BOZEMAN, Mont. \u2014 A Bozeman filmmaker has released a new documentary that gives viewers a different look at Yellowstone National Park than what they would normally experience, as the park reopened for visitors this spring.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Steve Quayle says Yellowstone has pulled him in since his days studying film and art history in college. He is a documentarian and photographer based in Bozeman.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“But what drew me to Yellowstone first and foremost was the colors, and was the opportunity, in those days, I could run down there on weekends, I wouldn\u2019t have to wait four hours and go through traffic jams to get from Madison Junction to Old Faithful. So, it was, I guess it was a quest for color,” Quayle said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
He says his background and upbringing have\u00a0also shaped that interest.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Quayle was raised in a family of geophysicists, and Yellowstone became a creative influence for him. He earned a degree in motion picture production and photography from Montana State University in 1972, which set him on a path of telling stories through photos.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Quayle described what stands out to him when he photographs places like Yellowstone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The thing is, the geology of these different places that I photograph is awesome,” Quayle said. “When you see Yellowstone from the air, it looks like you\u2019re looking at God\u2019s literal artist palette.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
When creating his newest documentary, Quayle flew in a helicopter, using specialized camera equipment to capture impressive views.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Yellowstone holding such an important place in Quayle\u2019s life, he says the park\u2019s mix of color and formation\u00a0keeps him coming back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I love the \u2013 if you will \u2013 the chaotic nature of the color, and I love the intermixing of not only the color, but the different formations; and so, it was a continual draw,” Quayle said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
That connection led to his latest film, “Yellowstone…Above and Below.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The documentary features broad landscapes, aerial views, and parts of the park that many visitors do not usually get to see.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is also because of this interest in the park from visitors, that the National Park Service says visits to Yellowstone have rose by more than 30 percent in the past four years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Quayle says his inspiration in making the film is that it offers a perspective that stands apart from a typical trip through the park.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
“To experience Yellowstone is to like get on a rocket ship and go to Jupiter,” Quayle said. “I\u2019m wanting to, in this film, give people a view of something they could never see.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n