Fresh Perspective

Wave Pattern, Charleston Harbor, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A walk on the Ravenel Bridge gave me a new perspective
 on Charleston Harbor, inspiring me to photograph
 this mesmerizing wave pattern from high above.

Here's to hoping the New Year
gives us all a fresh take on life.

Essential Ingredients

Hampton Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



All that is needed is light and water,
 and you have life's essentials.

A Charleston Sunrise

Sunrise, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Morning greets the balconies
 and lanterns along Tradd Street.

Evening Blush

Garden Statue near the Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Evening light paints a blush on a statue
 tucked in the cool shade of a Battery garden.

Stone Light

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



Sunlight traverses a narrow alleyway
 at the perfect angle to highlight its stoney path.

Merry Christmas from South Carolina

White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



We are having spring-like weather here in Charleston.
The air conditioning is running and our forsythia bush
 has tiny blooms peeking out... a few months too early.
In any case, I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.

Sightseeing

Antique Car, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Coming across a classic car in the historic district
 seems an appropriate sight to see in old Charleston.

December Hues

Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Add a splash of vibrance to a neutral background,
 and voila... a photographic canvas
 of Charleston in December.

Aerial Perspective

Wave Patterns, Cannon Beach, Oregon
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



From warm foreground to cool background,
a two dimensional image becomes 3-D.

A Cheery Time of Year

Lantern and Bow, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A bit of holiday cheer is wrapped around
 a lantern near the Battery.

Oak by the Ashley

Oak Tree by the Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



For an instant, sunlight twinkles
 through the crux of a live oak at Brittlebank Park.

Angular Reflections

Marsh Grass Along the Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Marsh reflections create angles that compliment
 the lines of a boat anchored in the Ashley River.

Burning Leaves

Battery Fence at Sunset, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Leaves catch fire as evening sun
 sets this fence ablaze with warm light.

Color Celebration

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




Snappy hues greet your eye today.
Things are looking up, hurray!

Flow of Lines

Curvy Path, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A brick-lined path flows through a garden
 like water in a meandering stream.

Remember the Summer?

Fence Line, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It seems so long ago when
 the world was lush and sunny and inviting.

Light at the Inn

An Inn on the Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



As twilight falls, lights come on to lead the way
 into an inn on the Battery.

The Joy of Shallow Focus

Boat Landing, Ashley River, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The concrete surface of a boat landing on the edge
 of the Ashley River makes a surreal subject at sundown.

Skeletons in the Mist

Spruce/Fir Forest near Clingman's Dome,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The remains of old fir trees stand like silent sentinels
 in the clouds near the Smoky's highest peak.

Bird Alert

Great Egret, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A great egret is alert for signs of a potential meal
 in the pluff mud at Shem Creek.

Goblets of Light

Three Goblets, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Wine goblets fill with natural light from a garden window.

Zen Moment

Live Oak, Meditation Garden, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Captured in this photo,
sun rays light the trunk of a live oak at the end of the day,
 transforming a peaceful moment in the Meditation Garden
 into a lasting image.

Lead the Eye

Monument Rocks, Kansas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A visual line of foreground shapes leads the eye to a gap
 in a chalk butte at Monument Rocks.

The Between Spaces

Theater Facade, North Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Neon tubing adds interesting detail in the spaces between
 colorful lines and shapes on a local movie theater.

Lovely Evening

Park Bench by the Marina, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sunset colors reflect off water near a marina
 on the Ashley River. It's a lovely way to end the day.

Let the Light In

Wooden Door, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A wooden door inside a desert fortress
 opens to the light from a bright Arabian sky.

Inner Glow

Hampton Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A tree in Hampton Park catches sunlight
 in a way that suggests a heart of radiant warmth.

A Wealth of Detail

Step Railing, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Shooting through a wrought iron fence,
I focused on the details of a stair rail
which leads up to the front door.

Palmetto

Palmetto Tree, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A palmetto tree as a natural design subject
features spokes radiating from the trunk.

Fall Light

Live Oaks and Spanish Moss, North Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Live oaks catch and hold the warm glow of light
 from a November setting sun.

A Day to Be Thankful

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



Hope your day of Thanksgiving
is filled with warmth!

Sea Full of Light

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



Light rays filter through an atmosphere thick with moisture,
 illuminating darkened ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Key to Entering

Old Gate on the Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A front gate on the Battery
 features an old fashioned keyhole.

Eye Candy

Theater Facade, North Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A vibrant spectrum of hues attracts the eyes of movie goers
 as they enter this theater in North Charleston.

Wearing Away

Headstone, First Scotts Churchyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An old headstone in a Charleston churchyard
 wears the sign of relentless time.

Room at the Inn

Garden Gate to Two Meeting Street Inn, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



No worries about where to sleep tonight...
there's room at the inn.

Spare Moment

Bench by the Harbor Marsh, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A minimalist approach to photography
 captures a quiet moment
 by the marsh edge at Waterfront Park.

Keeper of the Stone

Tree Roots, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Twining tree roots enclose a stone for safekeeping
 in an old growth forest in the Southern Appalachians.

Loud Bark

Sidewalk, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Crepe myrtles with their vibrant colored bark
 line a sidewalk along King Street in Charleston.

Doing the Dock Walk

Great Egret, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A great egret struts its stuff along the runway
 of a boat dock at Shem Creek.

Bygone Era

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



A timeworn fence surrounds an old family plot
 at Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery.

Fall Bloomers

Cassia Flowers, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It's that time of year when autumn blooms
 unfold in Charleston gardens.

Pelican Brief

Shrimp Boats, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I captured a brief moment in time...
 pelicans taking flight along Shem Creek
 where shrimp boats dock for the evening.

Outdoorsy

Doors in Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Here is a small collection of doors
 found outside in Charleston.

Pew With a View

Church Pew, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In Cades Cove in the 1800's, a window seat at church
 offered natural air conditioning with the added benefit
 of a view of the surrounding forest.

Evening Allure

Piazza Entry, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lanterns set a warm mood at dusk
 at a single house in the historic district.

Evening Walk

Sunset, Shem Creek Boardwalk, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A perfect glowing orb setting over the salt marsh
 is a peaceful sight to see from Shem Creek Boardwalk.

Small Embellishments

Step Railing, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Curls of ironwork add a touch of charm
 to these brick stairs in a courtyard garden.