Monday, September 30, 2013

Marina Tableau

Sail Boat, Charleston Harbor Marina, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




Sunlight breaks through overcast clouds
 to enhance the look of this nautical tableau.


Sunday, September 29, 2013

Tropical Alley

Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Although the calendar says it is autumn,

 an alleyway in Charleston
 still retains a tropical lushness.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

A Canopy of Flags

Flags of the World, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Flags from around the world
 represent participants in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Do you see your flag?


Friday, September 27, 2013

Japanese Maple

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




A low growing maple adds fine texture to one of Portland's star attractions,
 its beautiful Japanese Gardens.



Thursday, September 26, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Abandoned Battery

Detail of Concrete Wall, 19th Century Military Battery, Sullivan's Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Kodachrome slide)




About 25 years ago, I made this Kodachrome image of an abandoned military battery wall. I was fascinated by the odd weathering patterns of streaking and corrosion, part of which resembles the moon.

Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at a fort near this old battery in 1827.




Wednesday, September 25, 2013

A Tree Grows in Charleston

Chinese Tallow Tree, Sarcophagus at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A tree, a shrub, a vine, a fern...
anything that will take root
in tiny cracks and crevasses will grow
 in the moist climate of the lowcountry.


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Ponte Vecchio

Reflection of the Ponte Vecchio, Arno River, Florence, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




Not the usual take on Florence Italy's famous Medieval bridge,
 but I like the bit of mystery evoked by not showing the whole structure.

The Ponte Vecchio was constructed in 1345, replacing a series of older bridges that dated back to the Roman era. It still has several levels of bustling shops, as it has had throughout its history. You can see some of the tourists in the open archways reflected in the Arno.



Monday, September 23, 2013

French Quarter Single House

Single House, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The side entrance to a Charleston single house

 quietly faces a narrow courtyard in the French Quarter.


Sunday, September 22, 2013

Cherohala Sunset

Sunset, Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




A view from Cherohala Skyway offers a tranquil sunset over layers of ridges in the Appalachian Mountains. Cherohala Skyway is like a shorter version of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is often overlooked because it is off-the-beaten path.



Saturday, September 21, 2013

Kiawah Marsh Egret

Great Egret, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




Warm morning backlighting gives an edge of color to this Great Egret.
 A Kiawah marsh adds the blue backdrop.



Friday, September 20, 2013

A Little Privacy, Please

Garden Gate Hung with Privacy Cloth, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




For a little privacy, a garden gate is adorned with a printed cloth of hydrangea flowers.
This gate belongs to a walled garden along one of Charleston's many narrow alleyways frequently explored by tourists.



Thursday, September 19, 2013

Throwback Thrusday - Fishing at a Folly Jetty

Fisherman on a Jetty, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Kodachrome slide film)




recently found this image, a fisherman at Folly Beach, while going through my old Kodachrome files. I shot it around the time we first moved to Charleston. The aqua tint is likely from aging (the slide is about 25 years old), and because of that the image has the look of Instagram photos.


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Cataloochee Valley

Mountain Road, Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
 North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Cataloochee Valley is a hidden gem in the Smoky Mountains. Not nearly as crowded as Cades Cove, the valley is less traveled because of its more remote access. But the natural beauty is self evident. Even during the busy visitation which the park receives in autumn, Cataloochee can feel quiet and secluded.




Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Goat Head

Goat head Door Knocker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Knock to enter... but only if you are a goatherd
dressed in goatskin while sporting a goatee,
and have a firm belief in scapegoatism.



Monday, September 16, 2013

Cobbles and Wobbles

Bike on Gillon Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




How do you beat Charleston's heavy traffic?...
ride your bike to work and park it near a cobblestone street.

Except, stay off the cobbles,
otherwise you and your bike will get the wobbles.



Sunday, September 15, 2013

Ghostly Moon

Saint Philip's Chruch, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)




A moonlit night in Charleston's French Quater
 is perfect for joining a stroll with one of the city's ghost tours.


Saturday, September 14, 2013

Little Free Library

Little Free Library, Logan Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



One of the best ideas humans have ever had is the library!
After all, who doesn't like free books to read!
Here is a little example of free books in Charleston.

Some of my favorite library reads of 2013 include
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, Round House by Louise Erdrich, Revelation by C. J. Sansom, The Snowman by Joe Nesbo, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell, A Time of Angels by Karen Hesse, and Decartes' Bones by Russell Short.



Friday, September 13, 2013

Texas Backwater

Sun and Cypress, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, Texas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Sunlight filtering through trees shines on a backwater creek at

 McKinney Falls State Park, Austin. Prehistoric reptiles swam in 
shallow seas which once covered much of Texas in the 
Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 million years ago).





Thursday, September 12, 2013

Baptistery of Saint John

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



The facade of the Baptistery of Saint John stands in the Piazza del Duomo of Florence. The bronze doors were created by Lorenzo Ghiberti and are k
nown as the Gates of Paradise. They are the main feature of the Baptistry which is considered one of the oldest buildings in Florence (11th century).



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Colonial Lake Dawn

Colonial Lake, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)




A blue dawn brings to light Colonial Lake,
a resevoir surrounded by a promenade, park benches
 and Charleston homes.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Crepes in Charleston

Crepe Myrtle, Tradd St., Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Crepe myrtles add vibrant color to Charleston throughout the warm months. 

This one makes a charming addition 
to a cobblestone street in the historic district.
But another kind of crepe sounds good to me...
 a strawberry crepe with whipped cream!



Monday, September 9, 2013

Misty Monday - Hunting for Stones

Hunter Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Hunting for colorful stones is not a problem at Hunter Beach. 

Finding a good pizza joint though, is another story.



Sunday, September 8, 2013

A Sense of Place

Balustrade and Palm, East Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A vignette of a balustrade and palmetto tree

 gives a sense of Charleston's East Battery
 antebellum mansions.




Saturday, September 7, 2013

Essence de Pluff Mud

Tidal Creek, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




At low tide, a salt marsh creek reveals

 a gooey layer of pluff mud, 
rich in decaying organic matter
 and smelling of rotting eggs. 
It is the fragrance of the Lowcountry...
Oh la la!




Friday, September 6, 2013

Glistening Stream

West Prong Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Covered with a mixture of mountain water and rain,
 a jumble of rocks shows glistening textures 

in a fast flowing stream in the Great Smoky Mountains.



Thursday, September 5, 2013

Cliffside Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Acadia National Park, Maine
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A setting sun peeks through conifers
 above a cliffside lighthouse,
 located near Bass Harbor, Maine.



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Jagged Rocks

Jagged Rocks, Colorado National Monument, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A narrow breach in jagged rock
permits a glimpse of the Colorado River valley
 and the Book Cliffs beyond. 

This high point of view is from 
the Colorado National Monument park road.




Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Edisto Pelicans

Brown Pelicans, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




During the heat of midday a flock of brown pelicans
preen atop posts on South Edisto River.


Monday, September 2, 2013

Into the Surf's Edge

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




At the boneyard beach of Botany Bay,
a dead tree's skeleton casts a long shadow,
 its branches reaching into the surf's edge.




Sunday, September 1, 2013

Old World Churchyard

Unitarian Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This lush, overgrown churchyard
could be a scene from the British Isles,
but it is Charleston, which, in places,
 has that old world charm.


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