A Pervading Stillness

Fishing Dock, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (click on image for larger view.)



A morning stillness pervades a tidal river
 with fishing dock and shrimp boats on James Island.

Patterns and Hues

Shutters, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



The patterns of shutters and the warm hues of Tuscan stone
 bring to life this vignette from sunny Florence, Italy.

Cast Iron Planter

Cast Iron Busts on Planter, Calhoun Mansion Garden, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A cast iron planter in the Calhoun Mansion garden is adorned
 with two stately busts. These personages may date from the Victorian age, 
given that the mansion itself is from that period as well.

Pigeons on the Pier

Rock Doves, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Folly Beach Pier not only attracts fisherman, but pigeons love 
the latticework of posts and beams for nesting, as well as the 
railing for the enjoyment of a seaside sunrise.




 

Canoe Dock

Canoe Dock, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This small dock offers an ideal spot to catch a winter sunset. A canoe launched from here can enter a network of tidal creeks which take the adventurous paddler on a tranquil ride around Daniel Island, near Charleston.

Kodachrome

Steps, Abandoned Battery, Sullivan's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Kodachrome film)



Step patterns are accentuated by afternoon light and shadow
 at an abandoned military battery on Sullivan's Island. I shot this image on Kodachrome years ago after we moved to Charleston,
 and when I first began to explore my new surroundings.

Jet Engine

Jet Engine, USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A look down the engine shaft of an old fighter jet shows the scarring
of combustion exhaust which blasted out at unthinkably high temperatures.

Garden Flora

Pond and Reflections, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The still waters of a pond reflect an assortment of flora
 on display at Magnolia Gardens, near Charleston.

Appalachian Sunset

Sunset, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



The ancient ridges of the Southern Appalachian Mountains provide a
setting for this sunset seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway. At one time, the
Appalachians were the tallest mountains on Earth, but nearly 500 million years
of erosion have drastically shortened and softened their once lofty peaks.

Star of the Show

Blue Star, Nederland, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I closely cropped this vignette that I found in Nederland, Colorado,
to emphasize the star of the show...
an attractive mix of bright colors!

Delicate Tendrils

Willow Tree, Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Illuminated by afternoon sunlight, the delicate tendrils of a willow tree
 grace the Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon.

Court Session

Door and Pediment, County Courthouse, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The Charleston County Courthouse dates from the colonial period
and is one of the oldest public buildings in town.
Morning light on the old restored stone gives this doorway a feeling of warmth,
in spite of how much you may not wish to enter a court room full of lawyers.

Glowing Steeple

Saint Michael's Steeple, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Aglow at twilight, the steeple of Saint Michael's Church
 is a beacon in the heart of Charleston's famous historic district.

Placid

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


Placid waters and the fading light of the evening sun 
create a peaceful conclusion to a day on Shem Creek. 

Cormorants in Flight

Flight of Cormorants, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A V-shaped skein of double-crested cormorants takes wing over the Atlantic Ocean near Folly Beach. These sea birds, and others, flock just offshore in the winter, and offer interesting birdwatching especially when the light is good.

Gate Scroll Target

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


I zeroed in on the "bullseye" on this gate scroll while making sure
 to align it with the garden path receding in the background.
 This gives the image a sense of place, picturing a Charleston
 home and garden in an indirect yet evocative way.

Italian Splendor

Cathedral of Florence, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A landmark of Renaissance Italy is the Duomo of Florence, otherwise known as the Bascilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Brunelleschi built its famous dome in the 15th century, the largest one of its time. The elaborate facade, designed by Emilio De Fabris, was completed more than 300 years later in 1887.

Garden Along the Ashley

Live Oaks along the Ashley River, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Click on image for larger view)



Magnolia Gardens lies along the Ashley River,
where live oak trees dip their limbs
toward the slow moving water.

Garden Fountain

Fountain, Calhoun Mansion, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Even in the midst of winter,
a garden in Charleston abounds with verdant color.

Salt Marsh Salutation

Bowing Tree in a Salt Marsh, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A lone tree spreads its arms and bows slightly forward,
 as if offering a natural salutation to the marshland.