and maintain a safe house. The safe house is used to interrogate and hold nationals, while over seas. Weston has grown tired of his occupancy in Cape Town and wants to move towards a position in a larger city, or back in the United States. Upon asking for reassignment, he is notified he will be receiving a ‘guest’ at his safe house. Little does he know, the guest checking in to be questioned is Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), who is regarded as a high ranking priority among the CIA, due to his treason and the fact that he had become a rogue agent, working for other countries, during his tenure with the CIA. During the interrogation the safe house is taken over by men who want Frost. Scenarios of you questioning who is the ally and who is the enemy plague the remainder of much of the movie.

Daniel Espinosa directs the film, it being his first in the United States. Prior to Safe House, he has been known for films in Sweden. However,Espinosa does not shoot to bore the crowd. His dutiful use of the camera allows for seamless sequences, and lends itself to the imagination of viewers of the reality involved in such a fast paced environment that Washington and Reynolds are surrounded with. The film is filled with action sequences, but while it creates a genre of action, it also is filled with mystery, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats for twists and turns in the development of why Tobin Frost has returned, and why he willing advances himself to be interrogated.

Granted, the use of such actors like Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, can make you assume the ending of such films, the movie never reveals itself until the end. Most movies that reveal themselves in the beginning of the year have a ‘lack of luster’ effect on audiences. They generally aim high and score low among audiences, given the fact that many moviegoers are waiting for what the summer box office has in store. However, this film is perfect to make the disbelievers put their foot in the water of heading to the cinema, after what many would call a less than sub-par selection of films that concluded the 2011 season. I would rate this movie a 7 of 10. Excellent date movie, thrilling, pivotal moments are fulfilled for the audience by audacious acting, and there isn’t a single person that will deny that Denzel has still got what it takes to get people to the theatre, no matter what time of year it is.

_________________________________ Some of the finest Movie Reviews _________________________________

The newest addition to Relentless’ blog is Joan McMillian who originally grew up outside of Chicago and now resides in Tempe, AZ. Joan fell in love with movies to survive the frigid temperatures of northern Wisconsin during college and has developed an excellent eye for great films as well as a great understanding of what it takes to tell a story. From sifting classics to cult films, and those deemed politically incorrect by the foreign press, Joan gives an incredibly critique and insight in to what makes each film amazing or a flop. Joan says, “I would not call myself a critic, rather a cynic. Constantly questioning if movies are ‘worthwhile’ , and never stopping to think before I speak on my cinematic critiques.”

Relentless managed the entire process of the website from start to finish, including functionality, design and development of the website. Relentless both designed and developed the site to allow for accessibility from both desktop and mobile devices. We also trained the administration of Bog Hog on the maintenance of the website so they will be able to continually offer new products and information.

Project made with: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, HTML, CSS, PHP, E-Commerce, WordPress

Equipment Used: Nikon D700, Nikon 24-70mm AFS 2.8, Nikon 14-24mm AFS 2.8