A Picture That Poses Too Many Questions

Archdale St. Parking Garage, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


A pattern of rectangular lights and multiple railings atop a parking garage make for an interesting arrangement of shapes and lines. And look, there are no cars to spoil the image either! What? No cars in a parking garage? What does it mean? Is it purely coincidental, or does it presage something deeper and more profound? If there are no cars in a parking garage, does that also mean there are no people driving them? And if there are no people driving them, does that also mean there are no people? And if there are no people, does that also mean I don't exist? And if I don't exist, then I never made this picture? Nor wrote this blog? Hmm. I'll need time to think about this one. But wait! If I don't exist, then I can't think. On second thought, maybe it's better that I don't think. Argh, this is getting way too existential for me!


Location note: This photo was made on the 5th and top floor of the Archdale St. parking garage. That's why there's so much sky. And probably why there's no cars too. Who wants to park on the top floor when they can park on the bottom floor. Anyway, the view is nice.

Reflection of Palmetto Trees

Pond, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok

A row of palmetto trees is reflected in a golf course pond on Kiawah Island resort. One word of advice though. If you slice your Titleist into the water, don't go fishing for it. There could be alligators lurking in the shadows!

Impression of a Sunrise II

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Using a quick downward camera movement and saturated colors, a sunrise on Charleston Harbor becomes an impressionistic rendering, and a foray into experimental photography.

Impression of a Sunrise I

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Using a long, sweeping motion, I panned my camera across the reflection of a sunrise on Charleston Harbor, creating an abstract image of subtle light and color. But only after lots of tries did I make an image I was happy with. One of the beauties of digital photography... you can shoot, and shoot, and shoot, making experimentation affordable.

From the Archives - Time Heals

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington  © Doug Hickok


Made from Velvia slide film, this image was shot about five summers ago. Even then, after 25 years from the day Mount St. Helens erupted and ravaged the surrounding mountains and valleys, the land showed signs of recovering. Areas of forest blowdown grew masses of wildflowers. Scars from mud flows slowly healed. And a lone tree was determined to pioneer a new beginning. Life is a persistent force. And time heals.

From the Archives - Eye in the Sky

Union Terminal Ceiling, Cincinnati, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


The art deco style of Cincinnati's Union Terminal train station offers fascinating designs to gaze upon. This is a photograph of the geometric pattern on the terminal ceiling, which is directly over the heads of the one million visitors who walk beneath it every year. The terminal has been in use since the 1930's, but was converted into a museum in 1990. Nevertheless, it's still used today as an Amtrak stop where you can board a train to Chicago or Washington, DC. And the sensation that you're being watched as you pass below the "eye" is simply unadulterated paranoia, even though there are hundreds, no, thousands of hidden security cameras everywhere you look. And the dark suited man standing next to you is listening to every word you think. And he knows your favorite color. And where you live. And, and, and...


 

3 for Thursday - Ravenna, Italy

Street Lamps, Ravenna, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Door Knocker, Ravenna, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Doorway, Ravenna, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Seen above are a trio of images from Ravenna, the former capital of the Western Roman Empire, and home for several years of romantic poet Lord Byron, who worked here on his masterpiece, the epic poem Don Juan.

From the Archives - The Blue Nun of Jasna Gora

Monastery of Jasna Gora, Poland  © Doug Hickok


The 14th century monastery of Jasna Gora shelters Poland's most sacred icon, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. It also contains many arched passageways that create settings for nicely framed photographs. In this image, a blue clothed nun walked past just as I happened to press the camera shutter. I never saw her face, and to this day I wonder who she was. Where was she from? What kind of life did she live? And most importantly, I wonder who her favorite football club was?

From the Archives - If Life Was Like A Gondola

Blue Gondola, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok


If life was like a gondola, it would be simple and stylish, with artistry in the details.

If life was like a gondola, it would glide along smoothly and serenely, with sweet serenading songs to sooth you.

If life was like a gondola, there would be unmatched beauty all around, with a kaleidoscope of colors to astonish you!

If life was like a gondola, you could dock at a cafe along the Grand Canal, and enjoy a sunset while sipping creamy cappuccinos, and savoring succulent chocolates. (Yum. No, wait, that's a double yum!)

That would be the life.

From the Archives - A Rainy Night in Rome

Near Palazzo del Laterano, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


This image shows a range of muted colors flowing together, as seen through a rain soaked window at dusk. That, or my eyes were watering from a fit of sneezes. And yawns. It was a long day.

From the Archives - Serendipity

Road Cut, Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina  
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Click on image for larger view)




Sometimes beauty is found in the least expected places. In this instance, it was found in a road cut on a mountain highway in western North Carolina. Such serendipity is one of the true joys in life.


Photography note: This is a found scene that I almost passed-up. While driving by, I happened to glance over and notice the colors and textures, but kept going. I was impatient to reach my next destination. But the little voice in my head kept saying, "Go back Doug, go back and take a second look" After several miles, I finally turned around, and drove back. I found a safe place to park, jumped out, and made the picture. Sad to say, it wouldn't have been the first time I passed on a potential shot because I was  rushing to be somewhere else. But this time it worked out well.

Happy New Year From Charleston!

Reflection of Saint Michael's Church in City Hall Window, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok




Happy first day of 2011... y'all!

From the Archives - The Blue Gold Tree of Happiness

Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok



If there was a Tree of Happiness, and it was a tree of Blue Gold, I think the Blue would signify Peace and Harmony, and the Gold, Love and Companionship. Like the beautiful color combination of Blue/Gold, the elements of Peace/Harmony and Love/Companionship are complementary, working together like the Sun and Moon, or Yin and Yang, or Rodrigo y Gabriela, or peanut butter and jelly. They are essential for nurturing and growing our own Trees of Happiness. With this in mind, may your own Blue Gold Tree of Happiness flourish in the coming New Year!

Sunrise at Botany Bay

Botany Bay Plantation WMA, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok


A short hike to the boneyard beach at Botany Bay takes you to an almost surreal place, one of a slowly dying sea island forest. Countless years of relentless tides and damaging storms have eroded so much of the protective beachfront that the woodlands are being inundated by the encroaching sea. Yet, the tangle of dead wood and the haunting shapes of stranded trees make for fascinating photography. And, if Long John Silver ever needed an adventuresome place to bury his pieces of eight, or if Salvador Dali ever wanted fresh material for his phantasmagorical landscapes, then the boneyard beach at Botany Bay would be the ideal spot.

From the Archives - Old Salem Tree Shadow

Winkler Bakery, Old Salem, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok


Winter is well underway in the South. The air is colder but the sun can still warm-up afternoons. On bright days, the light angles a little lower, and shines a little sharper. Colors can be more saturated. I love this kind of light. In this photo, it's late afternoon, and a large bare tree projects its shadow onto the corner of a bakery in Old Salem. It was near here in 1766 where Protestant missionaries from Moravia (a former province in the Czech Republic) settled to begin their new life in the New World. Today the Town of Salem is preserved as though still in the 18th century, an enclave surrounded by the modern urban landscape of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It's a wonderful attraction and well worth a visit to anyone interested in American history, and our connection to the Old World. The Winkler Bakery continues the tradition of baking fresh breads in a wood burning oven. And, boy does it smell heavenly! Here's a link to learn more about Old Salem.

Universal Pattern

Beach Sand Pattern Abstract, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok


A close-up of dendritic patterns on a sandy beach left by the ebb and flow of tides mirrors other patterns found in nature, perhaps like those of jelly fish tentacles, or the network of veins in an eye ball, or the roots and branches of a weeping willow, or a network of dry river beds on a desert plain, or a summer electrical storm, or the topographical map of a mountain range, or foul flames from the River Styx, or...

Winter Pond Reflection

Wetlands near Savannah, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Velvia slide film)


Our Lowcountry has many wetlands with still waters ideal for photographing reflections and their eye-catching patterns and shapes. This image was made in the Savannah River floodplain near the border of Georgia and South Carolina. Although you're not likely to see narwhals and belugas here, you might see a yellow-bellied cooter. And, although you're not likely to see puffins and kittiwakes, you might see a red-bellied woodpecker. By now, you may have noticed many of our native wildlife species have multi-colored bellies. There's an easy explanation. The food they eat contains a rainbow of colored dyes to make its appearance more alluring, more appetizing. So, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that one day you might also see a mauve-bellied mockingbird, a fuchsia-bellied fox squirrel, a peach-bellied possum, or a spumoni-bellied skink.

IT'S SPRINGTIME IN CHARLESTON!!!

Washington Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Just kidding...
really it's SNOWING!

Later That Same Day...

Love Rays  © Doug Hickok



Love beams radiate from the Holy Family
 with an aim to heal all that ails the Earth.

Christmas in a Nutshell

Nativity from Rottenburg, Germany  © Doug Hickok



Merry Christmas,
and may "God bless us, every one!"

Follow the Yule Tide Road

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee  © Doug Hickok

"Over the hillocks and through the woods,
to Park Ranger's house we go,
hurrah for the fun! are the acorns done?
hurrah for the camp fire glow!"... tra la la, etc.
It's that time of year to gather with family and friends, and park naturalists, and bears, and be at one with a little eggnog, a little Yule log, a little cove fog, and a lot of good cheer. And don't forget to bring the rum.

Shadow Play of the Gate Scroll

Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

The historic district of Charleston is noted for its abundance of beautiful ironwork, from old church gates, to window grills and graveyard fences. It's a significant aspect of the city's charm. Photographically, I'm often attracted to the interplay of light and shadow, and Charleston's ornate ironwork offers plenty of opportunities to capture these kinds of lighting effects. In this image, the shadow of a scroll from an 18th century gate is cast upon a stuccoed column of Saint Michael's Church. The bluish tint in the shadow is reflected color from a bright, cloudless sky, and lends a pleasant touch to the photo's overall mood. But it would not last. Moments later, the shadow's form had completely changed because of the quickly moving light. Similar to animated puppets in a Chinese shadow play, nothing stays the same for long.

From the Archives - Bridge Wednesday

Somesville, Maine  © Doug Hickok


Today is bridge Wednesday, the bridge signifying a span between the beginning and end of the work week. Some folks call it "hump day".  To others, it's the day in the middle of the week where they can see the light at the end of the tunnel (woo who!). If you look closely at this photo, just under the bridge, in the shadows, is a small troll. You can barely see him. He's difficult to spot because he's a little shy. See, just there. It's a local custom for people crossing the bridge to toss a few coins in the water, a simple gesture of appreciation, since the troll takes care of the town's best know landmark.
That's why they call it a troll bridge.

From the Archives - When Really in Rome...

Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Borga District, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Ponte District, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Borga District, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Ripa District, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Near The Vatican, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Borga District, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Esquilino, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Colosseum, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Near Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok

Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


... do as the Romans really do, drive really neat, really really colorful, really really really small cars. And park next to really really really really cool places. And drink espresso. Really.

The Eyes Have It

Tall Ship's Sail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

While strolling along the wharf where the tall ships dock, something suddenly caught my eye. I looked up and set eyes upon the eye-catching eye of a one-eyed sail. In my mind's eye, I thought to myself, in the twinkling of an eye, "Oh, My eye! Are you making an eye at me?" While staring eye to eye with the all seeing eye, I shouted, "Mind your eye, you!" But thinking further I wondered if there was more to this eye in the wind than met the eye. I was up to my eyes in doubt. Maybe this wasn't a one-eyed sail, but one of the one-eyed beings of lore. Could it be a cyclops? A Polyphemus perhaps? The eye of Ra even? But of course that was a silly idea. That could be no more possible than a camel passing through the eye of a needle. "Do you take me for a fool?" I muttered. "Do you see any green in my eyes?" Having an eye to the future, I turned a blind eye from that eye in the sky, and moved away in a blink of an eye, keeping my eyes pealed for other evil-eyed things. Without batting an eye, I thought to myself, "This eye-opening episode has certainly been an eye-popping ordeal". And with a wink of an eye and a laugh, I cried aloud, "Aye, Aye!"

From the Archives - The Dragon of Krakow

Florianska Street, Krakow, Poland  © Doug Hickok


There was a time, long ago, when we dragons ruled the Earth. We dominated the skies with fire and dread. We filled the imagination of men with fear and awe. We were the very stuff of legend and myth. Our magical blood was sought after for its protection against harm, and our teeth were sown like seeds to incite war and chaos. But as time passed so too did our power and prestige, due to the emergence of dragon slayers, like Beowulf, Siegfried, St. George, and Bard the Bowman. Woeful now are the days of dragons, for we are barely remembered, relegated to the roles of cartoon characters, fantasy games, tattoos, or worse. None is a better example of our fall than the Dragon of Krakow. Smok was his name. He dwelt in a cave under Wawel Hill, and ravaged the countryside, but was finally subdued by the wit of a shoemaker's apprentice. Today the unfortunate dragon wanders the streets of Krakow, a shadow of his former self, scorned or ignored, a lonely and broken creature. Woeful now are the days of dragons. Woeful now indeed. 

From the Archives - Poof!

Vaporetto Ramp, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok


Since no cars are permitted in the city of Venice, the best way to travel from place to place, other than walking the streets, alleyways and bridges, is riding the waterways on public transportation, known as the canal bus or vaporetto. Vaporettos make stops to pick-up passengers at vaporetto ramps, which are like bus stops, strategically located along the canals of Venice. When the vaporetto pulls-up, you just walk down the ramp and hop on. Vaporetto means "steamship" in Italian, but it may also mean "to vanish in a vapor", much like what happened to planet Earth in A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Poof! Vaporetto! And much like what happened to the passengers waiting on this ramp just moments before I snapped this picture. Poof! Vaporetto! Probably the handy work of Vogons.

Tis the Season

Holiday Lights Abstract, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Wagging the camera in front of holiday lights.

(See November 26th blog entry for wagging the camera tutorial)

From the Archives - Ship Harbor

Ship Harbor Nature Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine  © Doug Hickok

If you seek a wild, rugged coastal landscape, there is no other on the eastern seaboard like that of Acadia National Park on Maine's Mount Desert Island. Small in size but great in beauty, Acadia offers a wilderness-like experience within a day's drive from many major metropolitan areas in the eastern United States. About 30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Bar Harbor, the island's tourist center, is Ship Harbor Nature Trail, an easy leg stretcher that introduces visitors to the natural wonders of Acadia. Quiet secluded coves, cool dark forests, and wild rocky coastlines with remarkable views of the vast Atlantic Ocean are all accessible along the roughly one mile trail. In this photo one can almost hear the haunting calls of a solitary loon echoing from the misty cove.

A Dickensian Sunrise

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


A Tale of Two Moments

It was the worst of times. It was the best of times.
One moment, dawn was bitterly cold.
The next, so lovely to behold.
It was a far, far better thing for them to endure the worst,
for the best was a far, far better thing
 than they had ever known.

The End

The Sultans of Swat

Vintage Posters, City Market, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Charleston's City Market has been offering goods for sale since the 1830's. Back then it was fresh seafood, meat and produce which Charlestonians shopped for to supply their kitchens. Today the City Market supplies merchandise mainly for shopping tourists. They can find local hand crafts, artwork and collectables, like these vintage posters. Displayed above are icons of the pop/rock music world... The Beatles, The Doors, Elvis, The Rolling Stones and Babe Ruth. Yes, George Herman Ruth! 
Babe and the Sultans of Swat had a brief but mercurial career rocking-out ball parks across America. Where ever they played, their unique blend of hard-driving heartland rock and Big Apple blues made them an instant smash. Many of their songs became memorable hits, and a few went on to become what some in the music business call "home runs".  Oldies but goodies like "I'm Roundin' Third and Headed Home to You, Hunny", "Tootse, You're My Divin' Catch", "High and Tight", "You Send Me Up Like a Pop-Fly", "Ain't No Way I'm Stealin' For You" , "Whiffed on Love", "My Heart Got Dinged by Your Curveball Baby", "Bad Case of Blooper Blues", "Called Out Lookin' for Love", "You Ain't Nothin' But a Sandlot Slugger", "Good Bunting Gone Bad", "Swingin' for the Fences" and their hall of fame hit, their multi-platinum single, "All You Need is Glove". Tragically their run at legend would end with a strikeout. Their sudden and dramatic downfall occurred when many of the band members succumbed to cola addiction.

Imagination Gone Wild

Ornate woodwork, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

The oldest building designed as a theatre in America is not in New York, or Chicago, or San Francisco. Nor is it in Santa Fe, or Saint Augustine or Williamsburg. Nor is it in True or Consequences, or Kickapoo, or even South of the Border. It's here in Charleston at the Dock Street Theatre. Last year, when I worked on a photo shoot for the Spoleto Festival USA ticket brochure, I came across this interesting detail of decorative woodwork on a door frame at the Dock Street Theatre. The theatre was nearing completion after a long period of renovation, and final touches were being made to much of the ornate interior. There were so many wonderful close-ups like this one that caught my eye. My imagination tends to get the best of me sometimes, but when I look at this photo I see a face, a sort of whimsical, fantastic face that might belong to a Cirque du Soleil character. I thought of them because of their blend of wild imagination and stunning theatrical production.

Charleston Saves Western Civilization

Old Exchange, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

The Old Exchange was the last public building the British erected in Charleston before the American Revolutionary War. More importantly, it was here where local patriots ratified the US Constitution, making the Old Exchange one of the few nationally significant colonial sites of its kind still standing today.
It was also near here where the last sighting in North America was of Genghis Khan, great lord and master of the Mongol Empire. He and his invading armies had swept across the steppes of Central Asia from Mongolia and were driving into Europe, vanquishing in their path city after city after city. Then, needing a break from all the vanquishing, Genghis Khan booked a pleasure cruise to Charleston, where he refreshed himself amid the city's Southern charm and sophistication. He spent ample time strolling along the Battery promenade, taking in the sea breeze, and indulging his sweet tooth with lavish helpings of key lime pie. Thus was Charleston the real reason Western Civilization was spared the wrath of the Great Khan.

Mystery Photo

Mystery  © Doug Hickok




Crinkled aluminum foil
or
Chaos theory in action?




Jackson Pollock abstract
or
Hubble shot of an exploding supernova?




Doodling pad of a chimpanzee
or
US Tax Code?




Shrimp boat reflections in a creek
or
Cosmic echo from the Big Bang?




Dime store kaleidoscope
or
Santa obscured by streamers in a NYC parade?




Pre-schooler scribbles
or
One of the merry pranks of Till Eulenspiegel?




Maze of snail trails on an artist's palette
or
Cross section of mineral rich rock from Timbuktu?




Atoms smashing in a particle accelerator
or
Lady Gaga's hairdo?




St Elmo's Fire
or
Jean-Michel Basquiat's graffiti art?




Mad Hatter's sketch book
or
Blueprint of the Minotaur's Labyrinth?




Sonogram of Jabberwocky speak
or
Where's Waldo?




Magnified view of a butterfly wing
or
Aerial view of the Painted Desert?




Poltergeist in the TV
or
What fish see?




Pharmaceutically inspired dream vision
or
Doug's brain wave pattern after chewing Gummy Bears?








Ummm, what do you think?

From the Archives - Finding Splendor: A Postscript

Dear Viewer,

     I'm writing this letter today to inform you the world is lit by splendor, a splendor of color, and line, and shape. Where ever you are now, take a minute to look around and see for yourself. (Go ahead, I'll wait). Sometimes splendor is easy to see. Sometimes not. It may not jump out and say "Look at me!" It may be disguised as the ordinary, the everyday, the mundane. And sometimes splendor is nothing tangible at all. Sometimes it's the ineffable sense of a place, or a fleeting moment of awareness. Or sometimes it's the feeling of something much larger than yourself.

     Below are 3 images from the Midwest that have nice color, line, and shape, and offer a glimpse of splendor. Enjoy!


Sincerely,
Doug

Old Blue Steps, Newport, Kentucky  © Doug Hickok

Old Silo, Harrison, Indiana  © Doug Hickok

Old Sign, Yellow Springs, Ohio  © Doug Hickok


Oh, I almost forgot to mention, If you're having trouble finding splendor, chew some Gummy Bears. It's the small things that help make a difference. 

From the Archives - The King of Early B-Boy

God of the Tiber, Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok


A legend from the dawn of Rome's founding tells of King Tiberinus, who drowned in what is know today as the Tiber River, which flowed near The Capitoline Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Jupiter, taking pity on the dead king, resurrected him as God of the Tiber, a personification of the river's life sustaining bounty.
Inspired by his new life, Tiberinus began a hip-hop group, the Society for the Promotion of a Qool Rome (SPQR), whose task it was to encourage certain avant-garde societal trends, the first of which was a fast growing dance craze known as breakdancing, or as the Romans called it "breaking" or "B-boying". Tiberinus was the king of early B-boy, regarded for his signature moves, such as the Hopping Turtle, the Romulus Airbaby, the Nutcracker, the Pretzel Hop and the Etruscan Munchmill.
In this photo the God of the Tiber is immortalized in travertine, likely finishing a sequence of power moves... a float, a glide and freezing in a slide. Remarkably, Tiberinus managed breaking all his moves in a toga while holding aloft his cornucopia. Now that's kicking it old school.