Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Creature from Outer Someplace

Alien Spider, Waterfront Park, North Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




This bizarre arachnid appears to have descended from outer space (or someone's outer imagination) to invade earth on Halloween. Perhaps the opening is a wormhole to another universe, where one might be dropped suddenly into a fantastical Willy Wonka world.



Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Grand Gondolas

Gondolas, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




Rows of moored gondolas covered with blue tarpaulins
offer a classic Venetian sight along the Grand Canal.




Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Ship Watching

Cupola, Antebellum Mansion, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



With a view over Charleston harbor, this antebellum mansion, near the Battery,
 is an ideal place for watching ships come and go.



Monday, October 28, 2013

Mission Angel

Angel Face, San Antonio, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Velvia slide film.)



At the San Jose Mission, an old stone carved angel greets parishioners.



Sunday, October 27, 2013

Palmer Chapel

Palmer Chapel, Big Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




Tucked near a wood margin in Big Cataloochee Valley,
 a little one-room chapel evokes the primitive lifestyle
 of Appalachian Mountain settlers.



Saturday, October 26, 2013

A Fond Farewell to my Father-in-Law

Cliff, Overlooking Cannon Beach, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



"I remember you too clearly,
but I'll survive another day;
Conversations to share, when there's no one there;
I'll imagine what you'd say."
                                -Company by Rickie Lee Jones

In loving memory of
Cliff Schulte
1931-2013



Friday, October 25, 2013

Looking for Clues

Tire Tracks, Sand Dunes, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



If I were a detective or a tracker looking to piece together a story of what happened here, I should be able to "read" the assortment of clues left in these dunes in the Arabian Desert near Al Ain...
 tire tracks, camel tracks, foot prints, etc.

But all I can gather is that the desert, despite its forbidding nature, 

can be quite a busy place.



Thursday, October 24, 2013

A Spot of Green

Balcony and Windows, Venice, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




A spot of green in a balcony curtain complements the red hues
 of a Venetian facade in the Campo Santo Stefano.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Late Autumn Hues

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




Late autumn along the Blue Ridge Parkway
 offers a panoply of color to enjoy.


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Real Thing

Display at World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A giant green Coke bottle appears ready for an
 interstellar launch at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.



Monday, October 21, 2013

Daybreak on the Atlantic

Boneyard Beach, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




A clouded horizon adds mood to an early morning silhouette
 of twin, bare trees on the beach.



Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Padua Tridangle

Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata and Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua, Italy  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)



The timely flight of a pigeon adds an extra layer of interest to this Paduan tableaux by creating a visual triangle between statue, bird and church. 


The horseman statue was sculpted by Renaissance artist Donatello...
 the namesake of the famous teenage mutant ninja turtle.



Saturday, October 19, 2013

Rough-hewn Home

Carter Shields Cabin, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




A rough-hewn log cabin tucked in a forested mountain cove 

evokes an era of rugged living in the Appalachians.



Friday, October 18, 2013

Scraggly but Strong

Lone Tree, in the desert near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)




It may be scraggly looking, but a solitary tree in the Arabian Desert somehow hangs on to its meager existence. In the hot, hazy background is the ridgeline of Jebel Hafeet, the highest mountain in a region that is predominantly vast expanses of sand dunes.




Thursday, October 17, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Ungentrified

Secret Garden Door, Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Kodachrome film)




I shot this picture years ago on Kodachrome film.
It ended up being selected for the cover shot for an issue of Where Charleston magazine. The door has since been gentrified, 

loosing the old country charm seen here.



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Bridge Wednesday - Autumnal Hues

Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The setting sun highlights a curve in the Ravenel Bridge
 with autumnal hues.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Wood Nymph at Middleton

Sculpture, Middleton Place Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)




A tranquil atmosphere in the gardens at Middleton Place surrounds this wood nymph sculpture from the early 1800's.
If you follow this link to Middleton's website, you can see another one of my images of this statue.






Monday, October 14, 2013

Tic Tac Toe

Olympic Torch and Skyscrapers, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An implied diagonal line and visual rhythm come together to make a
 tic tac toe of architectural styles in downtown Atlanta.



Sunday, October 13, 2013

Night in the French Quarter

Stylized Pineapple on Gate, Saint Philip's Church, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)




At night, lights illuminate the steeple of Saint Philip's Church, in Charleston's French Quarter. It provides a colorful background for a stylized pineapple atop the church gate. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, a concept which is often in the forefront of Charleston's destination travel marketing.

As you can see from the graininess of the photo, this image was made on Velvia slide film, from my earlier days of shooting.


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Thought Bubbles?

Binocular Viewer and Clouds, Folly Pier, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




Clouds seem to emanate from this viewer like thought bubbles in a cartoon.



Friday, October 11, 2013

Rebirth

Lone Tree, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)




After widespread destruction by fire and ash, a lone tree acts as a bellwether on a formally forested mountainside near Mount St. Helens.
From death comes rebirth as life resumes its relentless hold on the land.



Thursday, October 10, 2013

Branching Out

Conifer at Sunrise, Waterrock Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




As dawn unfolds on Waterrock Knob, the branches of a conifer reach out for the light, creating a strong graphic silhouette. At an elevation of 6,293 feet, Waterrock Knob is an ideal place along the Blue Ridge Parkway for watching sunrises and sunsets, and also excellent for star gazing on clear nights.



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Morning Among the Ruins

Ruins and Olive Trees, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




Soft morning light illuminates what remains of ancient Rome.
On the Palatine Hill are the ruins of the Emperor's palaces.
Alas, even the mightiest fall.



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Atlanta Is Burning

Red Maple, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A flaming red maple blazes in downtown Atlanta.



Monday, October 7, 2013

Tunnel of Oaks

Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)




On the way to Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area,
 a road passes beneath a tunnel of live oaks, and their ancient wisdom, 

on the sea island of Edisto.



Sunday, October 6, 2013

Angel and the Scrollwork

Angel and Ironwork, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)




A stone angel contrasts with 

scrolled ironwork in this gold and blue composition.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Making a Splash!!!

Paint Splashes, Cannon Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




Paint splashes on a pink wall make
 a loud artistic statement by an unknown artist.



Friday, October 4, 2013

Gold Leaves

Courtyard, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Columns in the courtyard of Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque
 are adorned with gold leaves.
Its stone floor is polished smooth as a mirror.


Thursday, October 3, 2013

Gem from the Sea

Sand Dollar, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)




Like a small gem offered up by the sea,
a beautiful sand dollar
 rests on a wave-patterned beach.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

After the Rain

Country Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




After the rain, evening settles quietly
 over a country road in Cades Cove.


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Window Light

Window Glass Reflection, near Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film)




Sunlight reflecting off nearby window panes casts

 an abstract image on a wall near Piazza Navona, Roma.

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