Sculpted by Sunlight

Headstone Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A gravestone is highlighted by the slanting mid day sun
which illuminates sculpted edges of the artwork.

Ancient Tentacles

Live Oak, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The sprawling arms of this ancient live oak
 occupy a large plot in Charleston's Hampton Park.

Quaint B & B

27 State Street B & B, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A quaint indoor courtyard greets visitors
 to this historic Bed and Breakfast,
located a short stroll from neighborhood
 art galleries and fine restauraunts
in Charleston's French Quarter.

Early Redbud

Redbud, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Early spring blooms brighten Charleston's French Quarter,
 located in the heart of the city's Historic District.

Dual Purpose

Window Grille, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A bank on Broad Street features decorative ironwork
 on each of its first floor windows. They act
 both as a safeguard and as ornamentation.

Ancient Oaks

Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Ancient live oaks are common place
 in America's oldest landscaped gardens
 at Middleton Place Plantation.

Carriage Door

French Quarter, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A carriage door is incorporated
 into the design of a French Quarter house
 in Charleston's Historic District.

Charleston's Blooming Churchyards

Spring Blooms, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Early spring blooms bring new life
to Charleston's old historic cemeteries.

Western Vista

Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction, Colorado  © Doug Hickok



A long view from Rim Rock Drive overlooks sandstone
formations toward the verdant Colorado River Valley,
and the arid Book Cliffs on the far horizon.

Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills State Park, near Logan, Ohio  © Doug Hickok



When many people think of Ohio, they think of large cities
 surrounded by flat farmlands stretching for miles and miles.
But the eastern region of the state is part of Appalachia
 with a geography of steep wooded hills and narrow rocky
 hollows. Such places have been preserved by Hocking Hills
 State Park. Here's an image I made back in 1978 when
I first began taking landscape photographs.

Quadriga

Horse Fountain, Charleston Place, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The Quadriga is a Neo-Classical sculpture
 erected in front of Charleston Place Hotel.
It depicts a group of bronze horses that symbolize
 the role which horses have played in the city's long history,
including the carriage rides that tour
 the old districts of Charleston today.

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill, Everglades National Park, Florida  © Doug Hickok



I made this image of a Roseate Spoonbill on film
 nearly 40 years ago when I first caught the photo bug
 and was learning photography. I have always loved
birdwatching, so on one of my trips to the Everglades
 I brought a camera along to try capturing
 the interesting bird life there.

Moving Day

Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Within the Historic District, old delapitated buildings
 are saved for future renovation. This single house
 is being moved to make room for yet another new hotel,
 constructed to accommodate the increase in tourists visiting Charleston.

Missing Piece

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The antebellum mansion in the center once featured
 a large portico. The giant columns tumbled to the ground
 during the destructive earthquake of 1886,
which took a great toll on the city.

Coke Ovens

Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Colorado  © Doug Hickok



The Coke Ovens are one of many ancient sandstone
 rock formations seen when driving Rim Rock Drive,
 which winds through Colorado National Monument.

Alleyway Lantern

Garden Lantern, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A gas lantern perches atop a garden wall
 along Philadelphia Alley in Charleston's French Quarter.

Desert Mood

Dunes, Arabian Desert, UAE  © Doug Hickok



A stark monochrome of land and sky
 emphasises the minimalistic beauty
 of the Arabian Desert.

Echoes of Sermons Past

Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee, SC  © Doug Hickok



Through the ruins of an archway,
the interior of Old Sheldon Church can be seen,
 including the dias where sermons were preached in the 1800's.



   

Saltmarsh Boardwalk

Boardwalk, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



The best way to traverse tidal marshes
 along the Lowcountry coast is to walk the planks...
planks of a boardwalk that is.

Statuesque

Great Egret, Shem Creek Park, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



A Great Egret strikes a statuesque pose along the boardwalk
 at Shem Creek Park. This one is tame enough to allow
 close approach, probably in anticipation of a tasty morsal.

Rocky Mountain Vista

Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado



The winding road that leads up into the Rocky Mountain's
 alpine ecosystem offers overlooks such as this one,
where melting ice reflects clouds moving across ridge tops.

Beyond the Gate

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Spring blooms fill a garden
 behind this entry gate in the Historic District.

Castle of the Popes

Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy   © Doug Hickok



This ancient Roman mausoleum built in the 2nd century
 was eventually converted into a fortress for the Popes
 duting the 14th century, and for the longest time
 was Rome's tallest building.

Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Row houses along East Bay Street display
 some of the approved paint colors
 used in Charleston's Historic District.

Winter Trees

Trees in the Snow, Harrison, Ohio  © Doug Hickok



A row of winter trees are etched
in fresh snowfall near Harrison, Ohio.

Soaring Cliffs

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona  © Doug Hickok



Desert cliffs overlook the vast geologic layering
 of Earth's deepest canyon.

Glowing Lion

Door Knocker, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Seen through an entry gate, a golden door knocker
 glows in the afternoon light in Charleston's Historic District.

Ancient Basilica

Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Rome, Italy   © Doug Hickok



This 4th century basilica sits atop the Caelian Hill in Rome,
 overlooking the Roman Forum and Colosseum.
  It was built over a complex of Roman era rooms decorated
 with well preserved frescos that can still be seen today.

Echoes of the Ancients

Gate Ring, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



An entry gate to a garden courtyard features a golden ring
that echoes the classical era of Greeks or Romans.

College Icon

Randolph Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The iconic portico of historic Randolph Hall
 is the College of Charleston's longtime symbol.

Gate Motif

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A decorative motif adds interest to an old entry gate
 belonging to an antebellum mansion on the Battery.

Misty Light

Morning Light, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee



Crepuscular rays shine light on misty ridges
 in the wild western section of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Scroll Pattern

Gate Detail, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A pattern of repeating scrolls decorates
 a heart shaped gate in Charleston.

Mist of Winter

Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A winter morning along Charleston's Braod Street
 envelopes Saint Michael's steeple in a veil of mist.

Summer Hues

East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



In the heart of summertime, Rainbow Row
 is alive with vibrant hues for all eyes to see.

Vintage Charleston

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Piazzas, wrought iron balconies, pastel colors,
fresh blooms, and Palmetto trees adorn Charleston's
High Battery in the summertime.

Battery Walk

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A stone paved sidewalk runs past antebellum mansions
 along Charleston's East Battery, catching
 the morning light on a summer morning.

Stonework

Stonework, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Ornately carved stonework decorates the inside of a mausoleum
 in Charleston's historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Summer Light

Tradd Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Sunlight on a summer morning
 paints row houses along Tradd Street
 in one of the older sections of the historic district.



 

Medieval Monastery

Columns, Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok



Twisting columns decorated with mosaics comprise
 the 13th century monastic cloister of a
Roman Catholic basilica outside of Rome, Italy.



 

Port City

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Charleston's port is one of the busiest on the East Coast.
Here the Ravenel Bridge provides a backdrop
for a container ship and a cruise ship in Charleston Harbor.

French Quarter Tour

Saint Philip's Churchyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A wrought iron gate provides an ornate contrast
 to a sauntering carriage in Charleston's French Quarter.

Enduring Stone

Colosseum, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



The Colosseum still stands in the Roman Forum
 after enduring nearly 2000 years of history.
I wonder what architectural wonders of today
 will last into the distant future.

Vintage Charleston

Vintage Artwork, Blossoms Restaurant, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok



At a restaurant near Charleston's waterfront,
a vintage photo from the 19th century
 shows bails of cotton ready to ship at the port.

Hope for a Better Year

Avenue of Oaks, Boone Hall Plantation, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



Entering a New Year is like taking a road
 not traveled before. Let's hope the unforeseen path
that lies ahead is full of joy and adventure.

Up the Creek

Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC   © Doug Hickok



A boater returns to safe harbor on Shem Creek at days end.