Number One in the World

Waterfront Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston keeps moving up the best hits chart, this time to the very top spot... Conde Nast Traveler magazine just voted Charleston the number one travel destination in the world. That is remarkable, considering all the amazing places there are to see around the globe (as seen in your blogs,
 from around your homes!)

Charleston was noted by readers of the magazine for its "overall ambiance, culture and sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping".

For me, I am fortunate to have played a tiny part in this by suppling Charleston's travel industry with pretty but practical images for its marketing over the past 11 years through my website, Hue and Eye Photography and Design. You can see recent samples down the right hand column of my blog
 (yes, that sound you heard was me tooting my horn).

Nature's Wisdom

Autumn Colors after an Evening Thunderstorm, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



After the storm... rejuvenating light.

Skyway and the Moon

Autumn Mountain Side, Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film)


Brilliant midday sunlight illuminates an autumn mountainside along the Cherohala Skyway, a 43 mile scenic highway in western North Carolina. It is a dazzling sight in October. Even the moon, from 286,000 miles away, peeks above the horizon to glimpse the earthly spectacle!

New Occupant

Abandoned Stone Building, near Celo, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Where people once lived, Mother Natured moved in.

Moooooving Experience

Cow in Autumn, Near Burnsville, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Even bovines enjoy experiencing fall colors.

Blue Mountain Mood

Evergreens in Fog, near Newfound Gap,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


Blue mists rise through mountain coves
 enveloping silent evergreens.


Speaking of blue... an image I shot for the Charleston Visitor's Bureau 
is featured in the JetBlue to Charleston Promo.

Appalachian Autumn

Autumn Maples, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Behind a swatch of glowing maple saplings
 spreads a quilt of gold
 down a mountain cove,
 away into the distance.

Undulating Fence

Wooden Fence and Cabin, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


A slight undulation in a fence pattern makes a worthy foreground for an old cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Now and Then

Circular Church and St. Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Although this is a contemporary view of Charleston's skyline, it could also be one from pre-Civil War days, before the cannon balls of the Union siege and the earthquake of 1886 forever altered the Holy City landscape. Charleston is called the Holy City for the numerous church steeples that dominate its low skyline and for the 400 places of worship condensed in its small city limits.

On a slightly different topic, Wholly Cow sells deliciously rich ice cream on Church Street near the Market.
And holy cow!, I'll have you know it tastes divine!

Cave Art?

Rocky Outcrop in a Road Cut, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Velvia slide film)


A quartzite vein in exposed metamorphic rock
reminds me of a prehistoric cave painting.
Or is my imagination running wild!?

Lush Window Box

Window Box, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film)


A warm humid climate means long growing seasons in the Lowcountry,
 hence window boxes lush with flowers and vines.
This is our compensation for not having traditonal autumn color.

Autumn Song

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)


A cold stream murmurs, birds make their last calls of the season, and wind rustles dry leaves in the cool crisp air...
it is the song of autumn echoing in the mountains.

How Much is that Doggie in the Window?

Dog and Horse Fine Art Gallery at Twilight, Church Street, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


$4000.

But, how could you not adore this little fellow
 hanging in your house?

(Painting title is Bentley, by Steve Morrell.
Art galley is the Dog and Horse.
Post title is the name of a popular 1950's song sung by Patti Page)

Morning on the Fondamenta

Morning on a Canal in Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film)


A quite morning on a canal in Dorsoduro finds walkers strolling along the fondamenta (canal walkway). The fondamenta serve as foundations for the ancient buildings of Venice.

A Touch of Heaven

Dawn, Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film)


On a chill autumn morning, dawn suffuses the sky with warm hues. From atop Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the still air was so cold my fingers could barely operate the camera. Yet, there was such an unmatched sense of peace and tranquility, a touch of heaven.

Timelessness

St. Michael's Reflection in City Hall Window, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


At Charleston's "Four Corners of Law", a symbol of God's Law (St. Michael's Church) is reflected in the window of a symbol of Man's Law (City Hall). The image has an ageless aspect... it could represent the modern era or 150 years ago when Charleston was at the epicenter of the American Civil War. Or even further back during its antebellum times. This sense of timelessness is augmented by the ghostly appearance of the city's iconic colonial church in the window.

Spiked Coffee

Sign, The Gnu's Room Coffee and Books, Auburn, Alabama
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Click on image for larger view)



In Auburn you can keep up with the latest news at The Gnu's Room
 while sipping coffee with a splash of whiskey....
that's a Saturday with oomph!

A Fine But Improbable Balance

Hanging Shaker Chair (Image Inverted), Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Velvia slide film)


A Shaker chair poised on a wall peg seemingly defies gravity.

If you're feeling confused, you may want to view this while standing on your head...

Three French Windows

Three French Windows, Elliott Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view)


Wandering the streets of Charleston during the quiet of daybreak is usually rewarding for photographers. Catching the morning light just right transforms an ordinary scene into something magical. I like the way this old brick wall frames these three French windows. The slanting light adds a pleasant patina of warmth and texture.

Bonsai Bonanza

Bonsai Tree, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The Carolina Bonsai Expo is held October 13th and 14th at the North Carolina Arboretum. If you enjoy bonsai, this event will be a bonanza for you.

By the way, don't sigh if you spy the shy Thai guy with a bonsai on the lanai.
Just say hi, then wave bye.

Evening Glow

Lamp on South Battery and Clouds, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



A lamp glows at twilight along Charleston's South Battery while the evening's last light colors clouds hanging above the harbor.

Passing the Time of Day

Great Egret, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Cloud watching.

Golden Headstones

Old Headstones, First Baptist Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Early morning light slants between the narrow gaps of houses into an ancient churchyard, illuminating a row of old headstones. The churchyard belongs to the First Baptist Church, established in Charleston in 1689.

Hand in Hand

Two Palmetto Fronds, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Two palmetto fronds entwine in a harmonious partnership.

Seaside Celebrities

Sea Stars, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Starfish

No Tresspassing

Sign, King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view)



Just kidding.
Everyone is welcome here!

South Battery Piazzas

Piazzas, South Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Piazzas of antebellum homes face Charleston Harbor,
catching cool breezes and sunset's golden hues.

A Tuesday Twist

Curving Tree, Ship Harbor Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Click on image for larger view)


Turning away for a day from color photography;
a post in black and white,
with a twisting tree as the subject.

Dancing Light

Shrimp Boats, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Light from the setting sun bounces off a shrimp boat window then reflects off the rippled surface of Shem Creek. The reflected sunlight appears to bend 
as it dances on the water.


My apologies for falling behind on my blog visits. I have a heavy shooting schedule this time of year, but will catch-up with everyone soon enough.

In the mean time, thank you for your visits and your patience.

A Remembrance

Tomb Sculpture, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Contemplating a love immortal.

Beam Shadows

Beam Shadows, Bohicket Marina, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Rays of sunshine cast shadows 
across textured concrete beams at Bohicket Marina.

A Hint of Fall

Sycamore Trees, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view)


A few early autumn leaves fall to the ground in Charleston's Waterfront Park. This weekend heralds the official beginning of autumn in North America. 
But here in the Lowcountry we still have about a month of warm weather left until it really begins to feel like fall.

In the meantime, happy autumnal equinox to all,
 and to all a cool crisp day!

A "Who-Done-It"

Prone Body, Merry-Go-Round, Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



Early one morning,
 in the ancient city of Roma,
 in a deserted Piazza Navona,
 by a motionless Merry-Go-Round,
lay a mysterious body,
 still and quiet... deathly quiet.

Who-done-it?

Not a Sea Flower

Sea Anemones in a Tide Pool, Seal Rock State Park, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Velvia slide film)


Although it may look like a flower, a sea anemone is a marine predator. Around its mouth are tentacles armed with poisonous stinging cells used for self-defense or capturing prey. If I were a small fish, or crab, or errant toe, I would not want to make an enemy of anemone.

Three Amigos

Three Yellow Boards and a Cloud, Old Depot, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved   (Click on image for larger view)



If you were a yellow board,
 hanging out with your amigos,
and bored...
what would you do for entertainment?

Camouflage

Marsh Grass at High Tide, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In this image is a dragonfly,
 blending in with blades of silhouetted grass,
nature's camouflage at work.

Churchyard Gate

Gate Scroll and Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In this low angle image, Saint Philip's Church forms a backdrop for its ornate churchyard gate.
It is the cover shot for the next issue of Traveler of Charleston magazine.

Impression of a Sunrise VIII

Sunrise, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



And now, time for something completely different... another installment of my Impression of a Sunrise series. I made this image using a sudden, quick, side-to-side camera motion, and a relatively long exposure. It is version number eight in the series, all taken on the same morning.

(A word of caution: too many attempts at an "impression of a sunrise" may lead to vertigo, whiplash or involuntary tics. Please consult your physician before attempting this photography trick.)

A Temporary Escape

Benches, Roper St. Francis Meditation Garden, Charleston, SC
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


The Meditation Garden at Roper St. Francis Hospital offers a quiet and serene setting to escape the stress and travails of hospital realities,
 even if only temporarily.

Elliott Street Light

Elliott Street at Sunset, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film)


Sunset's golden light paints the stucco facades of these 18th century 
row houses along Elliott Street in Charleston.

I See the Green Sea

Eroding Jetty and Atlantic Ocean, Folly Beach, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
 (Click on image for larger view)


From inside of the remains of an old weathered jetty,
I see the white clouds in the blue sky and
I see the green sea.

Modern Conveninces

Lantern and Yellow House, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


During the era of the Shakers, this lantern would have been aflame with an oil burning wick. But these days a light bulb does the work.

Bent Blade

Salt Marsh Grass, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


A bent blade of grass is essential to this
 minimalistic composition of marsh grass.

A Pyramid in Charleston

Pyramid, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film)


The W. B. Smith Pyramid is one of about 30 surviving pyramid mausoleums in the U.S.  It was built during the exotic Egyptian Revival period of the mid-19th century. 

The beautiful and gothic Magnolia Cemetery contains the graves of prominent South Carolinians, and in particular many who perished during the American Civil War, including the crew of the CSS Hunley submarine. 

It is a favorite place of mine to explore on occasion, to search for unique or atmospheric photography. Today's image is published in this month's issue of Charleston Magazine.

Inky Waters

Wave and Boardwalk Reflections, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Like a pen and ink drawing,
the shadow of a boardwalk creates serrated reflections
 in the wave patterns of Shem Creek.

Caladiums

Caladium Detail, Nathaniel Russell House Garden, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Candidum caladiums, also known as Angel Wings, grow in Charleston's tame courtyard gardens this time of year. What I remember about caladiums before moving to Charleston is seeing large displays of them in Cincinnati's Krohn Conservatory, a steamy glass enclosed hot house that featured many tropical plants. That makes sense because caladiums are originally from the humid forests of South and Central America, which gives you an idea of our climate here along the coast of South Carolina.

Ever Swim in a Quarry?

Old Quarry and Reflection, near Micaville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Where did you swim as a youngster?

 When I was a kid, I never had the luxury of an abandoned, water-filled quarry, out in the countryside, to jump in and swim around. Nope. I was city born and bred, in the Midwestern heartland, in what is now considered the Rust Belt. All we had were old soup cans to go swimming in. Sometimes if we were lucky, we had rusty paint cans to splash around in, or newspaper-lined shoe boxes. Yeah, those were the good ole days!

Italian Light

Lantern and Shadow, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)


Near the Piazza Navona in Rome,
 a lantern provides an ornate shadow
 created by the painterly light of Italy.

Ribbon of Blue

Multnomah Falls, near Portland, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Velvia slide film)



Resembling an aqueous ribbon of blue, a cascade of mountain water freshens the day at Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Strength

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


The ocean is a mirage,
an illusion of velvety softness.
The pier is clear and strong,
a sturdy support for barnacles below,
and people above who wish to fish,
or stroll upon the promenade at eventide.