Pirate Scrolls

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



Scroll work patterns adorn the gate of the Pirate House.
 The facade is covered in fine-grained stucco,
 a construction material used on Charleston's historic buildings.

Venetian Bustle

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A busy afternoon on the Grand Canal finds an assortment of water transports passing the domes of Santa Maria della Salute.



 

Hues for the Eyes

Azalea Hill and Reflections, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



As in yesterday's post, red and green hues complement each other
 and captivate the eye, but this time in the spring
 on a hillside blooming with azaleas.

Rainbow Red

Autumn Dogwood, Near Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fall arrives late to Charleston. Typically we see autumn hues
 well into December. This dogwood tree, which adds white
 blooms to Rainbow Row in the springtime, also makes a
 crimson splash in the fall.

Framing the Government

View of Parliament, Budapest, Hungary  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography.)



From atop Fisherman's Bastion on Castle Hill
 a trio of arched windows frames
 the Parliament Building of Budapest.

Feast for the Eyes

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



The light along Charleston's Battery is marvelous at sunset.
Add an ornate gate and a bit of bokeh,
 and you have the ingredients for an image evoking the city's lovely charm.
Speaking of ingredients, where's the nearest restaurant?
... it's time for dinner!

Swamplands

Cypress Swamp, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Reflections in the mirky waters of a bald cypress swamp
 mirror the trees that flourish in perpetual inundation.

Lowcountry Meteorology

Virga, Charleston Harbor, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Virga falls over Charleston Harbor on a humid summer day
 indicative of our warm coastal climate. Interestingly, the rain
 in this image evaporates before reaching the surface,
which is not typical of our weather.

The Battery at Dawn

Sunrise of the Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Fiery hues light a dawn sky at the Battery.
Standing sentinel is a statue of General William Moultre,
who led a state militia in defense of Charleston
during the Revolutionary War.

Lowcountry Vista

Tidal Marsh and Clouds, James Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



A cloud rack drifts across the sky
 above tidelands on James Island.

Magnificent

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



A magnificent specimen of live oak
 spreads its ancient limbs over a park on John's Island.

At Peace

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




Fading light on wrought iron in old Magnolia Cemetery
accentuates the calm at day's end.

Walk This Way

Japanese Maples, South Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Autumn maples are aflame over this sidewalk on the Battery.
Take a walk this way for a glimpse 
of Charleston at its peak in the fall.

Geometry and Color

Wagon Detail, The Old Depot, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Color comes in different sizes and shapes,
 depending on your point of view.
Have a fun Friday!

Beauty of the World

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



I am thankful for the beauty of the world in which we live.

Making a Splash

Autumn Ginkgo, South Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A splash of yellow brightens the view along Charleston's
 Battery on a brilliant autumn day.

Boards of Color

Painted Boards, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Interesting color can be found just about everywhere.
These old boards near Shem Creek caught my eye
with their bright hues and weathered textures.

Icon

Pineapple Fountain, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



Charleston's iconic Pineapple Fountain symbolizes
 the city's deep rooted sense of hospitality.
It is framed beautifully by the verdant environs of
Waterfront Park, a key green space along Charleston Harbor.



 

Left Standing

Lone Gate, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Union soldiers burned Middleton Place's main plantation house
 (built in 1705) during the final months of the Civil War.
The gate was left standing.

The Way We Were

Wheels and Pumps, Old Depot, Village of Lewisburg, Ohio
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Old wheels, gears and pumps with their patinas
survive from a former era when hand and horse power
 ran the country.

Shadowy Plot

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



Late afternoon light stretches shadow patterns across an old
 graveyard plot at Charleston's historic Magnolia Cemetery.

Post-Revolutionary Entrance

Handrail and Steps, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Follow the scrolling handrail and the curving steps to the entry 
of an 18th century mansion in the South of Broad historic district.

Decorating for the Season

Spanish Moss and Live Oaks, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Natures way of decorating is to drape spanish moss over oak trees,
 then let the setting sun light it up.

Grand Landscape

Dunes and Mountains, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The grand scale of this landscape can be sensed from this vantage point
where grasslands merge with dunes, which are then towered over
by the jagged peaks of the Rockies.

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.