Henna

Becky's Hennaed Hands, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The tradition of decorating hands, arms and feet with ornate tattoos made from the reddish ink of the henna plant dates back thousands of years to the Bronze Age. This custom of applying body art is still practiced today. It is especially important for Emirati women in their preparation for the biggest of celebrations... a wedding.

Becky and Debi had a henna night of their own during our visit to Al Ain. Beautiful flora patterns were selected from samples hanging on the wall. Then a layer of henna paste was applied. When the paste dried, it crumbled away leaving a temporary tattoo which lasts several weeks before coming off completely.

In this image Becky is wearing a brightly colored kandora, a gift from our hosts.

Rebecca of Arabia

Becky on a Camel Ride, near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Becky rides a camel during our desert safari on a calm and beautiful evening. The constant rhythm of the camel's up and down motion made it a challenge to take photographs, so I set the camera on continuous shooting and fired away.

The word safari is a wonderful description of our adventure. Coming from the Arabic safar, it means "journey." In fact our entire visit to the UAE was a journey never to be forgotten! Thanks again D & D!

Al-Ghattās

The Diver and Waterfall, Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE  
Image © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A diver plunges down a three story waterfall as part of an art installation at the Dubai Mall. The mall is the world's largest and is part of a 20 billion dollar downtown complex that includes the Burj Khalifa. If you are hungry, as I usually am because I eat like a Hobbit, you have about 120 restaurants and cafes from which to choose.

 The English word albatross (an oceanic diving bird) is a derivative of al-ghattās, Arabic for "the diver".

Zenith

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



This view from the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building) shows the downtown district of Dubai with the desert stretching far beyond. Immediately below you can see dots in the water that represent crews who are cleaning the fountain pools of sand from a recent sand storm.

The Burj Khalifa defies explanation... it is impossibly high in the sky, the stunning views make even the surrounding skyscrapers look like toys, and it is as solid as a rock. At 2,717 feet tall and 160 stories, it is simply an amazing work of human engineering! So if mankind can make this, why can't my local Pizza Hut make a decent pizza!?

Visiting the observation deck, on the 124th floor, was literally the zenith of our trip to the UAE. By the way, the word zenith is derived loosely from the Arabic samt arras, translated as "path over one's head."

Hoopoe

Fancy Bird, Miracle Garden, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



When traveling to new destinations, I am often torn between taking lots of photos and looking at birds. After photography, birdwatching is my next favorite outdoor activity (well, add yodeling too). In fact both Becky and I enjoy birdwatching. So on trips such as this one to the UAE, I usually have camera in one hand and binoculars with birding guide in the other.

The odd fellow pictured above reminds me of the hoopoes we saw. If you have never seen a hoopoe before, it is categorically outlandish in appearance, at the very least cartoonish.

This image was made in the Miracle Garden in Dubai, an unexpected oasis of flowers. Of all the amazing places that we visited, this little Eden was one of my favorites. I loved its colorfully whimsical displays! 
Yes, I know, I am an odd bird too.

Camels

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



The desert is never far away in the United Arab Emirates  In fact it is usually just across the street, or even in your own front yard. And what would the desert be without camels? Camels seem synonymous with the landscape. I drove only a short way off the road to capture this trademark scene of the Arabian Peninsula... a loose caravan of dromedaries strolling around the dunes, herded by a 
cameleer (just out of the frame).

Although there are a lot of camels here, the UAE is not a Camelot for camels. Camels are a commodity. They are raised as livestock on farms for meat and milk. They are also raced, and used as beasts of burden to carry tourists like us 
for rides in the desert.

Not surprisingly, the English word camel comes to us from the Arabic word jamala, meaning "to bear".

Wasta

Gold Columns and Reflecting Pool, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In the United Arab Emirates, the concept of wasta is well known. It is an Arabic word roughly meaning "clout" and refers to the practice of receiving favors from influential people. It is much like the saying "it is not what you know, but who you know." Recently, Becky and I were fortunate to benefit from an extraordinary dose of wasta. Her cousin and husband work for the Abu Dhabi Education Council, and were generous enough to bring us over to the UAE for two weeks on an unforgettable visit.

Over the next several weeks I will share with you a collection of my photographs from our Arabian adventure. All these posts are dedicated to Debi and Dale... 
we can't thank you enough for your hospitality, 
offered in the true spirit of Bedu tradition!

Pictured above is a contemplative moment at Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque, one of the world's largest and one of the few where non-Muslims are permitted to enter. Just before I took this picture the call to prayer was sung by the muezzin. It echoed throughout the majestic courtyard and into the city... 
a beautiful and stirring moment.

Relics

Sunset, Charleston Battery Bench, South Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Old mortars and cannons, relics from wars fought here in the past, are put on display along Charleston's South Battery. This area is also lined with ornate wrought iron benches. On the bench arm rest is a bird motif, symbolic of another relic from the past. It represents the Carolina parakeet, which once filled the skies of the Southeast U.S. but was hunted to extinction by the 1920's.

Twilight of the Tall Ships

Tall Ships at Dawn, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Velvia slide film)



Before the routine docking of cruise ships at our port, a cavalcade of tall ships came to Charleston every few years. It was one of my favorite events. Ships of various types from multiple countries would line-up along the harbor docks, like these masted beauties which I photographed early one morning.

Raised Brickwork

Old Brickwork, Biggin Church Ruins, near Moncks Corner, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The church ruins of Biggin Hill show three-dimensional brick work around what used to be one of its large windows. This rural parish church, attended by plantation owners, was burned during the Revolutionary War by retreating British troops in 1781. It is now protected as a National Historic Place.

The Remains of a Poster

Torn Poster Paper on Glass Window, Old Library on Marion Square, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



The remains of a dilapidated poster cast shadows on a curtain hung behind a window, creating a layered visual abstract.

Car on Wall

Mural on Wall, Automobile Ad, Portland, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film converted to Black and White. Click on image for larger view)



It is not everyday you see a car painted large on the side of a city wall. 
How about a test drive?

Four Columns

City Hall Columns and County Courthouse, Four Corners of Law, Charleston, SC 
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)



A row of four columns leads the eye toward the old County Courthouse in Charleston, which was designed by Irish architect James Hoban and dates from 1792. 

Hoban met George Washington when the president visited Charleston, and later won a competition to design the presidential mansion, more famously known as the White House.

Bench Back Blues

Bench Back and Wall, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



At the North Carolina Arboretum, I took advantage of reflecting blue light that 
filled the shade on a cloudless sunny day. I made this closely cropped image 
of a wooden bench back, which made a nice design against the wall of Appalachian stone.

Theatre of the Suns

Arcade, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




On one of our trips to Atlanta a few years ago, I was so enchanted by the Fox Theatre arcade that I spent about an hour photographing there. The theatre was built in the moorish style, and its colors, textures, shapes and patterns completely captivated my fancy, like these stylized radiating suns.

Misty Monday - Profile of a Pelican

Pelican on Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



An immature brown pelican seems to pose in profile
 for a portrait at Shem Creek on a misty morning.

Some Assembly Required

Old Fence, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Individual sections of rustic fencing are fitted together loosely to form a boundary around burial plots in historic Magnolia Cemetery. In the background is an old mausoleum.

The Creatures Among Us - Three Eyes

Marina Electrical Box and Boat, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



A strange three-eyed face from outer space 
disguises itself as an electrical box.

A Face in the Theater

Wood Carving Detail, Dock Street Theater, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


This is an image I made during a photo shoot a few years ago at the Dock Street Theater when it was under renovation. You can see parts of the original carving have been replaced with putty. It was eventually painted and made to look like new. Renovations of historic buildings like the Dock Street Theater are seemingly endless in Charleston, a city packed full of 18th and 19th century structures.

Italy in Poland

Courtyard Balconies, Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Dating from the 14th century, the royal castle of Wawel Hill was where Poland's rulers lived until the early 20th century. It was originally designed in the Gothic style, but was later renovated as a Renaissance palace. You can see the influence of Italian architects in these arched and balustraded balconies.

Wawel Hill has a long and fascinating history, including human settlement dating back to the Paleolithic Age, a legendary dragon, and the location of one of the world's most powerful chakras (spiritual energies).

Contrasting Styles

East Battery Mansions, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



The neo-classical architecture of one antebellum mansion contrasts with the eclectic style of another along Charleston's Battery. These homes face east toward the harbor and bask in the morning sun.

Old Winter Snow

Snow and Clouds, Alpine Visitor Center, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Remains of old winter snow, appearing like layers of white sedimentary rock, can be seen at the Alpine Visitor Center on Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road. The two lane road is the highest paved road in the country at 12,183 feet above sea level (or in other words, over 2 miles above Charleston level!)

Everything's Rosy

Hand Rail and Lantern Shadow, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Here's my optimistic take on a Charleston hand rail,
 as might be seen through rose-colored glasses.

Churchyard Shadows

Gate Shadow, Saint Philip's Churchyard, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Early morning sunlight delineates the scrollwork designs
 of an iron gate on a stone walkway in Saint Philip's churchyard.

Imagined

Pineapple Fountain at Night, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This night fountain becomes a colorful subject
 for a mind flush with imagination. 

Rocking in Texas

Rock Layers, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Geology always intrigues me. It was the subject I first studied in college until I realized I was better at taking pictures of rocks than analyzing their chemistry. 

Colorful outcrops such as these in Palo Duro Canyon rocked my eyes everywhere we explored. Very thin layers of white gypsum can be seen threading through this section of orange sedimentary stone, which dates from roughly 200 million years ago.

I am still a bit of a rockhound, collecting interesting specimens here and there. Consequently our yard is full of rocks from many places around the country.

The Art of the Rock Wall

Rock Wall Pattern, Pleasant Hill Shaker Village, Kentucky  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The well honed skill of making a beautiful wall is on display at a 19th century Shaker village in Kentucky.

Twin Frames

Twin French Doors, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



The reflections of a brick chimney and a dormer window
 are framed by two french doors. This South of Broad neighborhood in Charleston dates from the 1700's.

A Plug for the Modern Era

Fire Plug and Round Door, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This fire plug standing sentinel next to one of Charleston's old cobblestone streets is a reminder of the modern era.

The Odd Couple

Lion and Pigeon, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A perching pigeon seems to take no notice
 of this lion's fierce visage.