Lights on Shem Creek

Bokeh Lights, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


This is one of the images used in the design of the Spoleto Festival USA ticket brochure... it makes a nice soft background for overlay of copy.

2013 Spoleto Festival USA

2013 Spoleto Festival USA Ticket Brochure Cover
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Spoleto Festival USA begins in Charleston today. It is a much celebrated annual event that runs for about two weeks, and is one of the largest international arts festivals in the world.

One of my ironwork images was selected for the ticket brochure cover this year. The marketing department at Spoleto favors images that have a strong graphic design while also hinting at the unique character of Charleston. The talented designers at Stitch Design Co. chose one of my photographs and transformed it into a terrific cover image.

I am honored to have a guest appearance on the Spoleto Festival USA blog this year as well. I wrote a brief entry on how I go about making photographs of Charleston.

I also have Spoleto prints for sale in the Charleston Crafts gallery at 161 Church Street near the Market.

Palace Coffee Room

Coffee Room, Al Ain Palace, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Of all the rooms in all the palaces and hotels and resorts in the UAE, this one would be my favorite... the coffee room in Sheikh Zayed's palace. This is where he entertained his guests while serving fresh Arabian coffee straight from the coals.

Coffee is an excellent word... a very excellent word... one which I love to use freely in daily conversation. Yes, it is derived from the Arabic qahwah, which means any stimulating drink, but especially the one which Doug drinks with relish

Today's post concludes our UAE series. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as we did! Tomorrow I will switch to regular programing, featuring images of Charleston and other points on the compass. But because I have so many images from the UAE, I will continue to post them occasionally.

An Oasis for the Biker

Bicyclist, Al Ain Oasis, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



One way to get around the brick paved lanes of the sprawling Al Ain oasis is by bicycle, but we chose to walk because we were bird watching.

Tower with a Twist

Infinity Tower, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Construction work nears completion on the Infinity Tower of Dubai. It will be the tallest skyscraper in the world with a 90 degree twist. Incidentally it is designed and engineered by the same American firm that did the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on record.

A Courtyard Oasis

Courtyard, Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A courtyard at Sheikh Zayed's Palace in the oasis town of Al Ain was a refuge from arid desert. Walls built around the palace enclosed an area that was ideal for shade trees and quiet rooms for retreat from the heat.

Room with a View

Observation Deck, Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The view from 124 floors above Dubai shows the expanse of the UAE's desert landscape. Needless to say there is plenty of room
 for the city to expand out there.

On a different topic, we switch from one view to another...

My photographer friend, George Munday, of Waterford Co., Ireland 
is finalizing a book project, a collection of his fine art photographs called 
"Waterford, A County Revealed". 
Please take a moment to check out this link to his website to learn more.

The Hardy Ghaf

Ghaf Trees, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Arabian ghaf trees grow in extremely arid conditions where water is seemingly absent. Yet, because of their deep tap roots (as long as 100 feet), they are able to survive by finding subterranean water tables. 

Ghaf trees were an essential source of food, shelter and medicine for desert tribes and therefore cherished by them. But in recent decades it's survival has been threatened, which is why it has been declared a protected national treasure in the UAE.

As you may have guessed by now, if you have been following our UAE posts, this image was taken from a camel as we rode through the desert.

Golden Glow

Dome Finials and Minaret Balconies, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Like a scene from the tales of the "Arabian Nights", golden balconies and finials glow in afternoon light on the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Gold is used through out the detailing of this amazing edifice. I can not imagine how much of it was used, but I can assure you it is worth its weight in visual impact.

The English word carat comes from the Arabic qirat, a small unit of weight, specifically the coin weight for the medieval Arabian gold dinar.

Desert Flowers

Old Mercedes Benz with Flowers, Miracle Garden, Dubai, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



What else would you do with an old Mercedes Benz in the desert? 
It only seems logical to decorate it with vibrant flowers.

Desert Livestock

Worker and Goat Pen, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



On a livestock farm in the desert near Al Ain, a worker opens the door to a goat pen. Desert farms such as these raise goats, camels, horses and sometimes even ostriches. This is another image taken from the back of a camel as we passed through the area.

Inside Knowledge

Jet Skis and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi Creek, Abu Dhabi, UAE 
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



 
A pair of young Emirati ride their jet skis at full throttle on Abu Dhabi Creek, with the impressive domes and minarets of the Grand Mosque in the distance. 

A perspective such as this would not have been possible with out the inside knowledge of our hosts, who drove us to the Fairmont Hotel for this wonderful point of view. Like expert local guides, Debi and Dale revealed to us many fascinating locales throughout the UAE.

What's Up is Down

Shopping Mall Ceiling and Reflections, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



You know about tongue twisters. Well, this image is a mind twister. This futuristic fantasy is actually an image looking up at the ceiling of a shopping mall. All I did was invert the photo after processing. The auto and admiring bystander are on the star-shaped floor of the mall and are reflected in the glass of the ceiling. In the circular ceiling there are more windows reflecting bits of the floor's colors and designs. Look at the picture upside down and it may make better sense.

Palms in the Limelight

Palms of the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa at Night, Dubai, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A row of glowing palms sets the stage for shoppers and restaurant goers at the Dubai Mall. The Burj Khalifa serves as an ever present backdrop as it dominates the night time skyline. Although it is not the sharpest of photos (I snapped this shot handheld at 1/6 of a second shutter speed), it gives a sense of Downtown Dubai's atmosphere after dark.

The Erg

Waves of Sand Dunes, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view) 


Like a storm tossed sea, tall waves of sand dunes pitch into the distance outside the city of Al Ain. This picture is a hint of what the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Desert must look like. The Rub' al Kahli extends from the UAE into Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen, and is the largest sand desert in the world. 

This image was taken from camelback while passing through the desert near sundown. Taking pictures from a moving camel is a bit like being on a storm tossed sea... a constant rocking up and down motion. 

Erg is a geological term derived from the Arabic erq, 
meaning "a vast desert landscape".

Interior Light

Chandeliers, Main Prayer Hall, Sheikh Zhayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A row of large chandeliers add light to the interior space of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. These chandeliers were made by the Faustig company in Munich, Germany and consist of millions of colorful Swarovski crystals. The carpet that you see is considered the largest single piece ever made, and took two years to complete by nearly 1300 knotters in Iran.

Steps and Stuff

Steps, Fairmont Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



For a change of pace, this post shows hotel steps. If you wanted to see a gerbil who likes to macrame a loofah holder while eating apricot flavored sherbet, then today's picture will be a disappointment.

P.S. The English words gerbil, macrame, loofah, apricot and sherbet are all derived from the Arabic, jarbu, miqrama, lufha, al barqooq, and sharab respectively. 

Just needed to catch-up on our English/Arabic word lessons.

Alhambresque

Three Wooden Window Screens, Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Ain, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Although I have never been to the Alhambra of Granada, Spain, I imagine its design is rich in fanciful patterns, like these window screens in Sheikh Zayed's palace in Al Ain.

It maybe difficult to see at first, but this image actually shows three separate wooden window screens, on three separate planes, in three separate rooms and courtyards, all lined-up to make an intricate design within my frame.

Al Ain Oasis

Date Palms, Al Ain Oasis, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Known as the "Garden City" of the UAE, Al Ain developed around a cluster of date palm oases in the desert. Becky and I walked the stone paved lanes of the largest of these havens from the heat, the Al Ain Oasis. 

It is divided into small farm plots, and is well watered by an ancient underground irrigation system called falaj. Dense shade provides habitat for birds which can be heard in abundance, especially Laughing Doves, Collard Doves, White-eared Bulbuls and Common Mynas.

Commonality

Emirati Woman, Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



At first glance it would seem I have little in common with this abaya clad woman. She and her female companions were on an outing exploring
 Al Ain's historic Al Jahili Fort.

I later learned, to my utter delight, the young Emirati is an aspiring photographer. Becky, and our UAE hosts Debi and Dale opened a conversation with her in this fortress courtyard. They noticed the women were toting camera gear and told her I was a photographer. When I walked-up to join the conversation, the young woman told me of her hopes to be a photographer one day.

I spoke with her briefly, explaining to her what I did as a commercial photographer in Charleston. With her face almost completely veiled, 
all I could see were her intense and curious dark eyes.
Their inquisitiveness gave me an idea.

I asked if it was permissible for me to give her my business card. She replied yes. So I did, showing her my website address on the card. She said that she and her companions would take a look. Her enthusiasm was touching to me. I hope sharing my images with her will be a small spark of inspiration to her, like other photographers were to me when I was at an impressionable age.

This was an extraordinary moment for me on our visit... knowing that two people who come from diametrically opposite cultures and life experiences could have photography as a mutual point of reference and connection.

It is important to note that although Arabic is the official language of the UAE, English is the most widely spoken. This made our communication possible.
And if Becky was not there, it would have been haram (forbidden by Sharia law, the moral code of behavior and religious dictates of Islam) for the woman to have any sort of exchange with a man she did not know.