Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Arabesque

Lantern, Gate and Shadows, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




A synthesis of iron, light and shadow form a complex tapestry of shapes
 in this image of an entry gate to a South Battery home.





Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Surreal But Real


Clouds and Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




The clouds hovering above these 700 foot high dunes appear a bit surreal,
 like a cut and paste addition to the image. But they are real nonetheless,
 helping to make a photograph rich in contrasting texture and form.





Monday, April 28, 2014

Waterfront Morning

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A great way to begin your day is to enjoy a sunrise at Waterfront Park.
 Not only do you witness the warm hues of dawn suffusing the placid waters
 of Charleston Harbor, but you can then savor the colorful flowers surrounding
 the Pineapple Fountain, a symbol of Charleston's hospitality.





Sunday, April 27, 2014

Door in the Rock

Natural Doorway, Monument Rocks, Western Kansas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




An archway eroded in rock becomes a natural doorway
  to peek through to the other side.



 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Living Textures


Cypress Swamp, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Living textures abound throughout this cypress swamp garden,
 from new leaves and spring blooms to the detritus
 sprinkled across the sheen of the pond.





Thursday, April 24, 2014

Vintage


Antique Ford, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



When walking the narrow streets and alleyways of Charleston,
I occasionally stumble upon a scene that transports me to times past...
such are the charms of the old city.




Summer Rockies

Forest Canyon Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




A view of the Rocky Mountains from an elevation over 11,000 feet
 is impressive, even in summer when most of the snow has melted away,
 revealing the ancient igneous rock.





Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Multiple Uses?

Fence Detail, Sottile House, College of Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This fence in the garden of the Sottile House
 is not only decorative, but may be t
he perfect tool
 to uncork your bottle of chardonnay!





Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Heron Garden

Heron Statue, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




One of my favorite places to visit in Charleston during springtime is
Middleton Place Gardens. The special attractions here include beautiful landscaping amid colonial era buildings, hillsides of colorful azaleas,
and mini gardens within the larger gardens... like this heron garden
overlooking the Spring House and Mill Pond.




 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Misty Monday - Old Time Determination

Tree in a Meadow, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




Life still thrives even when drastically challenged.
 This old tree, 
in an Appalachian mountain meadow, 
sprouts branches and foliage in spite of its top being broken away.
 My, that's relentless determination!




Sunday, April 20, 2014

Enter in Style

Architectural Details, Trinity Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




The beautiful detailing on the portico
 of Trinity United Methodist Church welcomes
all those who enter. Happy Easter!




 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

A Spot of Hope

Cloud over the Ocean, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Off the coast of Folly Beach one dreary morning,
 a
 little spotlight of sunlight manages to shine through
a dark cloud hovering over the sea.
Perhaps a sunny day is ahead after all.




Friday, April 18, 2014

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Rhododendron Tunnel,  Craggy Gardens, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)




Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway is Craggy Gardens, a mountain ridge covered with a natural garden of rhododendron. A hike along Craggy Pinnacle Trail takes you through thickets of these shrubs which arch over the path to form a natural tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a dramatic 360 degree view over the surrounding mountains.... kind of like heaven.





Thursday, April 17, 2014

Creeping Shadows

Coastal Live Oak, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




As the evening sun sets on Kiawah Island, 

shadows slowly edge up the trunk and branches 
of a coastal live oak.




Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Tropical Zone

Sego Palm Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Protected from the elements in a brick walled courtyard,
 a sego palm grows hardily among other tropical plants.




Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Narrow

A Narrow House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Charleston you can discover a slice of the
city's charm in the narrowest of niches.





Monday, April 14, 2014

Hoodoo

Hikers, The Lighthouse, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




The arrival at a hoodoo rock formation called The Lighthouse
 is the apex of a hot 6 mile hike through Palo Duro Canyon.

 It also puts a twist on an old bit of wisdom that goes something like this...
 It's not what do you know, but hoodoo you know.




Sunday, April 13, 2014

Retreat in the Rockies

Chapel on the Rock, Allenspark, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A retreat in the mountains takes on another level of meaning at
 the Chapel on the Rock, where one may go to seek peace of mind
 amid the awe inspiring Rocky Mountains. Pope John Paul II
 visited here to pray and hike in the forest nearby.




Saturday, April 12, 2014

Advance and Recede

Sunrise, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




Duel perspective adds interest to this image of a Folly Beach sunrise...
on one side of the photo the sun throws shadows toward you,
 while on the other side the pier recedes into the sea.





Friday, April 11, 2014

Beneath an Ancient Oak


Pedestrian Bridge and Live Oak, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




A small footbridge passes beneath the arching branch
 of a large live oak at Magnolia Gardens.





Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Apex of Spring

Wisteria and Church Steeples,  Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



As spring blooms fill every nook and cranny in Charleston,
 wisteria flowers are at their apex. This image was taken along
 Meeting Street, with the twin steeples of First Scots Church
 filling the background.





Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Away From It All

Beach Walker, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



As this solitary soul walks Kiawah Island beach,
the strife and clamor of urban life no longer exists.





Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The Color of Calm

Japanese Maple, Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




Green hues fill this photo of a tranquil spot
in Portland's Japanese Garden.
A stroll through this verdant paradise
is sure to calm the soul.





Monday, April 7, 2014

Misty Monday - A Stillness on the Creek

Shrimp Boats, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Dawn on a James Island tidal creek finds two shrimp boats
 reflected in calm morning waters.




Sunday, April 6, 2014

Early Settlers

Homestead, Oconaluftee Mountain Farm, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



The Oconaluftee bottomlands were first settled by 

European/Americans in the 1790's,
just below Rattlesnake Mountain, seen in the distant mist.
 This exhibit of a mountain farm consists of reconstructed log structures
brought in to give visitors a sense of what it was like
 to live as early Appalachian homesteaders.



Saturday, April 5, 2014

Numbers

Row of Dinghies, Charleston Harbor Marina, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




18, 17, 16, 15... these racing boats have their numbers,
 but one day they each hope to be number one.




Friday, April 4, 2014

Spring Delight

Wisteria Entry, Edmondston-Alston House, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A festoon of wisteria drapes the entry gate of an
antebellum mansion along Charleston's famous Battery.




Thursday, April 3, 2014

Throwback Thursday - Charleston Color

Old Truck in a Garden, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)




Many years ago, there was a beloved garden nursery on Bowman Rd.,
in Mt. Pleasant, and this old truck was its calling card...
a local monument of sorts. I stopped to make this shot one day,
and it's a good thing I did. The photograph made the cover
of Charleston Magazine several years ago (August 2008)
when it ran a "Local Color" theme.
Some of my abstract color images were featured in an article inside.





Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Bridge Wednesday - Distance

Ravenel Bridge Tower and Moon, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The only thing separating this bridge tower and the moon
is about 240,000 miles... the distance it felt like we walked
up the bridge to get this shot.





Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Edge of America

Surfer on a Boardwalk, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




While walking the boardwalk toward the beach,
this surfer gets an unparalleled view of the Edge of America
and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.




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