David Akiba sees more than most people, even though he stays close to home. Since the late '60s, he's been photographing Boston, especially the Emerald Necklace. In striking images he reveals overlapping textures of leaves and gradients of mist, and small havens of light and shadow that clusters of trees create.

Akiba, 59, lives with his wife, Jane, a photographer, in Jamaica Plain. He has six children, the youngest a toddler. His work is in many private and public collections, including that of the BPL. He has been teaching at New England School of Photography for 20 years and at Emerson College for six.

"I send people to places they're familiar with, a place they have a strong connection to [and ask them] what is this about? Why is it special for you?" he says. "I tell my students that ... they should take at least two-three rolls of film. 'How can I possibly do that?' they say. But if you look at something you're attracted to, that's just the beginning of the process. You have to look attentively. Find a motif. Explore it. Make a shot. Consider the interesting perspectives, the light.

... "You can never exhaust the possibilities of the landscape. There are so many different kinds of woods, trees, and shrubs. It's like Monet in his garden."

- L.M.