Misty Monday - Ashley River Sunrise

Marsh Grass and Sailboat, Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A moored sailboat blends with
 marsh grasses in the mist along the Ashley River.

Lowcountry Sunset

Sunset with Spanish Moss, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


A Lowcountry day comes quietly to an end
 as the sun sets over the tidelands.

Sunflower Wreath

Sunflower Gate, Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



How do you add sunshine to a shady lane?

Burning

Mid-Morning Sun, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The fireball that is our sun blazes away
 after burning-off morning sea fog at Folly Beach.

Green Curtain

Red House, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A touch of green in a balcony curtain
 complements this red house in Venice.

Towers of Stone

Rocky Pinnacles, Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark, Kansas
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Walking amid the pinnacles of Monument Rocks
 feels like walking amid ancient towers of stone.

Old Style

Courtyard Fountain, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A baroque-style fountain adds a touch of the old country
 to this courtyard garden in Charleston.

Best Seat in the Garden

Outdoor Seating at the Restaurant, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A perfect spot to admire the views at Middleton Place Gardens
 is here in the restaurant's outdoor seating courtyard.

A Glimpse of Tranquility

Boat and Dock, Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



 A tranquil moment is glimpsed as morning mists rise
along the Ashley River and its bordering marshlands.

Branching Out

Boneyard Beach, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This old tree's exposed roots seem like an extension of its branches,
spreading like tentacles across the sandy beach at Botany Bay Plantation.

Sun Bathing

Mandevilla Vine, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



People aren't the only ones to bask in our sunshine.
Colorful, tropical blooms find Charleston fences a perfect place
 to sun themselves during the warm weather.

Miniature Forest

Bonsai, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Within the forested slopes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
 is the North Carolina Arboretum, which harbors this bonsai forest.

Revealing Light

Archways, East Battery Mansion, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Light from sunrise illuminates the archways of an East Battery
 mansion revealing their smooth shape and texture.

Abstract Performance

Reflections at Sunset, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



The glass and angularity in the design of Atlanta's
 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center makes a fun subject
 for abstract photography.

Autumn in the Old City

South of Broad Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Mums adorn this autumn courtyard in Charleston's Historic District.
 Many homes in this area date from the 1700's.

Cabin View

Autumn Oaks and Maples, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The view off the back deck of a cabin in the Southern Appalachians
 is the very picture of autumn hues.

Mist on the River

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



Framed by two pilings on a boat dock, a foggy morning
 on the Ashley River is illuminated by the rising sun.

Spooky Tandem

Skeleton Greetings, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A spooky greeting awaits trick or treaters
 who dare approach this haunted mansion in Charleston.
Happy Halloween!

Wrought Iron

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



An old wrought iron gate decorates the entry
 to this gazebo garden near the Battery.

Autumn Drive

Near Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A side road off the Blue Ridge Parkway leads down
 the mountain through a palette of hues that please the eye.

Single House Entry

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


Entry from the street into a Charleston single house 
is through a side door on the porch (piazza). 
Single houses are long and narrow, one room wide, 
and positioned perpendicular to the street. 
The pumpkin is optional.

Touring

Young Biker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



This little guy knows how to tour the town.

19th Century Revisited

High Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography.)



A vintage look added to film photography seems fitting
 for the antebellum mansions that line Charleston's historic Battery.

Trunk Texture

Tree Trunks, Fernbank Park, Cincinnati, Ohio  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A gathering of trees
becomes a study in pattern and texture.

Seasonal Offerings

Pumpkins and Gourds, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)


A collection of colorful pumpkins and gourds
 are for sale at a local farmers market on John's Island.

Ever Watchful

Angel Statue, Nathaniel Russell House, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A weathered angel stands watch over
 one of Charleston's museum house gardens.

Autumn Blooms

Coral Vine, South Battery Mansion, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Coral vine thrives in front of an antebellum mansion on the Battery.
Charleston is a city amid a garden, with flowers blooming anytime of year.



 

After the Storm

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



A haze of moisture backlit by a setting sun
settles over Cades Cove after a rain storm passes through.

Approaching Storm

Marshland near Sol Legare Road, James Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



To capture this Lowcountry vista, I stood on top of my car.
 This gave me enough height for a distant perspective over the
 marshlands, which also included the looming clouds of an
 approaching storm.

The Way

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



The way to tranquility is along this path
 in Portland's Japanese Garden.

Parks Aglow

Azaleas, White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



One of Charleston's many city parks is aglow
 with color when the azaleas are in full bloom.

New Replaces Old

Shrimp Boat Framed by Yacht, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The trend of recent times at Shem Creek...
fewer and fewer shrimp boats are seen along the creek
while more and more pleasure crafts take their place.

Alien Presence

Boneyard Beach, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The skeletal remains of an old tree looks
 eerily alien on the boneyard beach at Botany Bay.

Folly Patterns

Sunrise, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Waves form jagged patterns in the surf which is awash
 with the hues of sunrise. This image was taken from the
 Folly Beach Fishing Pier, and was the cover shot
 on Charleston Magazine several years ago.

Bear Lake

Old Tree, Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An old tree clings to the edge of Bear Lake,
an alpine lake in the high elevations
 of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Gate of Hearts

Hearts Gate, French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This French Quarter gate has heart...
several hearts in fact, albeit all upside down.

Vortex Blues

Gate Scroll with Blue Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 



Newly minted ironwork becomes a vortical subject
 for an antebellum mansion on Charleston's Battery.

Gems in the Rough

Turk's Cap Lily, near Black Balsam Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina



Along a trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Becky and I discovered
 these two little gems growing in a high mountain meadow
 near Black Balsam Knob. What a joy to find these delicate Turk's Cap Lilies
along the edges of such rocky trail!

Take the Plunge

Divers Fountain, Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sometimes you need to just take the plunge,
 as these synchronized "divers" do
 at a fountain in the Dubai Mall.

Night Scrolls

Gate Scrolls at Night, Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Street lights at twilight illuminate the scroll work
of a churchyard gate in Charleston's French Quarter.

A Fine Day for Dappling

Dappled Sunlight, Fernbank Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A sprinkling of dappled sunlight falls
 on this tree trunk and the grass around it
during a fine summer day at Fernbank Park.

Beauty in the Abstract

Shoreline, Breach Inlet, Isle of Palms, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A curve in the beach at Breach Inlet makes an ideal subject
 for a nature abstract. Soft light adds a touch
 of color to enhance the evening mood.

The Old Spring House

Spring House on Rice Mill Pond, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A gorgeous day at Middleton Place gardens highlights
 the graceful contours of Rice Mill Pond and its beautiful
 surroundings, including the old spring house on the hill.

A Hint of Winter

Autumn, Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A hint of winter pervades this view of Mount Mitchell
with a dusting of snow atop its peak
 and a thinning of autumn leaves among the lower ridges.

Fall Tour of Homes

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



The Preservation Society offers their Fall Tours this month,
 from October 2nd to the 26th. The annual event opens up
private homes and gardens to guests who glimpse Southern living,
 Charleston style.

Autumn Moment

Autumn Maple, French Broad River, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A maple's golden hue contrasts nicely with the river's deep blue
 in this autumn moment captured in western North Carolina.
 Happy Friday everyone!

Smoking Ridges

Misty Ridges, Black Mountains, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Great Smoky Mountains are not the only mountains that emit rising mists. Here it is the Black Mountains, which are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. They are the highest ridges in the Eastern U.S. and include Mount Mitchell, the tallest of them all.

Eastward Facing

Morning Light, East Bay Street, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rainbow Row is on display
when its eastward facing facades
 catch the early sunlight.

Refreshed

Antebellum Mansion, South Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A newly renovated antebellum mansion stands proudly,
 after many years of disrepair, on Charleston's South Battery.

Misty Monday - Mystery on the Ashley

Boats Docked in the Mist, Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Low laying mists on the Ashley River add a sense of mystery
 to boats harbored at a Charleston marina.