Waiting for the Rush

Tables, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Before the midday rush, empty tables quietly await the arrival 
of customers at a restaurant in Saint Mark's Square.

Fenced In

Sand Fence, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Fences placed strategically along the beach
 keep unruly sand from roving around too much.

Snow Mountain

Mt. Snefells Wilderness, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Freshness fills this Colorado scene both in verdant flora and invigorating mountain air. Mt. Snefells derives its name from the Nordic word snaefell,
which means "snow mountain".... clearly an appropriate appellation
for even in summer the high peak holds ribbons of snow.

Battery Balconies

Balconies on the East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sunrise suffuses the balconies of a Greek Revival mansion on 
Charleston's East Battery. In 1865, evacuating Confederate 
troops demolished their cannons along the Battery by blowing 
them up. A 500 pound piece of cannon landed atop this house 
and is still lodged in the attic. 

Paradise Found

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



If you're looking for paradise this summer,
you'll find it at the Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon.

High Above

Canyon, Colorado National Monument, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I like heights. Whether it's being up in the Burj Khalifa overlooking Dubai and
the Arabian Desert, being on a mountain top in Yosemite overlooking
the Sierra Nevada ranges, or flying at 30,000 feet above Earth and
seeing its amazing topography. So, it was exciting to visit Colorado National Monument, where Rim Rock Drive offered dramatic views of canyons and
the Colorado River valley in the distance.

Independence

Single House Entry on a Cobblestone Street, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Happy 4th of July from Charleston,
where Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton,
two signers of the Declaration of Independence,
were born and raised.

Throwbaack Thursday - Not a Photo App

Sand Dune Fence, Folly Beach, SC. © Doug Hickok, All Rights Reserved. 
(Click on image for larger view. Kodachrome Film)




Before the invention of photo apps that were made to look like film photography, there was film photography. This image of a sand dune fence at Folly Beach was made on 35mm Kodachrome back in the 1980's. I pulled the slide from my files recently and scanned it. It shows a bit of aging, yet is mostly in good condition. 
If I had my choice of photo apps, I'd go for the old Kodachrome look. 
But there's nothing like the original.

Finding an Angle

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




The long fishing pier at Folly Beach is a frequently photographed subject along the South Carolina coast. I like photographing it too. It has a certain rustic architectural handsomeness. On this occasion, I sought to portray it with evening light and color. But I wanted a different perspective than the usual. Eventually I found an angle that emphasizes the pier's height... a sensation further enhanced by its reflection mirrored in wet sand.

Dawn Chorus

Oak Tree at Dawn, Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, ACE Basin, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



The dawn chorus refers to the stirring of bird life at twilight,
when their songs and calls come together as one,
and take to the cool morning air.
Add to this arrangement vociferous crickets and frogs
and you have quite an ensemble!

South of Broad

Gate and Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A beautiful decorative gate contrasts with a rustic brick wall that hosts soft mosses and ferns. Beyond the gate is a Georgian style house that dates from the 18th century. It exemplifies an old city charm often found in the area called South of Broad, where some of Charleston's earliest neighborhoods remain. 

Revisiting

Crabtree Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  
© Doug Hickok. All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view)




Occasionally I like to revisit "old friends", such as Crabtree Falls, 
high in the lush folds of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 
This old friend is a cool, refreshing spot away from the madding crowd, 
in a thickly wooded ravine where tranquil water blows cool moist breezes. 
In essence, it is a natural air conditioner, perfect for hot summer relief.

Beached

Old Tree Trunk, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island SC 
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Unlike the long smooth beaches of South Carolina's resorts, the 
sea island beach at Botany Bay is wild and chaotic. It is strewn with the remains of an old maritime forest. The relentless forces of the sea whittle away at the forest's edge. Trees topple onto the sand where they lie beached and bleached by sun and salt.

Broad Street Blues

Broad Street at Sunrise, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok. All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)



A look down Broad Street shows a variety of architectural styles indicative of Charleston's long history, from the colonial era to the 19th century. The blues in the shadows reflect the sky's color temperature on a cloudless morning... 
infused with the sway of Miles Davis notes running through my head.

Anthropomorphism?

Electrical Box, Maritime Center, Charleston, SC  © Doug  Hickok. All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)




People have excelled over the millennia at projecting human characteristics on to non-human objects. Very often the comparisons require genuine suspension of disbelief or at least a stretch of the imagination. A case in point is this electrical box at a Charleston marina which has anthropomorphic qualities, 
looking a bit like a fantastical face... or not.

The Colors of Folly

Palmetto Tree and Mural, Folly Beach, SC  Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The town of Folly Beach is one of my favorite places to photograph color. 
At the beach, sunrise or sunset offers beautiful warm colors. 
But in town, it is possible to find a kaleidoscope of colors. 
I try to frame my images tightly in the camera and explore combinations of hues, both natural and man made.

Indirectly Speaking

Sunrise on Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)




When telling a story, whether its fiction writing or photography, 
it may be effective to show a subject indirectly, 
letting the viewer's imagination complete the picture.

Fallen Timber

Fallen Timber, Little Hunter's Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)



Fallen timber stretches across a jumble of rock along the coast of Maine. 
The beach here is quintessential Maine, wild and rugged.

Core of the French Quarter

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



In the center of Charleston's Historic District stands a tandem of churches
that form the core of the French Quarter. Seen here, from left to right,
are the Tuscan style Saint Philip's Anglican Church, its parish house,
and the Gothic style French Huguenot Church. The early settlement
of Charleston was open to an array of faiths, making it unique among
the original colonies for its religious tolerance.

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.