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The Internet at large has meticulously documented national park rock formations, sunsets and starscapes in the time-lapse video format.
But as brothers Will and Jim Pattiz set out to tell the story of Zion National Park and 58 other national parks using short films through the "More Than Just Parks" project, they took the process a step further.
With six down and many to go, the duo is not only filming, but providing maps of filming locations and the equipment used to capture the majesty of America's national parks.
"It's about encouraging people to go and have these experiences for themselves," Jim Pattiz said. "The more information we can provide for them, the better chance it is that maybe they will take that opportunity and go have that trip."
The brothers' desire to document the parks came after a road trip to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, a far cry and "different planet" from their home in Georgia.
Their Zion video, released last week, was filmed over 24 days last fall through 100 plus miles of the park — along the Mount Carmel Highway and in the Kolob Terrace and Canyon areas.
Will Pattiz said the film intentionally focused on less popular sections of the park to show Zion's diversity as more than just magnificent red rocks.
"Most folks, when they think of Zion, they think of Zion Canyon with the big walls and everything. But Zion has so much more," he said. "The canyon is spectacular, but it has so much more to offer than just that main canyon. We really set out to showcase those other parts in this video."
Jim Pattiz said filming in autumn was the best choice, a hard point to dispute after seeing vivid yellow leaves set against canyon walls, cascading waterfalls and even a dusting of snow after a storm in the four-minute video.
"We were really fortunate with the weather, and I think it gave us an opportunity to capture Zion at its best," Jim Pattiz said.
The brothers began with Olympic National Park in June 2014, shooting Redwood, Acadia, Joshua Tree, Smoky Mountains and Zion national parks since. They're tentatively planning to shoot five more films throughout 2016 — with more locations in Utah possibly on the docket.
Will Pattiz said the films are "an open-ended challenge" to travelers to acknowledge and protect the national parks system as it celebrates its centennial — be it for the solace of nature, the experience of hiking, or the appreciation of unchanged, natural beauty.
"They're sacred temples that really need to be protected," he said. "That's a major reason why we're doing this."
As for Jim Pattiz, he wants to celebrate the "truly American" aspect of national parks, capturing a beauty established in 1916, observable in 2016, and sustainable for hopefully another century.
"These are monuments to nature and they're there to preserve nature as it was and for all time," he said.
Twitter: @BrennanJSmith —
For more information
O On the brothers' "More Than Just Parks" project, visit: morethanjustparks.com/