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.

Resurrection

Bronze Jesus, Todos Los Santos, San Luis, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Happy Easter!

Do the Flamingo!

Red Flamingo, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



When shopping for souvenirs at the beach, why not take home a red flamingo? You can dance with the flamingo in your yard, while all your neighbors watch in amazement!

Ohio Steampunk

Detail, Antique Harvester, Old Depot, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The rusting remains of an antique harvester provide us with a steampunk subject for today's monochrome adventure.

Jack-O-Lantern

Rocky Shore, Thunder Hole, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rocks catch the rays of morning light creating a face of shadows, 
like a scowling jack-o-lantern.

Still Waters

Bald Cypress Trunk and Reflections, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The submerged trunk of a bald cypress grows in the still waters
 of a cypress swamp.

Night of the Living Dead

Boneyard, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Remains of a maritime forest at the edge of Folly Beach
 provide a stark portrait in black and white.

Welcome to Monday

Marsh Grass at High Tide, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Time for your Zen moment.

Charleston Crabapples

Flowering Crabapple and Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


The final spring image of this series is of blooming crabapple trees with Saint Michael's Church in the background. This image was selected for the cover of  Traveler of Charleston magazine's spring edition.

Traveler of Charleston Magazine Cover

Azalea Clusters

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



Clusters of red azaleas poke through openings in a wrought iron fence to greet walkers. Azaleas were first brought from Japan to the United States in the 1800's to Magnolia Gardens, just up the river from Charleston. Today many varieties flourish throughout the Lowcountry.

Festooned

Wisteria Vine and Cherry Tree, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Flowering vines festoon a fence surrounding the garden
 of a Meeting Street mansion.

Welcome to Charleston

Morning, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Morning light softens colors along East Bay Street near Rainbow Row. This image is used inside the Festival of Houses and Gardens brochure on the "Welcome to Charleston" page.

A Complement of Hues

Hitching Post, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A colorfully clad group of visitors complement the hues of spring as they stroll along Meeting Street, while an iron hitching post echoes the days when the main mode of transportation was horse drawn carriages.


  

Let the Tours Begin

Tulip Magnolias, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

2013 Festival of Houses and Gardens Cover Image



It is time for the Historic Charleston Foundation's Festival of Houses and Gardens to begin. Spring is in full swing here. Visitors will enjoy strolls through a city blooming with color, with tours of a variety of historic homes and gardens.

One of my stock images is the cover shot for the Festival brochure. The brochure was designed by Lee Helmer Design.

The rest of the week I will post more images of Charleston in the springtime.

Jelly in Deep Blue

Jelly Fish, South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Alien? No. A jellyfish floats effortlessly in a blue light tank at our local aquarium.
Personally, I prefer my jelly with peanut butter, between 2 slices of bread.

Black... & White Mood

Saint Philip's Church, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Saint Philip's steeple rises above a gated brick wall
along Philadelphia Alley in Charleston's French Quarter.
The day was bright and sunny, but when the image is rendered in black & white the mood becomes mysterious.

Impression of a Sunset II

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



Another edition in my series of sunrise/sunset impressions, this one with a twist of the focus ring and a tilt of the head.

Projected

Door and Gate Shadow, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Front gate scroll work is traced onto an ornate door like a movie on a theater screen by the ultimate projectionist, the sun.

Steamboat Landing

Seagulls on Fishing Pier, Steamboat Landing, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Dawn light on Steamboat Creek reveals two seagulls sitting on a fishing pier.
The pier is on Edisto Island, named after a Native American tribe that lived in this area long ago, before settlers arrived.