The Remains of a Poster

Torn Poster Paper on Glass Window, Old Library on Marion Square, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



The remains of a dilapidated poster cast shadows on a curtain hung behind a window, creating a layered visual abstract.

Car on Wall

Mural on Wall, Automobile Ad, Portland, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film converted to Black and White. Click on image for larger view)



It is not everyday you see a car painted large on the side of a city wall. 
How about a test drive?

Four Columns

City Hall Columns and County Courthouse, Four Corners of Law, Charleston, SC 
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view)



A row of four columns leads the eye toward the old County Courthouse in Charleston, which was designed by Irish architect James Hoban and dates from 1792. 

Hoban met George Washington when the president visited Charleston, and later won a competition to design the presidential mansion, more famously known as the White House.

Bench Back Blues

Bench Back and Wall, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



At the North Carolina Arboretum, I took advantage of reflecting blue light that 
filled the shade on a cloudless sunny day. I made this closely cropped image 
of a wooden bench back, which made a nice design against the wall of Appalachian stone.

Theatre of the Suns

Arcade, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




On one of our trips to Atlanta a few years ago, I was so enchanted by the Fox Theatre arcade that I spent about an hour photographing there. The theatre was built in the moorish style, and its colors, textures, shapes and patterns completely captivated my fancy, like these stylized radiating suns.

Misty Monday - Profile of a Pelican

Pelican on Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film. Click on image for larger view)



An immature brown pelican seems to pose in profile
 for a portrait at Shem Creek on a misty morning.

Some Assembly Required

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




Individual sections of rustic fencing are fitted together loosely to form a boundary around burial plots in historic Magnolia Cemetery. In the background is an old mausoleum.

The Creatures Among Us - Three Eyes

Marina Electrical Box and Boat, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



A strange three-eyed face from outer space 
disguises itself as an electrical box.

A Face in the Theater

Wood Carving Detail, Dock Street Theater, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


This is an image I made during a photo shoot a few years ago at the Dock Street Theater when it was under renovation. You can see parts of the original carving have been replaced with putty. It was eventually painted and made to look like new. Renovations of historic buildings like the Dock Street Theater are seemingly endless in Charleston, a city packed full of 18th and 19th century structures.

Italy in Poland

Courtyard Balconies, Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Dating from the 14th century, the royal castle of Wawel Hill was where Poland's rulers lived until the early 20th century. It was originally designed in the Gothic style, but was later renovated as a Renaissance palace. You can see the influence of Italian architects in these arched and balustraded balconies.

Wawel Hill has a long and fascinating history, including human settlement dating back to the Paleolithic Age, a legendary dragon, and the location of one of the world's most powerful chakras (spiritual energies).

Contrasting Styles

East Battery Mansions, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



The neo-classical architecture of one antebellum mansion contrasts with the eclectic style of another along Charleston's Battery. These homes face east toward the harbor and bask in the morning sun.

Old Winter Snow

Snow and Clouds, Alpine Visitor Center, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Remains of old winter snow, appearing like layers of white sedimentary rock, can be seen at the Alpine Visitor Center on Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road. The two lane road is the highest paved road in the country at 12,183 feet above sea level (or in other words, over 2 miles above Charleston level!)

Everything's Rosy

Hand Rail and Lantern Shadow, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Here's my optimistic take on a Charleston hand rail,
 as might be seen through rose-colored glasses.

Churchyard Shadows

Gate Shadow, Saint Philip's Churchyard, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Early morning sunlight delineates the scrollwork designs
 of an iron gate on a stone walkway in Saint Philip's churchyard.

Imagined

Pineapple Fountain at Night, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This night fountain becomes a colorful subject
 for a mind flush with imagination. 

Rocking in Texas

Rock Layers, Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Geology always intrigues me. It was the subject I first studied in college until I realized I was better at taking pictures of rocks than analyzing their chemistry. 

Colorful outcrops such as these in Palo Duro Canyon rocked my eyes everywhere we explored. Very thin layers of white gypsum can be seen threading through this section of orange sedimentary stone, which dates from roughly 200 million years ago.

I am still a bit of a rockhound, collecting interesting specimens here and there. Consequently our yard is full of rocks from many places around the country.

The Art of the Rock Wall

Rock Wall Pattern, Pleasant Hill Shaker Village, Kentucky  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The well honed skill of making a beautiful wall is on display at a 19th century Shaker village in Kentucky.

Twin Frames

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



The reflections of a brick chimney and a dormer window
 are framed by two french doors. This South of Broad neighborhood in Charleston dates from the 1700's.

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.