Misty Monday - West Quoddy Head

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec, Maine  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



On a warm summer day in Maine, dense fog cloaks the coastline, 
dramatically dropping air temperature into the cool 50's.
The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse sounds its deep fog horn, 
penetrating the mist with a warning to approaching ships.

Chapel and Oak

Oak and Window, Chapel of Ease Ruins, near Beaufort, South Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A window in the Chapel of Ease ruins frames a live oak covered
 in Spanish moss and resurrection fern.

Ghostly

Drayton Hall Reflection, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Drayton Hall's reflection in a pond
gives it a spectral appearance.

Breaking News

Ceiling, Dubai Mall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Alien mothership lands inside Dubai Mall...
Witnesses report sudden strange craving for Caribou coffee.

Picnic Table Sunrise

Sunrise on the Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An early morning sun rises over the sea,
and a row of unoccupied picnic tables
 on the Folly Beach fishing pier.

Waterfront Condos

Palmettos and Condos, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Seen through a stand of bending palmettos, 
condominiums nod toward Charleston's waterfront
 with prime views of the harbor.

Accesories

Blue Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This simple blue door is accessorized by ironwork, 
 a fan window, a lantern, its house number, and
 an electric meter.

Aurora's Touch

Folly Beach Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Aurora suffuses sky, sea and pier with soft light and color,
 heralding a calm start to the day.

View from the Mesa

View of San Luis Valley, Chapel of All Saints, San Luis, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Afternoon rain clouds gather over San Luis Valley,
seen from the Chapel of All Saints mesa.

Collaboration

Art Deco Detail, Cincinnati, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Colors and shapes collaborate
 on the facade of an Art Deco building in Cincinnati.

Radiance

Garden Gate, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Behind its rounded gate,
a French Quarter garden is radiant
 in morning light.

Spiraling

Stairway, Hunting Island Lighthouse, Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Spiraling up inside of Hunting Island lighthouse,
a nautilus-like stairway takes visitors to the top.

Prestidigitation

Reverse Reflection, Tidal Marsh, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I have a little trick up my sleeve today,
a little photographic prestidigitation...
a photo of reflected marsh grass turned upside down.

East Battery Mansion

Palmetto and Window, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Early morning sun highlights forms and textures
in this vignette of an East Battery mansion.

Botany Bay Shadows

Boneyard Beach, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Afternoon sun creates wavy shadows
 using the limbs of skeletal trees.

Sheldon Church Remains

Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee, South Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Surviving burnings by two invading armies, in two distant wars,
 the remains of colonial era Sheldon Church are a reminder of the Lowcountry's turbulent history. 

Ironically, its quiet setting in the countryside makes it a perfect place for a peaceful stroll.

Charleston Mosquito

A-6E Intruder, USS Yorktown, Patriot's Point, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The more it rains
 the bigger they get.

Rockin' At the Top

Pink House, Chalmers Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Good news continues for Charleston tourism. Travel and Leisure Magazine selected Charleston as the No. 1 city in North America for visiting. This recognition is in addition to Conde Nast's vote for top travel destination 
in the world last year.

We have a long holiday weekend,
so why not enjoy some of our city's many charms?

By the way, Charleston rocks...
as in, there are lots of cobblestone streets to see!

Independence Day in the USA

USS Yorktown Flag, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)


Old Glory shines bright.
Happy 4th!

Showing the Way

Stetts at Sundown, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



Sunlight glances across a stone path showing the way.

Earth's Bounty

Workbench, Old Salem, Winston-Salem, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Natural textures of wood and stone abound in the village of Old Salem. Visitors step back in time to glimpse a life of simplicity and intimacy with the earth.

Archway to the Heavens

Monument Rocks, Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An earthen archway frames a view toward the airy heavens.


I have a brief announcement. Regretfully, I am stepping back from the social part of blogging for awhile. I need to refocus time and energy on our photography business. In the meantime, because I have a trove of photos which I would like to share with you, I still plan on taking a few moments each day to make a post. 

I hope you will continue to stop in for a quick visit.

Stucco Canvas

Unitarian Church at Sunset, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



The stucco facade of the old Unitarian Church makes a perfect canvas for the warm painterly light of sunset.

A Cool Way

Lush Pathway, Gateway Walk, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A cool way to seek relief from summer's heat...
 stroll down one of Charleston's secluded shaded pathways.

Lines Drawn in the Sand

Sand Dune and Sky, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Artistic winds delineate parallel patterns in a desert dune.

Have a great weekend!


 

Front Row Seat

Great Blue Heron at Sunrise, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A resting heron finds the best "seat" in the harbor
 to watch a breaking dawn.

Three Sisters

Three Single Houses, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Like three sisters holding hands, a trio of Charleston single houses bask in the morning sun on Meeting Street.

Quintessential

Portico and Palmetto Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Palms and porticos... this must be Charleston!

Ethereal

Surf at Sunset, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An ethereal moment in time is captured at Folly Beach
 using a long exposure.

Questions for an Old Door Handle

Old Door Handle, Krakow, Poland  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



I wonder how many souls have touched this door handle 
in the old town of Krakow. 
Who were they, what were their lives like, 
and where are they now?
Imagine the stories they could tell.

Buoys in the Hood II

Lobster Buoys, Bar Harbor, Maine  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Buoys in the hood,
just wanna hang.

Yo.

Kaleidoscopic Color

Umbrella Canopy, Miracle Garden, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A canopy of kaleidoscopic color offers shade to visitors who stroll the paths of Dubai's Miracle Garden.

To see more of my UAE photos, visit my new tumblr blog.
There is a link on the sidebar also.

Happy Weekend!

Bear Lake

Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Bear Lake is an alpine lake at about 9,500 feet in elevation in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. It was formed during the last ice age by glaciers. 

The surrounding peaks and slopes reflect in its glassy waters, making it a great subject for photography. It stays clear because constant cold water temperatures minimize the growth of algae and moss.

Tic Tac Tow...

Cadillac Ranch, near Amarillo, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Three cars in a row.

Color on the Creek

Shrimp Boats, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



A few years back colorful shrimp boats adorned Shem Creek,
 making perfect subjects for the hue seeking eyes of a photographer.

Italy in Charleston

Drayton Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Built in the symmetrical style of Italian architect Andrea Palladio, Drayton Hall is an 18th century plantation house preserved in its original form and open for public tours. Especially notable is its large projecting portico, a classic Palladian feature. It served both as protection from the sun and as a place to openly view the grounds.

A Momentary Peace

Sunset Clouds, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Gazing at clouds makes me dream.  
I loose track of time and am lost in another world... 
where I find a momentary peace.

Narcissistic Oak

Live Oak Branch and Reflection, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A narcissistic oak branch looms over the Ashley River to gaze at its reflection 
in the water's glassy mirror.

Giant Sundial

Shadow of Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The shadow of the world's tallest building moves across an arid urban landscape like a giant sundial. What time is it? Time to gape in disbelief at the Burj Khalifa's astonishing height!

To see more of my photographs from the United Arab Emirates see my new tumblr blog, Hue and Eye Photography.

Johnny

Mural, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This figure is part of mural painted on the side of 
Planet Follywood Bar on Folly Beach. 
The painter is award winning Charleston artist James Christopher Hill. 

Any of you film buffs know the depicted Hollywood actor
 and in which movie he played?

High Plains Tea Pot

Monument Rocks, near Oakley, Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Looking a bit like a geological tea pot, a butte of chalk rises above the High Plains of Kansas at Monument Rocks. In 1968 these rocky outcrops became the first designated National Natural Landmark in the U.S.  
Their origins however are much older...

This outcrop brews a mixture of 80 million year old fossils with multiple layers of sediment from an ancient inland sea.

Rivers of Stone

McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Channels of erosion in limestone rock form "rivers of stone" at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas. The Cretaceous age limestone is the result of an ancient shallow sea which covered present day Texas.

A Real Survivor

Drayton Hall and Live Oak Shadows, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Drayton Hall is one of the few plantation houses to survive from the colonial era. It was built in 1742 and designed in the Italian style of Palladio. In contrast to most of the other Charleston area plantations, it endured the marauding forces of both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, persevering in its original state. 

Unlike players on reality TV, Drayton Hall is a real survivor.

Antebellum Mansion

Antebellum Mansion, South Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved





An antebellum mansion looms above South Battery in evening light. A low angle view brings out quintessential Charleston elements of architecture... 
a tall ornate gate, multi-columned piazza and hipped roof.

Soccer at the Colosseum

Souvenir Bus, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Where is the best place to buy souvenirs when in Rome? Probably in front of the Colosseum. You can buy a soccer ball and kick it around with your friends where plebeians once cheered the gladiators of ancient Rome. And don't forget to buy a delicious ice cream afterwards... GOOOOOOAL!

Fan the Cotton

Fan and Cotton Shirts, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Not only does this fan cool the room,
 it's also perfect for hanging cotton shirts to dry.

And yes, the word cotton comes from the Arabic qutn.

To see more photographs from our UAE trip, take a look at my new tumblr blog

Old Rusty

Rusty Truck, Denny's Classic Cars, Elko, South Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)



This aged truck once enjoyed a vigorous life with a fresh green coat of paint. But since retirement, its splendid green has faded as it languishes in abandonment, subject to corrosive elements of the weather. It has remained sedentary for so long it is known now for its bright red hues, hence the name Old Rusty. 

Farms

Fence Post on a Farm, near Dayton, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



There is nothing quite like the textures at farms... the rough hardwood of fences and barns, the bristly fur of livestock, the soft feathers of fowl, the delicate leaves of crops and gardens, the cool metal of machinery, the firm yet friable feel of the earth... the simple joy of being connected with the land.

The View from Rough Ridge

Boardwalk, Tanawha Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Along Rough Ridge, the Tanawha Trail becomes a boardwalk over a 
fragile mountain-heather ecosystem. Rhododendrons bloom rosy hues while 
in the distance the Line Cove Viaduct, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 
can be seen below a cliff.

Scenes like this make me long for the mountains!

Fading Pine

Old Pine Tree, Lily Lake and Long's Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




The solitary remains of an old pine overlooks a lake in the Rocky Mountains. 
As this tree fades to dust, younger pines growing near by will replace it. 
The life cycle continues.