Balance

Sunrise, Atlantic Ocean, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for large view. Velvia slide film.)



Morning on Folly Beach finds the sun
balanced upon the sea.

Flowers Runneth Over

Flower Boxes, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Every year this house on Meeting Street displays lush,
overflowing, flower boxes. Combined with the ornate ironwork,
the large shuttered windows and the warm colors,
it exemplifies the beauty and charm regularly seen along
Charleston streets.

Past Glory

Red Mountain, near Ouray, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Red Mountain is named for the color of the iron ore exposed on its slopes.
It's peak is framed by the remains of a mining operation which dates from the
late 1800's, when this part of Colorado was one of the richest sources of
precious minerals in the world.

Up Into the Light

Steps, Fort Moultre, Sullivan's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Beneath the 19th century defenses of Fort Moultrie
is a network of dimly lit tunnels. When following the maze
of twists and turns you wonder how long it will be until you
step out of the darkness and up into the light.

Rainbow at Dawn

Lantern, Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Dawn light brings out the lovely color scheme of Charleston's Rainbow Row.

Misty Monday - Two Trees

Two Trees, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Two conifers stand in contrast to the misty ridges
of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Night Stroll

Saint Michael's Church at Night, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Framed by a pair of gas lanterns, the steeple of Saint Michael's Church glows like a candle on a peaceful summer evening. Whether ambling through the historic district after dinner at one of Charleston's fabulous restaurants, or just out for a romantic night stroll, this is just one of the charming scenes you are sure to see.

Play and Work

Morning Surfers, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Two surfers stroll along the beach ready to play in the waves,
 while in the distance a shrimp boat trolls the sea for its daily catch.

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

Line of Bicycles, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A fun way to see Charleston is on a bicycle. There are several
 places around town to rent them and explore the city's narrow
 streets and alleyways. For some reason, a catchy Queen tune
 keeps running through my brain...

Shaker Minimalism

Bedroom, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Simple but functional was the ethos of the 19th century Shaker life style.
This guiding principle was demonstrated perfectly in the design and construction
of their furniture, the influence of which is seen today in the minimalist approach to creating modern furniture.

Famous Quotes

Window and Lamp Shadow, near Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



I came,
I saw,
I snapped.

Fountain of Youth

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



Waterfront Park is a great place to watch a sunrise.
And, if you dare to splash and wade in the cool fountain waters,
 you just may remember a forgotten moment from your youth.

Narrow Passage

Stolls Alley, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



At one end, Stolls Alley is a narrow footpath bordered by
 tall brick walls. But here it opens a little
 to reveal a driveway at the other end, just wide enough for
residents to steer their cars toward colonial era homes.

To the Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



At Acadia National Park, a short trail leads to this beautiful
 vantage point looking west to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
 and the setting sun.

Before the Bustle

Ravenel Bridge at Dawn, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A quiet moment at dawn reveals the Ravenel Bridge
 and the placid waters of Charleston Harbor.
Later in the day both will bustle with car and boat traffic...
plus a few dolphins for good measure.

Right Light

Painted Brick, Gas Station near Ravenel, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A painted pattern of color and a bit of blue sky transforms
 an ordinary building into an eye catching image.
I spotted this while driving and felt compelled to turn around 
to grab the shot while the light was right.

Throwback Thursday - Colonial Charleston

Pink House on Chalmers Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This cobblestoned street from the French Quarter would appear
to belong to Charleston's Colonial era, like a scene you would
 see stepping from the Doctor's Tardis.

Heavy Metal

Door and Wall, Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A heavy metal door opened against a bright yellow wall
 makes a graphic image at Fort Moultrie.

Built in 1809, this fort was one of four that defended Charleston Harbor,
the most famous of which was Fort Sumter...
where the American Civil War began.

Porch Perspective

Curving Porch, Sottile House, College of Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



From the curving Victorian porch of the Sottile House,
 a lovely view can be had of the College of Charleston campus.
 Much of the campus in this area is landscaped like an arboretum,
 featuring both native and introduced garden specimens.




 

Still Providing

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



A cluster of shrimp boats lines Shem Creek.
 Although fewer boats line the creek
 than in previous years, shrimpers still strive
to provide fresh seafood for our local restaurants.

Backlit

Curving Scroll, Saint Philip's Churchyard Gate, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Backlighting illuminates a walkway behind this ornate gate
 at Saint Philip's churchyard.




 

Amazing!

Young Chelsea Contemplating Life, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film Photography)



Life is precious. It passes too fast.
Our children grow up seemingly in an instant.
Then they are gone, pursing life's adventures.
Our daughter has grown into an amazing woman.
Today she is embarking on a new life adventure... marriage...
 not surprisingly, to an amazing man.

Curving Steps

Curving Staircase, Hunting Island Lighthouse, Hunting Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Inside Hunting Island Lighthouse, a staircase vortex
 offers a curve for abstract photography.

Throwback Thursday - Psychedelic Nature

Little Miami River, John Bryan State Park, Yellow Springs, Ohio
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Kodachrome Film.)



Aging film can produce unusual color. This image,
 shot on Kodachrome film back in the 1980's,
 shows purples, blues and aquas that seem to be
straight out of a psychedelic dream.

Jasmine Door

Door and Confederate Jasmine, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sweet scented Confederate Jasmine blooms profusely
 around this single house entry in Charleston's Historic District.

Picturesque Palladian

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



The ancient live oaks around Drayton Hall provide perfect
 framing for the historic and picturesque colonial mansion.
It is a classic example of Palladian architecture in North America.

Misty Monday - Lone Paddler

Lone Paddler, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Paddling among the waves near the Folly Beach Fishing Pier,
 a solitary adventurer braves a cold, misty sea.

Bernini Angel

Bernini Angel and Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



An elaborately sculpted angel by the Italian Baroque artist
 Gian Lorenzo Bernini makes a fine counterpoint to the
 simple rounded form of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.

Surgeon's Warning

Tobacco Field, near Maggie Valley, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Curving rows of tobacco march across a field
on an Appalachian farm near the Great Smoky Mountains.
This pretty view belies the fact that this is where addictions begin.

Abandoned

Deadwood and Morris Island Lighthouse, Folly Beach, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Dead trees along Folly Beach offer interesting
foreground detail, with the abandoned
Morris Island Lighthouse serving as a backdrop.

Beneath the Palms

Garden Path, near The Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A stone walkway leads past sego palms and palmetto trees
 in this enchanting Lowcountry garden.

2014 Spoleto Festival USA

Detail, Porch Ceiling and Molding, Sottile House, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




The image above was selected as this year's Spoleto Festival USA
ticket brochure cover. It's an abstract detail of a
porch ceiling (green) and its elaborate crown molding.
Shown below is how the artists at Stitch Design Co. rotated
 and cropped the image to fit their design. 

2014 Ticket Brochure Cover



Spoleto Festival USA begins this week in Charleston.
It is one of the world's largest international art festivals
 and lasts a little over two weeks.
You can see a copy of the entire ticket brochure here.

A Graphic Oak

Angel Oak, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A sprawling limb of the ancient Angel Oak
 provides an ideal leading line into this photograph.
The giant live oak is estimated to be about 500 years old.
I am excited that this image was recently featured
on the National Geographic Travel blog.

Misty Monday - Above the Ridges

View from Clingman's Dome, Tennessee  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Film)



Morning fog veils Appalachian mountain ridges
 as the rising sun illuminates their softened edges.

Home on the Range?

Mesquite Tree and Rock Formation, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An old mesquite tree stands in the front yard
 of what looks like a gargantuan rock house.
I wonder what giant lives there?

Hansome George

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



George Washington never looked so good.

A Myriad of Anemones

Tide Pool, near Cape Perpetua, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



I used a polarizing filter on my lens to clear the water's surface
 of reflections so that this myriad of sea anemones could be seen
 in the tide pool.

Throwback Thursday - Twilight Mood

Lantern and Gate, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



Ornate designs and bold colors can be found all around Charleston.
But it is twilight that enhances the mood.
This image was shot on film, years ago, before the restoration
 of the Dock Street Theatre was completed.

Abandoned in Time

Abandoned Structure, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



An abandoned building sits alone on a stretch of empty prairie
 in western Kansas. Once there was life here,
but time has faded all memory of it.




 

Early Morning Shadow

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



A chair casts an intricate shadow pattern on the wall of a Charleston piazza.
The peacefulness of early morning on a lowcountry porch is
one of life's simple pleasures.

On Patrol

Alligator and Azaleas, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
(Click on image for larger view.)



A young gator patrols the Rice Mill Pond at Middleton Place.

Happy Mother's Day

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



For all the wonderful mothers in this world,
 may your children open the gates of their hearts
and show you all the love and appreciation you deserve.

Happy Mother's Day Gramomistel!
Becky and Doug love and appreciate you...
and can't wait to see you!

2014 Commencment

Randolph Hall, College of Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Pictured here is Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston.
 Today, in front of this campus landmark, undergraduate students
 will commence to graduate after four long years of hard work...
 and fun!

Piece of the Puzzle

Shadows and Reflections, Gondolas, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



There are plenty of beautiful vistas to photograph in the incomparable city of Venice, Italy. But I am the kind of photographer that tends to hone in on details... impressions or abstractions that show an archetypal piece of the whole puzzle. This image shows the prows of two gondolas and their reflections in the waters of a canal, an unmistakably Venetian tableau.

Throwback Thursday - Point of View

Azaleas and Pedestrian Bridge, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  (Film)



When my wife and I first moved to South Carolina back in the 1980's,
 I was fortunate to have worked at Magnolia Gardens for a couple of years.
 On my time off, I would walk the plantation paths, with camera in hand,
 and learn the tricks of garden photography. For this point of view,
 I climbed up a ladder to peer over the masses of blooming azaleas.
This gave me a clear view of the colors and the old pedestrian bridge
  that is a landmark of the gardens.

Ornate Fence Post

Fence Post, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok All Rights Reserved



A fence post in Charleston is never a dull affair.

Cool Path

Hiking Trail, Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A quiet path meanders up Mount Mitchell's forested slope.
 In summer, when the temperatures in the lowlands are unbearable,
 a quick trip to Mount Mitchell will surely cool your body
 as well as your temperament.

Photographer's Best Friend

Live Oak Branches and Reflections, Charles Towne Landing State Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Backlighting may be a photographer's best friend,
especially the way it can transform and highlight a subject,
such as this overhanging branch at Charles Towne Landing.

Above the Street

Finial Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Charleston has plenty of fascinating views at eye level.
 But, above the street interesting sights also abound,
such as this finial detail atop a tall entry gate.
To get near enough for this shot, I climbed a step ladder...
then held out my camera to get even closer.
Luckily, there was enough oxygen
in the atmosphere at that height for me to breath!