If you can’t travel far to photograph wilderness, consider the woods and water not far from home. A little planning can reward you. The trick is to keep lookout as you travel about your city. Note the small patches of trees and suburban streams showcased by trees. Then remember to look up–the treetops above can present unique patterns and colorful shapes.

Tweeners

Many urban and suburban areas have greenbelts with bikeways and walking paths. But don’t overlook areas in or between nearby neighborhoods. These are rich areas for outdoor photography. The image below was shot into a quarter-acre of oaks and pines preserved as a barrier between two neighborhoods. To set up a similar shot, find an angle that avoids rooftops, lamp posts and other signs of civilization.

On the Margins

Search the margins of a city where urbanization borders with old farmland, parks, or municipal boundaries. These margins are often marked by tree lines that separate properties. Also notice any natural barriers that mark historical features serving as reference points along the border between property or cities.

Up, Up, and Beyond

Treetops serve as willing subjects for outdoor photography. Point your camera upward. Because you’re elevating your view angle above streets and houses, your shots emphasize nature, not its urban surroundings. In the treetops explore mixes of complex branches and vibrant canopies of leaves with dramatic or delicate clouds.

Sky Silhouettes

Sunsets and sunrises present opportunities for capturing contrasts between a darkened earth and the light of sky. Keeping a line of trees as a black silhouette, look for a contrasting bright or colorful sky with the interesting shapes of clouds. In the winter, bare branches contrast with soft clouds while summer’s storm clouds have the depth and complexity of mountains.