Mike Vescovo Photography

A remote place deep in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Southern Missouri where time is frozen in place amongst the vibrant natural beauty surrounding the area.

These types of shots are both physically and technically challenging but worth it in the end for their ability to show us what is right in front of us.

The Badlands are a place that are very special to me. I took this image on the night on 9/14/20. Unfortunately the sunset is augmented by others misfortune. The wildfires in California were active at this time and the smoke added to the natural dispersion of sunlight to create a unique sunset. The smoke and haze got so bad the next two nights that it prevented any type of beautiful sunset to occur.

One of the deepest springs in the United States, at over 300 feet deep, Blue Springs in the Ozarks is a place of rolling tranquility.

Badlands National Park is one of those places brimming with so much timeless, powerful natural beauty that merely photographing it isn’t enough. It must be visited and absorbed in person. I’m a firm believer in the healing and grounding powers of nature and Badlands National Park is a very serene and healthy place.

When I visited this spot a vision popped into my head. That vision became my goal for this image. I wanted to create a deeply atmospheric and ethereal image that would cause the viewer to feel…something…To me this photograph evokes the mental imagery of a purgatorial type place where I would meet with passed loved ones before I fully pass on. Everyone’s reaction is different of course so hopefully this image causes you to feel something equally powerful.

Derryinver Bay, Ireland. A rustic and beautiful area accessed only by a remote, two way, one lane road where your only other life you’ll run by is the occasional goat. A place of immense Irish beauty.

I liked how the grass and roses were still clinging on to life despite the historic floods of May 2019 so I decided to emphasize them.

This is one of the places that I take people to when I want to showcase some of Missouri’s beauty. Taken late August 2021 in the middle of summer.

Garden of the Gods is a magical place. Any day at any time in any season there is always something to see or experience there that will fill you with awe. This day was no exception. The mesmerizing mixture of classic Shawnee fall colors with profoundly atmospheric fog made for quite an amazing experience. Hopefully this image captured some of that.

I’ve made it a point to travel to The Badlands in South Dakota the last two years in a row. If massive and beautiful, otherworldly landscapes are your thing this is the place. Every direction you look you are faced with impossible landscapes that at time look nearly alien. Unfortunately the last two years I’ve visited Badlands National Park there were wildfires out west. Some days they interfered with visibility and others they didn’t. This day they did and they muted the colors so I opted to shoot this image in black and white. To me it looks almost lunar.

The lighting during this sunset was fantastic. I managed to shoot a lot of “keeper” images during this smoky and hazy sunset. The smoke cut down on the brightness of the setting sun so much that you could almost stare directly at it. This was a magic moment in time for me. A moment where it was significantly easier to just be and experience the moment and truly live in the present with nary a thought or worry about the past or the future. It was a highly therapeutic moment for myself and everyone there taking it in.

Falling Spring Mill - taken Fall 2022.