Hi Trevor,
I live in southern, Ontario, too and know just what you mean, particularly if you're in the flatlands of the southwest.. If you are looking for dramatic landscapes, Ontario is rather vertically challenged. However, if you pay a visit to the Niagara Escarpment, I think you'll be amazed at the potential. Try these places, for starters...
• Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area, Dundas with Tews Falls and Webster's Falls.
• While you're in the area, stop by Tiffany Falls and Sherman Falls, Ancaster and take a hike around Dundas Valley
• If you are further east, try Balls Falls near Grimsby and have a look at some of the vineyards a little further east, on the Bench
• In the Burlington-Milton area, try Mt. Nemo, Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Rattlesnake Point and Hilton Falls CA
• In the Mississauga area, stop by the Cheltenham Badlands, Limehouse, Terra Cotta and the Forks of the Credit up towards Caledonia
• Further north there are some great 'scapes in the Mono Cliffs area of Dufferin County, the great topography of Airport Road and then there's the Beaver Valley area of Grey County - beautiful!
• Further north still, you'll come to the Bruce Peninsula whose east coast along Georgian Bay is spectacular
You can find all of these places and the trails to get you there in the Bruce Trail Guidebook (
www.brucetrail.org)
Have a look at the websites:
•
http://waterfallsofontario.com and
•
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/maps/ontario.shtml •
http://www.ontarioparks.com/park-locator • as well as the websites of local conservation authorities
Also, there is great potential east of Toronto along the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Peterborough Drumlin Field. Further east you'll find the Rideau Lakes and the Frontenac Arch.
Of course, there are also the myriad subtle landscapes of rural countryside, quiet streams and meadows scattered throughout southern Ontario. For them, (and all the others, frankly), I try to get out before sunrise and get driving, sometimes with a destination in mind, other times not. I tend to look for topography - river valleys, moraines, etc - something higher I can shoot from or shoot up towards.
Don't forget the amazing Great Lakes that surround us with beaches and wetlands and the odd shore bluff.
Try making a project of your local county. If you like nature, visit each of the natural areas at times when the lighting is best. If you like rural countryside, just get out driving. You'd be amazed at what places look like in the golden hours or just before/after a storm - completely different. Get out in the winter, too for a complete change of view!
Good luck and happy shooting. There is no end to the landscapes around here, subtle as they may, at times, seem.