One of the greatest things about nature photography is that there are subjects everywhere just waiting for an alert photographer to notice them. No matter where you live there is nature around. One of the frequent comments I see on social media posts is “you’re so lucky to live there” or “I wish I lived in a place like that”, and I won’t deny that I have sometimes thought that myself when I’ve seen a beautiful beach landscape or an awesome shot of wild elephants! And I am fortunate enough to live in an area with plenty of wildlife and wildflowers, but I really love finding new and different things to photograph. That just takes observation.

For example, let’s say you live in a large city. You may think there’s no nature here, but you would be wrong. Most cities have parks, and even if there isn’t a local park, there are frequently vacant lots, playgrounds, or yards. I have found interesting flowers and grasses growing outside my office beside the water drain for the air conditioner. And there are always insects and spiders. They live pretty much everywhere. One of my favorite posts deals with a walking stick that I found in my bathroom. There are plenty of species of birds that live in cities, too. And don’t forget your plants. Even if no one in your neighborhood has gardens or planters you can photograph, look for weeds. Again, they are everywhere. Look for the dandelion that pushes up between the sidewalk cracks. At the right time of year, many weeds produce gorgeous flowers and those flowers may attract bees, butterflies, wasps, and any number of other photo subjects. If you become observant of what’s around you, you will find life!

Another thing you should try to be aware of is the ground and the sky (don’t just look at eye level). There are loads of cool things growing or crawling on the ground. Some of them can be very small or pretty well camouflaged, so you need to explore to be able to see them. Consider actually getting down on the ground yourself. You may spot something you have never noticed before, or you may find an interesting angle to photograph something that when standing seemed quite ordinary. If you have kids, take a walk with them. Kids are natural explorers, and they may find you plenty of subjects you didn’t even notice. A walk with a dog can also help you find new photographic subjects. Similarly, the sky is everywhere! Look for birds, interesting tree branches, fun cloud formations, rainbows, sunsets, sunrises, etc. So you see, no matter where you live, there really is nature around just waiting for you to grab your camera! Where are some unusual places where you have found something cool to shoot?