Nature in Focus, Conservation in Action

A circular logo featuring a mountain range with snow-capped peaks, a howling wolf in the foreground, evergreen trees, a mountain range with the initials 'MV', a moon, a flying eagle, and clouds in a forest setting.
Two grevy zebras fighting, standing on hind legs, in a grassy plain with other animals and bushes in the background.

About Me

Hi, I'm Melissa Varelas—equal parts scientist and artist, nurse and naturalist, soldier and storyteller. For over 21 years, I served in the U.S. Army as a medic and nurse, a journey that taught me how to listen deeply—to people, to silence, and later, to the wild.

A group of warthogs grazing on a grassy Kenyan savanna with a blurred background of trees and hills.
A white Whooping crane, in flight with its wings spread wide, flying over a natural landscape background.

Every image begins with listening. Look closer, this matters.

A black-and-white photo of a marsh with tall grass in the foreground and a solitary bird, possibly a heron, standing at the water's edge, with a foggy sky and distant horizon in the background.
Two whooping cranes standing on the ground with a blurred natural background.

The flawless beauty of nature

Each moment of quiet testimony urges us to act before silence becomes absence

  • A lion lying in tall green grass with a wet mane and slightly muddy face.
  • A small waterfall cascading over rocks in a dark cave surrounded by green moss and trees, with a fallen tree leaning over the water.
  • A group of four zebras grazing in an open grassy field.
  • A white crane with black tips on its wings landing on grassy ground during daytime with dark trees in the background.
  • Stormy ocean scene with large rocks along the shoreline, dark clouds overhead, and rough waves crashing on the black sand beach.
  • Sunset over a beach with sailboats on the water, silhouetted trees, and a person walking along the shoreline.
  • Three elephants, including a baby, walking across a grassy plain.
  • Two zebras fighting with their front legs raised in a grassy savannah with other animals in the background.
A group of flamingos standing and wading in a body of water with some grassy patches near the water's edge.

My love for storytelling doesn’t stop with still frames.

Nature fuels my vision—where every image holds movement, emotion, and purpose. Just like in film, I aim to let each photograph speak, breathe, and inspire.

Interested in working together or have a project in mind? Contact me for photography inquiries.