Open Gate

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



An open gate offers a glimpse of a colorful courtyard
 in the Historic District. Note the angular gate design,
 a unique sight among Charleston's famed ironwork.

Charming Collection

Lanterns and Ironwork, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




This collection of lanterns, ironwork, doors and windows
 is well defined by strong morning light, imparting a sense
 of Charleston's unique 18th century charm.

Morning Workout

Morning Run, Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The pedestrian and bike path along the Ravenel Bridge
 is the only "steep" incline in the Lowcountry
 making it perfect for an aerobic workout.

Monumental

Remains of Old Cooper River Bridge, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This support structure is all that remains
 of the old Cooper River bridge, the one that preceded
 today's Ravenel Bridge. It was left standing as a monument
 to that aged cantilever bridge which stood for so many years.

Sideways Stretch

Live Oak, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The sandy banks of the Wando River are exposed at low tide.
 This old live oak stretches along the bank toward the river
 choosing to grow sideways rather than upward.

Fiery Hues

Pyracantha Berries, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fiery colored Pyracantha berries add to the red hues
complementing a window along Queen Street.



 

Light the Night

Balcony at Night, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Dock Street Theatre emits an inviting glow
 when evening falls over Charleston's French Quarter.

Italy in America

Portico Details, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Decorative details on an East Battery mansion
 are reminiscent of the classical Italian architecture
which Charleston buildings borrowed from frequently.

Threshold

Great Blue Heron, West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A heron wades to the threshold of a misty void
 in a wildlife haven on the edge of suburbia.

Harbingers

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



Fresh blooms provide a pleasing backdrop
 to a garden gate in Charleston's Historic District.
Early flowering trees such as these cherry trees are a prelude
 to the flourish of spring color coming in March and April.

Bridge Walk for the Birds

Guineafowl Crossing a Bridge, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
(Click on image for larger view.)



One of the biggest and most anticipated events of the year
 is the annual Guineahen Bridge Walk. Ballyhooed with much fanfare,
 the 30 second event is often the chirp of the town.
Here is one of those fabulous fowls practicing for the big day.

Night Scrolls

Gate Detail at Night, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Scrolls grace an ornate gate at
 the entry to a courtyard passageway.

Bold and Brilliant

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



In full sun, bold colors are at their most brilliant
 on the shrimp boats at Shem Creek.

Daybreak

Tidal Creek at Dawn, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography.
Click on image for larger view.)



A tidal creek meanders past Lowcountry marshes
and coastal woodlands at the break of day.

Borrowing a Bit of Summer

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



After a half day hike through a desert canyon to the foot of a mesa, 
this is the view looking back toward our trek. 
Temperatures that summer day in Texas were over 100ºF. 
I'd like to borrow some of those degrees now and apply them
 toward warming-up this frigid winter.

Monetesque?

Garden View, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Looking through lead window panes creates
an impressionistic view of a garden at Middleton Place.

Celebrity

Wooden Star Door, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia Slide Film)



The character of the doors up on Budapest's Castle Hill is diverse.
This one is, quite literally, the star of the show.

Finding Calm

Pathway, Meditation Garden, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The pathway to serenity winds beneath
 the arching limbs of ancient oaks.

Beauty in the Details

Balustrade, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Finding patterns to photograph helps sharpen my eye for details.
 This image of repeating shapes on a balustrade near the Battery
 is a fine example. Mixing in early morning light to enhance
the warm hues adds the final touch.

Patience

Alligator, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Thanks to the stealthiness of this alligator,
not a wave nor ripple disturbs the water
 surrounding this Lowcountry predator.

Flowers for a Wintery Monday

Ironwork in Spring, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This portrait of a wrought iron flower was taken during
spring with rosy-hued blooms as a backdrop.

Star Gate

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



In this case, star gate does not allude to
exploits in deep space, but rather a beautifully
symmetrical motif on a wrought iron gate near the battery.

Happy Valentine's Day

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



While this azalea pathway is not exactly the tunnel of love,
it displays plenty of pinks and reds that echo
 the romantic sentiments of the day.

Majestic

Drayton Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



One of the architectural treasures of the Lowcountry
colonial era, Drayton Hall, is framed by majestic oaks
 that are as venerable as the Palladian mansion itself.

A Post Card from Charleston

East Battery at Dawn, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A view of Charleston's best known landmark, the Battery,
shows antebellum mansions, palmetto trees and the placid waters
 of Charleston Harbor.

Piling On

Trailside Cairn, Boulder, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains,
 Boulder has a natural resource that seems unlimited...
an abundance of stone. It's an ideal situation
 for people who enjoy building cairns along the numerous hiking
 trails that network the city. This trailside landmark
 appears to win the trophy for tallest rock pile in town.

Rocky Night

Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Longitude Lane is one of Charleston's oldest streets,
dating back to the Colonial era. Light from street lamps accentuates
 its rocky texture and adds a sense of mystery
as to where it might lead.

End of the Journey

Remains of a Tree on a Rocky Shore, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The remains of an old tree find a resting spot
 on a rocky shore along the Maine coast.
Its long journey from seed to bones
 can only be imagined.

Form and Function

Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The simple beauty of the Ravenel Bridge design
 is clearly seen from this perspective in Mt. Pleasant.
It was built to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes
 and ship collisions.

Springing

Dawn, East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Signs that spring is around the corner are popping up in my yard.
Early blooms on Daffodils and Forsythia have sprung forth.
And scenes like this one will soon be springing upon us!

Easy Recipe

Spanish Moss, Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A splash of  backlighting, a pinch of breeze, and a generous helping of hues
 combine deliciously in this composition from Middleton Place Gardens.

Waiting

Old Single House, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Aged structures throughout Charleston await the day
 they can be restored to their former beauty. In the meantime,
the city usually protects them from demolition
 as long as they are within the historic district.

Curves and Angles

East Battery Mansion, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Contrasting porticos are the trademark
 of this antebellum mansion on Charleston's Battery.

Sea Breeze at Dawn

Sea Oats and Morris Island Lighthouse, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



An ocean breeze gives a slight stir to sea oats
 growing along the dunes at Folly Beach.
The abandoned Morris Island Lighthouse
 stands quietly amid the stillness of dawn.



 

Misty Morning - Intuition

Iron Chair, Meditation Garden, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In photographing the Charleston area, I attempt to capture
 a sense of place in my images, depicting a subject's
 mood, color or quality of light. The process is difficult to explain
 in words. I rely on my intuition much of the time,
 though it is far from perfect.

If you are curious how the mind of a master photographer
 works, I think you'll enjoy the daily photo blog of
Joel Meyerowitz at Once More Around the World.

Persevering

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



Even though this old pine has lost many of its needles to time,
it still clings to a hillside overlooking the Great Sand Dunes of San Luis Valley.

Beautiful Anytime

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


No matter the season, who could resist
 a sunny Carolina day in the park?

Sunscreen

Avenue of Oaks, Boone Hall, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Plenty of shade trees line the road
 entering Boone Hall Plantation, which are
especially useful on scorching summer afternoons.

Light Morning Traffic

Early Morning Traffic, Ravenel Bridge, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



To capture dawn traffic on the Ravenel, I woke early,
 made the hike to the top of the bridge,
and waited for first light to peek over the horizon.

Rest in Peace

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



How appropriate that a place where souls rest eternally
is surrounded with peace and beauty.

Dessert Anyone?

Dock Street Theatre, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It has been said the Dock Street Theatre looks like it is made of chocolate,
which if true would make it my favorite spot in Charleston.
Yum!

Hawk's Eye View

Mountain Forest, near Hot Springs, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A hawk's eye view over ridge and valley woodlands reveals
  how profuse life is in the Appalachian Mountains.

Flaming Ginkgo

Golden Ginkgo Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


A ginkgo tree blazes with golden hues
 along a picket fence in the historic district.

Door Design

Letter Slot, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A well placed letter slot is the focal point
 on a door that echos the Swiss flag.

Oaken Roof

Garden Path and Live Oaks, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



To walk along this garden path is
 to walk beneath a roof made of oak limbs.

Scenic Byway

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



The entrance to No. 5 can be through the front door 
or around the side through the garden gate, 
which in this case, is the scenic route.

Classical Influence

Main Entry, Nathaniel Russell House, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A simple yet elegant main entry welcomes visitors
 to this neoclassical mansion built in the Adamesque style.

Storm Residue

Mount Mitchell, from Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Mount Mitchell retains a powdering of snow
 after the passing of a late autumn storm.

Misty Monday - Fog Walking

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



A man and his faithful companion stretch their legs
 along the beach on a misty morning. 

Fairy Tale

Spanish Moss, Middleton Place, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



If Rapunzel's tresses were Spanish Moss,
this might be what they would look like.