National Geographic Travel Post

Row of Painted Cars, Cadillac Ranch, near Amarillo, Texas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I decided on a low point of view to frame this row of buried cadillacs
 receding into the distance. The image is showing this week on
 the National Geographic Travel blog.

Colorful Geometry

Detail, Movie Theater, North Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A geometric detail on a movie theater
 makes a colorful photographic subject
when isolated with a telephoto lens.

Ships at Port

Tall Ships, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



When the Tall Ships came to Charleston, they made a 
splendid sight at the port. Here is a view from Waterfront Park
 of the ships with the Ravenel Bridge in the background.

Portico Light

Morning Light, Trinity Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The east facing portico of Trinity United Methodist Church sits
in the perfect location to catch the warm light of a rising sun.

Rainwater Mirror

Battery Cannon and Reflection, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Film)



After the rains came pouring down, a pool of water became
 a mirror for this cannon on display at Charleston's Battery.

Urban Canyonland

High Rise Buildings, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



In the deep urban canyon, I look up to see Dubai's skyscrapers
 tower overhead, a dazzling cliffside of concrete and glass.

Throwback Thursday - Fuji Film

Morris Island Light, near Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Fuji slide film.)



One evening many years ago I captured this autumn moon rising above
Morris Island Lighthouse. Back then I was trying out Fuji slide film to
compare it with the Kodachrome I normally shot. I eventually made the switch, especially when Fuji came out with Velvia and it's rich color palette. It
transformed my style because I soon learned to love subject matter
with strong color.





 

Valley Lane

Country Lane, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



As evening mist settles in the mountain valley, a narrow lane
 leads the traveler's eyes into the distance, encouraging one
to imagine what lies beyond the forest edge.

A Dash of Color

Red Window, King Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Window dressing adds a dash of red
 to a King Street residence in the shopping district.

Tiber View

Saint Peter's Basilica and Tiber River, Vatican City and Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Early morning sun highlights the world's largest church, Saint Peter's Basilica,
and the buildings of Vatican City, the world's smallest country.

The Wash Out

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



A popular spot for surfers in the Charleston area is the Wash Out, a stretch
of coast along Folly Beach favored for it's wave action. Surfers come here
in any season, as these two did this winter.

Shrouded Waters

Morning Mist, Ashley River, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)




Morning mist shrouds the Ashley River as seen from
 the bank along the edge of Magnolia Gardens.

Garden Shed

Garden Shed, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A stone path leads the eye to a charming little shed
 set amid the soft hues of a Charleston garden.

Winter Evening

Marshland, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Evening settles quietly over winter marshlands on Daniel Island.

Glassy Pavement

Overlook, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view.)



Melting ice and snow create a mirror for reflections
 at an overlook along the Trail Ridge Road.

Fishy Business

Mural and Window, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view.)



A school of fish seem drawn to a window full of empty wine bottles.
Whatever it means, there is certainly something fishy going on.

Misty Monday - Muted Hues

Rural Road, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



The muted hues of a Lowcountry winter are on display
 along this rural road on John's Island.

Moss

Spanish Moss, West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Spanish moss hangs from a low tree limb,
dangling a curl just inches above blue marsh waters.

Reflections in a Jag

Refections in a Jaguar, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



While walking in the historic district of Charleston one day, many years ago,
I spotted some unusual shapes in the curves of a parked Jaguar.
The hood of this black car reflected a blue sky and the warm tones
of a nearby single house rising above the narrow street.

A Pervading Stillness

Fishing Dock, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (click on image for larger view.)



A morning stillness pervades a tidal river
 with fishing dock and shrimp boats on James Island.

Patterns and Hues

Shutters, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



The patterns of shutters and the warm hues of Tuscan stone
 bring to life this vignette from sunny Florence, Italy.

Cast Iron Planter

Cast Iron Busts on Planter, Calhoun Mansion Garden, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A cast iron planter in the Calhoun Mansion garden is adorned
 with two stately busts. These personages may date from the Victorian age, 
given that the mansion itself is from that period as well.

Pigeons on the Pier

Rock Doves, Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Folly Beach Pier not only attracts fisherman, but pigeons love 
the latticework of posts and beams for nesting, as well as the 
railing for the enjoyment of a seaside sunrise.




 

Canoe Dock

Canoe Dock, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This small dock offers an ideal spot to catch a winter sunset. A canoe launched from here can enter a network of tidal creeks which take the adventurous paddler on a tranquil ride around Daniel Island, near Charleston.

Kodachrome

Steps, Abandoned Battery, Sullivan's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Kodachrome film)



Step patterns are accentuated by afternoon light and shadow
 at an abandoned military battery on Sullivan's Island. I shot this image on Kodachrome years ago after we moved to Charleston,
 and when I first began to explore my new surroundings.

Jet Engine

Jet Engine, USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A look down the engine shaft of an old fighter jet shows the scarring
of combustion exhaust which blasted out at unthinkably high temperatures.

Garden Flora

Pond and Reflections, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The still waters of a pond reflect an assortment of flora
 on display at Magnolia Gardens, near Charleston.

Appalachian Sunset

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



The ancient ridges of the Southern Appalachian Mountains provide a
setting for this sunset seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway. At one time, the
Appalachians were the tallest mountains on Earth, but nearly 500 million years
of erosion have drastically shortened and softened their once lofty peaks.

Star of the Show

Blue Star, Nederland, Colorado  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



I closely cropped this vignette that I found in Nederland, Colorado,
to emphasize the star of the show...
an attractive mix of bright colors!

Delicate Tendrils

Willow Tree, Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Illuminated by afternoon sunlight, the delicate tendrils of a willow tree
 grace the Japanese Garden of Portland, Oregon.

Court Session

Door and Pediment, County Courthouse, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The Charleston County Courthouse dates from the colonial period
and is one of the oldest public buildings in town.
Morning light on the old restored stone gives this doorway a feeling of warmth,
in spite of how much you may not wish to enter a court room full of lawyers.

Glowing Steeple

Saint Michael's Steeple, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Aglow at twilight, the steeple of Saint Michael's Church
 is a beacon in the heart of Charleston's famous historic district.

Placid

Shrimp Boats at Sunset, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


Placid waters and the fading light of the evening sun 
create a peaceful conclusion to a day on Shem Creek. 

Cormorants in Flight

Flight of Cormorants, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A V-shaped skein of double-crested cormorants takes wing over the Atlantic Ocean near Folly Beach. These sea birds, and others, flock just offshore in the winter, and offer interesting birdwatching especially when the light is good.

Gate Scroll Target

Gate Scroll, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
 (Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)


I zeroed in on the "bullseye" on this gate scroll while making sure
 to align it with the garden path receding in the background.
 This gives the image a sense of place, picturing a Charleston
 home and garden in an indirect yet evocative way.

Italian Splendor

Cathedral of Florence, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A landmark of Renaissance Italy is the Duomo of Florence, otherwise known as the Bascilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Brunelleschi built its famous dome in the 15th century, the largest one of its time. The elaborate facade, designed by Emilio De Fabris, was completed more than 300 years later in 1887.

Garden Along the Ashley

Live Oaks along the Ashley River, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Click on image for larger view)



Magnolia Gardens lies along the Ashley River,
where live oak trees dip their limbs
toward the slow moving water.

Garden Fountain

Fountain, Calhoun Mansion, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Even in the midst of winter,
a garden in Charleston abounds with verdant color.

Salt Marsh Salutation

Bowing Tree in a Salt Marsh, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A lone tree spreads its arms and bows slightly forward,
 as if offering a natural salutation to the marshland.




 

Shem Creek at Twilight

Motion Blur, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




At dusk along Shem Creek, restaurant lights reflect in the water. 
I used a quick camera motion to create short "brush strokes" of the illuminations which blurred colors to make this abstract.

Dawn Along A Creek

Dawn, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



The bluish hues of dawn suffuse a tidal creek
 at low tide on Edisto Island.

Beach Jog

Jogger and Sand Fence, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



What better way to begin the day than a jog on the beach, with the warm shining sun over the sea, the hissing waves of the surf, and the cooling sea breeze.

A New Year Begins

Gas Lantern, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



At an entry to a house in the historic district, a lantern flame burns steadily,
like the advancement of time itself. So, a new year begins
in the old city of Charleston, marking the 344th year since it's founding in 1670.

Stairway to the Sea

Steps and Surf, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Inviting steps lead down to the surf
and the unknown wonders of the vast open sea.

May your New Year be as full of wonders!

Misty Monday - A Pier Appears

Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sea fog and clouds dissipate as the morning sun rises,
revealing the Folly Beach Fishing Pier.

Makeover

Air Hose, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It has been awhile since air was 25 cents. This abandoned air hose could have been an eyesore, but it was revived by an eye-popping makeover.

Fence Pattern

Sand Fences, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Groupings of sand fences form a rhythmic pattern as they fade into the distance on Folly Beach. Storm erosion has dramatically altered the coast line on this portion of the sea island, so the fences are intended to help stabilized what remains of the dunes.

Liquid Hues

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


Blue and gold hues reflect
in the pool
 beneath the Pineapple Fountain
in Charleston's Waterfront Park.

Winter Dawn

Shrimp Boats, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



As twilight fades into the light of dawn, shrimp boats on a tidal creek are revealed this misty winter morning.

A Home for the Holidays

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



The courtyard garden of a Charleston home
 is decorated simply and elegantly for the holidays.

Merry Christmas from Charleston!