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Cellpic Sunday—Branson Scenic Overlook

Branson Scenic Overlook.

Note: For those wondering why I didn’t comment on others’ Cellpic Sunday posts, I spent a few days as a guest at a hospital in Opelousas, Louisiana. Though surgery was a high possibility, I avoided the knife with a promise that when we get back to Fargo, I would consult with my personal physician to schedule the procedure. As of this writing, I’m still a little weak, but we are continuing on to New Orleans, the only major casualty being our cruise down Mexico way. We do have Branson, MO, scheduled for our return trip, so this post with photos from 2023 is timely.

September 2023.
Branson, Missouri.

I rarely share more than one or two photos in a Cellpic Sunday post, but on a beautiful day in Missouri, we set out on a scenic byway near Branson. The Branson Scenic Overlook is a fantastic spot to take in the views of Branson and the White River. Located on Route 165, this scenic viewpoint is part of a 22-mile (35 km) scenic drive that includes stretches of Route 265. Further along the scenic byway, views of the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake are plentiful. On this day, however, my photos are all from the overlook.

Table Rock Dam
Table Rock Dam.

This view from the telephoto lens on my Samsung S23U cell phone offers a closer look at the Table Rock Dam. However, you can see the dam and spillway even more closely if you take the Highway 265 extension of the scenic drive. We had time constraints, so we didn’t complete the scenic drive and stayed only on Highway 165.

Branson City View
Branson City View.

Highway 165’s closest point of entry is just south of the city. The large fenced sidewalk and parking area offer several view compositions.

View downriver
Downriver View.

The primary river in the area is the White River. Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo are formed from sections of the White River. Downstream from Lake Taneycomo, the White River continues to flow and eventually empties into Bull Shoals Lake, located southeast of Branson.

Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center
Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center.

High on a hill above Branson, the Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center in Branson, Missouri, offers breathtaking views of Table Rock Lake and the Ozark Mountains.

Panoramic view of Branson and the Table Lake Dam.
Panoramic view of Branson and the Table Lake Dam.

If you’re headed to Branson, don’t miss this overlook or the scenic drive on Highways 165/265. The overlook is a bit down the highway from our route into the city, south on US Highway 65. You can get navigation help by entering the overlook’s address (5329 Historic Hwy 165, Hollister, MO 65672) into your navigation software.

About the photos: I processed them in May 2025, primarily using Luminar Neo. They were captured on my Samsung S23U in JPEG mode. I used Neo’s new Auto Adjust tool in the Develop module to set the Exposure, Smart Contrast, Shadows, and Highlights sliders.

I’ve been a fan of the Enhanced AI module, but I’ve learned that if I set the Accent AI slider to my preferred setting in the landscape, the sky appears unnaturally blue. I used to compromise by setting the tool while watching the sky, but I learned a trick to get the most out of it.

When using the Enhanced AI module, I first employ the Masking setting with Mask AI to separate the image’s components (sky, flora, water, ground, etc.). I select the Sky button, back out of Mask AI, and select Invert in the Mask Actions section. This selects everything but the sky. Then I can tweak the landscape with the Accent AI slider as needed. Finally, I close the tool, reopen it, and use Sky Enhancer AI to adjust the sky separately. The process takes much longer to describe here than when in use. Once you memorize the clicks, you can set up Enhanced AI on a photo in under a minute using this method. You’ll be rewarded with a dynamic landscape and a much more realistic sky.

I uploaded this gallery of images to my Flickr site so you can pixel-peep or review the photo metadata. The gallery for this post can be found here.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never assign a specific theme to this feature—the primary rule is that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or other mobile device. The second rule: link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post. Oh, and there’s no penalty if you don’t post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

50 comments

  12. Absolutely breathtaking, I agree John. Thanks for the great selection of photos of Branson. Love the Dam as it curves and the mirror images in the water you captured.
    Thanks for the tips on keeping the sky as natural as possibe. Your panorama photo is superb and the sky is outstanding!

    Sending prayers for good health and healing. Peace to you.

    Reply

  13. Many years ago, we did a family reunion at a hotel on a lake near Branson and visited Branson as well. It was a lovely place and a lovely time. Hope you visit that dr. and are soon in the pink. Sorry you missed your Mexican cruise! Let us know how you do, John.

    Reply

  14. Beautiful images and gorgeous scenery John! Wishing you good health and a safe journey back to Fargo 😊 🙏

    Reply

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