The Color of Calm

Japanese Maple, Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Green hues fill this photo of a tranquil spot
in Portland's Japanese Garden.
A stroll through this verdant paradise
is sure to calm the soul.

Misty Monday - A Stillness on the Creek

Shrimp Boats, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Dawn on a James Island tidal creek finds two shrimp boats
 reflected in calm morning waters.

Early Settlers

Homestead, Oconaluftee Mountain Farm, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



The Oconaluftee bottomlands were first settled by 
European/Americans in the 1790's,
just below Rattlesnake Mountain, seen in the distant mist.
 This exhibit of a mountain farm consists of reconstructed log structures
brought in to give visitors a sense of what it was like
 to live as early Appalachian homesteaders.

Numbers

Row of Dinghies, Charleston Harbor Marina, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



18, 17, 16, 15... these racing boats have their numbers,
 but one day they each hope to be number one.

Spring Delight

Wisteria Entry, Edmondston-Alston House, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A festoon of wisteria drapes the entry gate of an
antebellum mansion along Charleston's famous Battery.

Throwback Thursday - Charleston Color

Old Truck in a Garden, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Many years ago, there was a beloved garden nursery on Bowman Rd.,
in Mt. Pleasant, and this old truck was its calling card...
a local monument of sorts. I stopped to make this shot one day,
and it's a good thing I did. The photograph made the cover
of Charleston Magazine several years ago (August 2008)
when it ran a "Local Color" theme.
Some of my abstract color images were featured in an article inside.

Bridge Wednesday - Distance

Ravenel Bridge Tower and Moon, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The only thing separating this bridge tower and the moon
is about 240,000 miles... the distance it felt like we walked
up the bridge to get this shot.

Edge of America

Surfer on a Boardwalk, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




While walking the boardwalk toward the beach,
this surfer gets an unparalleled view of the Edge of America
and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

Garden Glow

Sunset, White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Evening sun illuminates fresh green grass
 between long limbed oaks at White Point Gardens.

Stones of Venice

Marble Column, Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



If you like rocks, go to Venice. For example, a geologist would surely find the mineral composition of these architectural elements a fascinating study... in fact, the entire Basilica of Saint Mark's is a treasure trove of precious stones.

A Notably Low Tide

Fishing Boats at Low Tide, Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Low tide brings to rest a trio of weatherworn fishing boats on Campobello Island.  The nearby Bay of Fundy has the world's highest tidal range...
 nearly 50 vertical feet between high and low tides.

Dreaming at Day's End

Sunset Through My Window, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Curtains veil a sunset through my window,
evoking a tranquil moment of pleasant daydreaming.

Any Which Way

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



Go left, go right, or just stop and admire the evening light
 as it settles over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Whichever way you choose, the views are serene and awe inspiring.

Rocky Slope

Rocky Slope, Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



They are called the Rockies for a reason...
whether you look up or down, 
there are bits of the mountains everywhere!

Looking Ahead

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



By the time April arrives, colorful blooms such as these
 will spring upon Charleston and the Lowcountry.

Misty Monday - Monochromatic Morning

Mist Under the Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A soft misty morning is perfect
 for a monochromatic interpretation
 of the Folly Beach Fishing Pier.

An Eye for Natural Light

Oculus, Pantheon, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



The natural way to light the Pantheon,
a temple of ancient Rome dedicated to all the gods,
is to let the sun shine through its oculus,
the great eye at the dome's center.

Swamp Palms

Palmetto Frond and Cypress Swamp, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC



Early spring at a bald cypress swamp...
 where native palms thrive even after a winter
 of ice storms and sub-freezing temperatures.

Crossing the Desert

Walking Man Sign, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It seems there are "walking man" signs everywhere
 pedestrians cross the road to get to the other side...
even in the desert.

A Game of I Spy

Two Shrimp Boats, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I spy with my eye... a pelican.