The Finer Things of Life

Streamside, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lacy foliage graces the streamside
 of a cool mountain valley in the Smokies.

Slant of Light

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



Slanting sunlight illuminates a courtyard alleyway
 in Charleston's French Quarter.

Appalachian Apparitions

Conifers in the Mist, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A pair of ghostly conifers appear out of the mist
 near Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the Smoky Mountains.

Hues of Twilight

Lantern with Wisteria, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A combination of natural and man-made light at twilight
makes a vivid vignette of a lantern on the Battery.

Reused

Old Doors, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A pair of old doors and a well worn wall
 serve as canvases for ads in Rome.

Sun-drenched

Road Sign, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A sign makes a graphic silhouette
 along a sun-drenched road in Cades Cove.

An Eye for Monochrome

Boulders in a Mountain Stream,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Even without hues,
one can appreciate nature's wonder
through the eye of a lens.



 

To the Nth Degree

An "N" Fence, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee



You probably know by now that I am fond of Cades Cove
 and its 19th century rural charm.
I've been visiting here for decades and never seem to tire
 of its rustic beauty. I would keep coming here forever if I could.

Appalachian Rain Forest

Smoky Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Much like a temperate rain forest, these verdant mountains
 exude moisture in the form of rising mists,
hence the name given to them by the Cherokee...
"place of the blue smoke", which eventually became
the Great Smoky Mountains.

Follow the Red Brick Path

Brick Alleyway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Stolls Alley is a narrow brick path from the colonial era
neighborhood South of Broad
to the antebellum mansions along The Battery
The milieu here has an old country feel to it.

Colors of Charleston

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



While most rainbows fade,
Charleston's rainbow shines all the time.

Crow in the Cove

American Crow, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserve
(Click on image for larger view.)



A young crow perches momentarily by the road that loops
 around Cades Cove, a mountain valley in the Smokies.

End of the Rainbow

Rainbow in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

I finally found out what is at the end of the rainbow!

Cades Cove!

Labor of Love

Forest Cascade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I spent nearly 8 hours photographing along a short stretch
 of backwoods road, fronting a mountain stream in the Smokies.
I worked as many angles as possible,
encountering views like this one...
a feeder brook cascading over a leafy slope.

Blue Patina

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



As twilight deepens in the valleys of the Smokies ,
a long camera exposure reveals a silky sheen
 on the surface of a mountain stream.

Golden Meadow

Meadow After a Rainstorm, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Following an afternoon rainstorm, the sun emerges
 to suffuse a wet meadow in Cades Cove with a golden glow.

Through the Woods

Forest Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A narrow road passes through leafy hardwoods
 on its way to the meadowlands of Cades Cove.

A Model Stream

Cascade in a Mountain Stream,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A low shelf in the stream bed enables mountain water
 to reveal its beautiful flowing tresses.

Little Fence Post

Fence Post, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A single fence post in a meadow doesn't seem like much,
 but it evokes a sense of a simpler time and place.

Window Light

Window Light in a Rustic Cabin, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Plenty of negative space in this monochrome
 adds simplicity and a bit of mystery to the image.

Cloudscape

Cumulus Clouds at Dusk, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Cumulus clouds tower over soft mountains,
taking on the hues of a dreamy painting.

Rustic Charm

Sparks Lane, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A peaceful country lane bordered by grassy meadows
 and surrounded by verdant mountains
 typifies the rustic beauty of Cades Cove.

Lily Heaven

Turk's Cap Lily, near Clingman's Dove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok



This striking wildflower, called the Turk's cap or turban lily,  thrives at the highest elevations in the Southern Appalachians.
 I found this vibrant specimen near Clingman's Dome,
 the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Rainy Day Activity

Observation Deck, Little Tennessee River, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Afternoon rain lends a somber mood
to the view from this observation deck
 as I gaze across the Little Tennessee River.

Veiled Wilderness

Pine Tree and Misty Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A lone pine looms against misty ridges
 which recede into a shrouded remoteness.

Secluded Tranquility

Small Waterfall, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In a little-known hardwood cove in the Great Smoky Mountains,
 I made a short climb to this cascade which rewarded me
 with an image that feels cool and soothing.

Mountain Moods

Crepuscular Rays over Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The ever changing weather and light
 over the Great Smoky Mountains is fascinating to witness.
 From sunrise to sunset, the mood of the ancient mountains
 is always in flux. Here crepuscular rays break through
 late morning clouds to illuminate peaks and valleys
 of the national park.

Shuttered

Shutters at Sunrise, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)



Being at the right place at the right time enabled me to see
the first light of sunrise on this row of shutters near the waterfront.

Framed

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



Creeping fig vines frame a lovely garden gate
 in the historic district of Charleston.

Shadow Art

Gate Shadow, Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography)



Steps leading into Saint Philip's Church
 provide a canvas for the shadow of an ornate gate.

Light from the Heavens

Sunlight on Mountain Ridges, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



After a passing storm, a shaft of sunlight dappled
 the mountain peaks that surround Cades Cove.

The Long Journey

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rushing over a small waterfall is part of the long journey
 rain water makes as it flows down a mountain cove
 toward the distant sea. 

Stormy Weather

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



The Great Smoky Mountains receive some of the highest amounts
 of rainfall in the U.S.  Whether it's a passing thunderstorm or a steady drizzle,
the Smokies get soaked. So when the rain moves through,
  I have a camera ready to record the misty mood of these amazing mountains.

Nature's Smoking Mountains

Sunrise, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Dawn light illuminates mists
 rising from the ridges and valleys
 of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The Rising Mist

Loop Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Mist begins to rise from a road
 following an afternoon rain storm
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Puddling

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly,
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Finding a patch of moisture beside a Cades Cove road,
this butterfly stayed still long enough for me to grab
 a clear image of it at ground level.
Butterflies gather at muddy spots to obtain minerals in the soil.

Old Appalachian Forest

Mountain Stream, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lush green surrounds a mountain stream
 in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which protects
 one of the last old-growth woodlands in the eastern U.S.

Refreshed

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



An old alleyway in Charleston is enlivened
 by the hues of fresh spring blooms.

10,000 Years of History

Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



And we think Charleston is an old city...

Hidden Letters

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



This lantern shadow stealthily contains an abbreviation
 for the state of South Carolina.

Rough Texture

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



Selective focus brings out some of the details
 on an old ornamental fence at the College of Charleston.

Stepping Out

Eagle on the Duomo, Orvieto, Italy  © Doug Hickok All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A bronze eagle tries out a precarious dance step
 at the edge of the medieval Duomo di Orvieto in Italia.

An Avian Haven

Gift Shop, near Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This shop is for the birds.

Dark Forest

Coastal Forest, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A dense coastal woodland grows to the edge
 of a foggy shoreline at Acadia National Park.

A Lesser Known Gem

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



Everyone knows of the Grand Canyon in Arizona,
 or the Canyonlands of Utah, but a lesser known western gem
 is Colorado National Monument where a winding rim road
 offers stunning vistas over red rock canyons.



 

Eye of the Needle?

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



This gate scroll has an opening suitable
 for only the smallest of objects to pass through.

Battery Adornment

Wisteria Vines, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Wisteria vines drape over a wrought iron fence
 at a home along Charleston's East Battery.

Give Me Shelter

Sculpture in an Alcove, Vatican City, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film Photography)



Enduring the trials and tribulations of time,
an ancient statue finally finds a sheltered spot
 in an alcove at the Vatican Museum.

Cool Off

Fountain at Dawn, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Lights are aglow early in the morning
 at waterfront park where temperatures
 are sure to be cooler, even in summertime.

The Hue of Feldspar

Granite Shoreline, Acadia National Park, Maine
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Granite composed of the reddish mineral feldspar
 is a predominant rock along the misty coast of Maine.