Summer Scene

Balcony, North of Broad, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Scroll work added to the brackets of a balcony
 lend a charming touch to this vignette,
which is framed by crepe myrtles in full summer bloom.

Cable-Stayed

Cables and Tower, Ravenel Bridge, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It has been proven over time that these cables
 are quite supportive of the Ravenel Bridge.
Lucky for us.

A Door with a Long Story

Ancient Wooden Door, Orvieto, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



There is something about old doors that intrigues me.
I think of them as portals for generations of people
 who have passed through, as places where their histories
 have intersected. Imagine the intertwining stories of the lives
 that have entered and exited here through the ages...
this door has touched them all.

Go With the Flow

Flowing Stream, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



Watching the hypnotic flow of water is, quite possibly,
 the most calming of activities.



 

Prairie Sky

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



An expanse of big sky dwarfs Monument Rocks
 on the high prairie of western Kansas.

Happy 4th

Old Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This part of Charleston seems to recall
an era more than two centuries ago
 when our country first gained its independence.

Street Side Amenity

Hitching Post, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This hitching post in the historic district is ideal
  for tying up your car so it doesn't wander away.

Details

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



Attention to detail can make all the difference.

Off Season

Rural Road in the Mist, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This sea island road tunnels through coastal woodlands
 on a cool misty morning in winter.

Flashy

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



Light slanting across a door at sunset
 provides a flashy background for French Quarter ironwork.

The Color of Optimism

Cherry Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Vibrant cherry blossoms are a sure way to brighten the day,
like these, near the porch of Two Meeting Street Inn.



 

Shade Tress

Tress on the Prairie, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A tunnel of trees offers this lonely stretch of dirt road
 a speck of shade on the high prairie of western Kansas.

Touched by Light

Canyon and Floodplain, Colorado National Monument, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The light of the Sun touches a canyon wall,
 brightening a shadowy western landscape in Colorado.

Appalachian Blues

Mountain Pasture, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fine textured pasture grasses contrast with the looming shape
 of Celo Knob in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Lowcountry Outline

Live Oak Limbs, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A sunset over Lowcountry marshlands
 makes a silhouette of live oak branches in Mt. Pleasant.

Moorish Vining

Column Detail, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An arabesque of vines articulate the archways
 of an arcade at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.



 

Journey

Journey Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I often think of life as a journey. With each turn along the path a new view appears from which comes an entirely different perspective. Life is a constant learning experience. I am certainly not the same person that I was a year ago, five years ago or twenty years ago. My path has been ever evolving.
For that I am thankful.



 

Unity

Three Steeples, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Charleston is called the Holy City for its many houses of worship concentrated throughout the area, but especially on the peninsula where the historic district lies. In trying times, Charleston's communities and denominations unite in their faith, which makes the city strong and as one. The citizens response to the recent shooting at the Emanuel AME Church has demonstrated this in a remarkable way.

I found this peaceful image of a trio of Charleston steeples
in my old film files, which go back over a decade.
The Emanuel AME Church is the one in the center.

Our city and our nation mourn 

the senseless loss of life at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church.

Silent Muse

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



Beneath dangling strands of spanish moss,
 a solitary figure stands silently
 amid the Maze Garden at Magnolia Plantation.

Contrasting Centuries

USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval Museum, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



The Ravenel Bridge provides a 21st century backdrop
 for the World War II era aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, 
part of the Patriots Point Naval Museum in Mt. Pleasant.

Bounty of Stone

Cobblestone Driveway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



There is so much cobblestone in Charleston
 that even private driveways make good use of them.

Sugar

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



Warm morning light makes an ordinary gate scroll
 float in crystalline sugar.

Island Tranquility

Marsh Grass at Sunset, Daniel Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The soft hues of sunset grace
 Daniel Island's tranquil marshlands.

Wheel of Time

Daffodils and Azaleas, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



As the wheel of time turns, and seasons come and go, 
one thing is certain... beauty abounds at Magnolia Gardens
any time of the year.

Dining Room Dreams

Column Detail, Dushanbe Teahouse, Boulder, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Although my dining room doesn't quite look like this,
I can always dream.

Marsh Mood

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



The brooding mood of a sea island marsh on a misty morning
 is reinforced by the posture of a perching heron.

Wave of Hands

Wave Mural, Auburn University, Alabama
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A handy way to make a splash on campus
 is to step-up and paint a boldly colorful mural.

European Influence

Lantern above Courtyard Gate, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A courtyard gate lit by a gas lantern
is a charming scene that exemplifies
 the old world ambiance of Charleston's historic district.

Surreal

Reflection in a Tidal Creek, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Marsh grass reflects in the waters
 of Shem Creek at sunset.

Doppelgangers

Live Oaks and Lake Reflections, Charles Town Landing, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A pair of live oaks meet their doubles in a lake reflection
at Charles Town Landing.

Wake Up!

Night Lights, Marion Square, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A dazzling display of colorful lights fills the frame,
making an image
that is sure to brighten your day!

Pattern Recognition

Entry Gate, Saint Michael's Churchyard, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Some of Charleston's most beautiful wrought iron gates
 lead into Saint Michael's churchyard.
These gates' numerous ornate scrolls form a pattern
 unlike any in the historic city.

Western Drama

Dunes and Clouds, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Visual drama is evoked by dunes and clouds
 converging in a western landscape in Colorado.

Enchanting

Gazebo, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This cozy little gazebo adds a decorative accent
to an outdoor space at Magnolia Gardens.

Spring Snow

Lower Blue Lake, Mt. Sneffels Wilderness, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A day hike to nearly 11,000 feet in elevation rewarded
 my wife and me with a view of this lovely alpine lake
 surrounded by snowy slopes, even though it was late spring.



 

Cherry Cordial

Cherry Tree, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fresh blooms on a cherry tree
 remind me of an ice cream flavor.
Lets eat!

Soft Mountain Hues

Early Spring Leaves, Southern Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Soft hues and fine textures greet the eyes on an early spring morning
 in the mountains near Burnsville, North Carolina.



 

Outdoor Draperies

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



Spanish moss hanging from a live oak
 makes a natural decorative accent.

A Wave of Blooms

Park Bench and Azaleas, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Barely visible among the blooms is a park bench
 engulfed by azaleas at White Point Gardens near the Battery.

Vibrant Touch

Front Porch, Asheville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A colorful front porch in the mountains of North Carolina
 displays the touch of both a designer and a gardener.

2015 Spoleto Festival USA

Medallion, Trinity Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This photograph is the original image chosen for the cover of this year's Spoleto Festival USA ticket brochure. The subject is a beautifully symmetrical medallion on the portico ceiling of Trinity United Methodist Church located on Meeting Street.

Spoleto Festival USA is one of the largest international arts festivals in the world, and is held each year in Charleston. You can see a digital version of the ticket brochure here, which is a wonderfully designed piece by Stitch Design Co.

Lead the Way

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



Cobblestones and pavers entice
 the imagination to enter this Charleston garden.

Spring Pastels

Early Spring on a Mountain Side, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A panoply of early spring hues caught my eye
 on a mountain side seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Potential

Ornamental Tree, Al Ain Palace, Al Ain, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In a desert palace garden, I see potential in a young tree
 that someday will majestically fill this courtyard.

Border Line

Fence Line, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A rough fence runs along the edge of Appalachian pastureland,
setting limits for grazing horses and curious people alike.

A Charleston Spectrum

Flowering Dogwood Tree, near Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A spot near Rainbow Row shows many of the hues
 that are in the natural spectrum of light seen in the sky...
but, in this case, much more down to earth.

Nooks and Crannies

Gate and Vines, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Nature seeks its way into every nook and cranny,
as this creeping fig is starting to do around a gate.
If the vines were not regularly trimmed back,
Charleston would eventually be engulfed by them.

Appalachian Spring

An Appalachian Valley, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Spring slowly moves up a mountain valley
 in the Southern Appalachians.

Snug

Jasmine Vine, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A Charleston doorway is bundled up in jasmine flowers,
which are sweetly fragrant to passersby.

Transition

Mountain Pasture, near Burnsville, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A mountain pasture retains grasses leftover from winter,
but hints of new life along the edges herald the arrival of spring.