Victim of Progress

Walls, The Old Plex, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Bold color set against a blue sky makes a graphic image. 
This former landmark no longer stands, 
being a victim of growth and progress in the area.

One Million!

Garden Gate and Cherry Trees, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This past week, Doug's Photo Blog surpassed one million page views.
So thank you all for your visits! I hope you continue to enjoy the beauty
I so love to share with you.

Porch View

Porch and Chairs, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography.)



Time to relax, sit a spell, and enjoy the view.
Have a stress free weekend.

Echos From the Past

Entry to Pirate's Courtyard, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(iPad photography)



It has been nearly 300 years since pirates were last seen in Charleston.
But the entry to Pirate's Courtyard may invite your imagination to wonder if,
at the end of this narrow passageway, you might hear the echos
of a "yo ho ho", or a "shiver me timbers".

Date Palm Oasis

Date Palms, Al Ain Oasis, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



When is a desert not a desert?...
when there is a subterranean water source beneath the sand,
and date palms grow thick as weeds.

Color, Texture, Order, Chaos

Colorful Rope, Tall Ships, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Interest abounds in this detailed image of nautical rope
 found on a Tall Ship anchored at the Port of Charleston.

Flag Tree

Flag Tree, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Rocky Mountain National Park, the fringe between the subalpine 
and alpine life zones is the kruppelholz or krummholz 
(German for crooked or bent wood). 
This area is where spruce and fir trees are stunted and shaped 
by fierce winds, creating elfin trees or in this case, a flag tree.
You can tell the predominant direction of the winds by the pointing limbs.

Old Bridge

The Old Foot Bridge, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Spanning a colorfully landscaped cypress swamp is
an old 19th century foot bridge, which has become an
iconic landmark at Magnolia Gardens over the years.

Night Hues

Night Gate, near Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



By day Charleston has its unique charms...
by night it takes on an entirely different hue.

Anticipation

View From Blue Ridge Parkway, near Waterrock Knob, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



My wife and I have noticed the slightest hint of autumn recently.
Although our afternoons are dreadfully hot, early mornings have
the look and feel of an approaching fall season... a lower angle
of sunlight and the quality of air are getting our attention,
and inspiring our anticipation.

Retro

Basilica of Saint Mark, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography)



A photograph of Saint Mark's Basilica made 150 years ago might
 have resembled this image, which features the sepia tone of old film.
But thanks to a little post-processing of one of my Fuji Velvia slides,
a vintage rendition of modern photography is possible.

Theatrics

Entry, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(iPad photography)



A bit of architectural theatrics introduces visitors to the
Dock Street Theatre as they enter the front doors...
the ornamentation overhead is quite dramatic!

Summer Peaks

View From Million Dollar Highway, Molas Pass, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, near the Million Dollar Highway,
rocky peaks hold snow fields in spite of the warm summer sun.

Misty Monday - Last Roll

Palmetto Trees and Pond, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Soft light from morning sea fog adds a mysterious mood to this row of palmetto trees reflected in a pond on Kiawah Island. This image is from the last roll of film that I ever shot, back in 2009. I was a late comer to digital photography, but since then it has been all digital. I even shoot occasionally with a tablet nowadays... never saw that coming 5 years ago.



 

Sanctuary

Cherub Statue, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I love walking through gardens. They feel like sanctuaries
of quiet and beauty amid a world of chaos and woe.
Magnolia Gardens, near Charleston, is the perfect place to find such sanctuary.
It features miles of meandering paths surrounded by a mix
of old world informality and deep south lushness...
an ideal little Eden for one's peace of mind.



 

Clearing Ridges

Misty Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Fog begins to clear along the high ridges of Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. But soon they'll be veiled again by mist
as it creeps up from thickly forested valleys.

Narrow Spaces

Alleyway Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A narrow alleyway leads to a courtyard gate in the Historic District. 
Charleston homes are set close together on the small peninsula. 
Minimal space has been maximized for greatest use. 
Tight alleyways and narrow streets are common, 
and often graced with lush gardens and decorative ironwork.

Sheltered

Early Morning, Saint Philip's Churchyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A walk through Charleston's French Quarter may lead you to
 Saint Philip's churchyard, which has many historic gravestones
 sheltered by the arms of ancient oaks.

The Caribbean in Charleston

Tropical Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(iPad photography)



Charleston yards often have the look of
 tropical gardens found in the Caribbean.

Echos of Ancient Egypt

Pyramid Mausoleum, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Echos of ancient Egypt reverberate at Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery
where a pyramid-shaped mausoleum stands at the edge of a reflecting pond.
But, as you know from your history lessons, it is not likely any mummified pharaohs were entombed here.



 

Flourish

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



Well-worn double doors show a flourish of ornamentation
 characteristic of Charleston's old world ambiance.

Darkness Looming

Boardwalk to the Beach, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A dark sky looms over the sea
 on a moody morning at Folly Beach.

Lofty

Peaks and Clouds, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The view from Trail Ridge Road overlooking the peaks and valleys of Rocky Mountain National Park is a lofty experience, especially when the clouds in the sky seem so close you could touch them. The road is one of the highest in the U.S., surpassing an elevation of 12,000 feet at its apex.

Survivor

Old Corinthian Capital, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



In 1823 a fire almost completely destroyed Saint Paul Outside the Walls, 
an ancient Roman Catholic basilica which dated back to the 10th century. Architectural fragments that survived the fire, such as this corinthian capital, 
were put on display in the original cloister, adjacent to the modern day basilica 
of the same name.

Twin Lanterns

Large Lanterns, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A pair of lanterns provides soft light as well as charming ambiance
for this courtyard entry in the Historic District.

Oaken Tentacles

Live Oak, Hampton Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(iPad photography)



The legendary Angel Oak on John's Island isn't the only
live oak in the Lowcountry with crazy limbs.
This old oak in Hampton Park has twisting arms too,
like a wildly tentacled octopus made of bark.

Resting

Bicycle Against a Lamp Post, Saint Michael's Alley, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



When your bicycle is tired of riding around town all day,
just lean it against a lamp post, and let it rest for awhile.
Lamp posts are strategically located across the city for just such a purpose.

Beloved

Gate Detail, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A heart for my beloved.

Western Oasis

Tree Line, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A row of cottonwood trees borders Medano Creek, which
meanders through Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado.
The trees seem like a desert oasis compared to the of towering
mounds of sand gathered at the base of the Sangre De Cristo
Mountains. You would almost expect to see camels.

Relic

Twilight along Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Longitude Lane is a stony relic of 17th century Charleston,
when the way to get around town
was either by walking or riding a horse.

Same Old Thing

Cadillac Ranch, near Amarillo, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Here is yet another row of old cadillacs
buried in a field at an angle, and painted with graffiti...
my goodness, you see them just about everywhere these days.
 Some things never go out of style.