An Eden for the Natives

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



A rounded door with trellis archway
 is surrounded by a lush garden and
wrought iron scrollwork in the Historic District.
If your eyes are sharp enough you might also spot
 an inconspicuous reptilian denizen as well.

Summer Hues

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



June blooms along The Battery fill a blue sky with color.

Colorado Plateau

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A view across the Grand Canyon toward the North Rim
 illustrates the plateau's flatness, and the layers of stone
 which the Colorado River persistently cut through over time.

Morning Clouds

Marshland in the Morning, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Morning clouds add texture to sky
 and water at a West Ashley Park marsh.

Backdrops

Ironwork, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Colorful doors, walls and gardens provide vivid backgrounds
 for Charleston's seemingly unending variety of ironwork.

Country Life in the City

Cast Iron Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Details on this ornate gate evoke a pastoral theme
 that dates back to the classical era.

Behind Door Number One

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



Behind this door in the wall
 awaits a secret garden blooming with color.

Web of Light

West Ashley Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A spider web catches the morning light
at West Ashley Park.

Desert Eden

Ocotillo Cactus, Superstition Mountains, Phoenix, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A hiking trail in the Superstition Wilderness
 led us past a desert paradise in spring bloom.

Still Standing

Pioneer Cabin, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The Carter Shields Cabin stands alone in a quiet clearing
 near the Cades Cove Loop Road. This solitary rustic dwelling
dates from the 1880's when the cove was occupied by
descendants of the early pioneers.

Sea Shells and Sand

Chapel of Ease Ruins, St. Helena Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A detail shot of the Chapel of Ease ruins
 shows the brick and tabby construction
 materials used on this Anglican church
 which dates back to the Colonial Era (1740).



 

Afternoon Shadows

Door Handle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Afternoon sun casts shadows on a Meeting Street door
adding a bit of contrast and texture.

Row of Boats

Sail Boats, Ashley River, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A neat row of sail boats makes a reflective pattern
 on a misty morning along the Ashley River.

Be Cool

Oasis, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A shaded pathway through the Al Ain Oasis
 entices those on foot or riding a bike to seek a cool place
 during the heat of the day in the Arabian Desert.

Uplifting

Gate Design, Washington Park, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



There is nothing quite like springtime in Charleston.
It raises my spirits every year.

Time and Distance

Afternoon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A view across millions of years of geologic history can be had
 with a glance from the rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Spring Show

Springtime in Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Stroll along sidewalks bordered by ornate ironwork
 and enjoy the warm colors of spring's flowering trees.

Echoes of Old Charleston

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



An ornate entry greets visitors to the historic
 Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street.

Hue and Eye on Society6

Hue and Eye images are now available for sale at Society6

You can choose images to be made into art prints, framed prints,

 stationary cards, coffee mugs, and more. If you see a photo on

 my blog that you like, contact us and we can upload it onto the

 Society6 site.

Theatre Lighting

Alleyway Lantern, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved


Morning light brightens an ornate lantern
 at the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston's French Quarter.

Cold and Warm

Battery Ironwork, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The cold iron of a Battery gate
 takes on the warm glow
 of evening light in Charleston.

Alignment

Stone Pathway, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Morning sun aligned just right to illuminate
 this stone pathway in Charleston's Historic District.

Painted Relic

Old Bridge Support, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A relic of the old Cooper River Bridge is given new life
 with colorful paints. A brilliant blue sky
 becomes the perfect background
 for an image with hues that catch the eye.

Three Fleurs-de-lis

Fence with Azaleas, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Hearts and fleurs-de-lis compliment spring azaleas
 in a Charleston garden.

Nature Hard at Work

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The long process of erosion has done its work,
 and continues to do its work,
 at our planet's greatest canyon.

A Phoenix Delight

Add caption

Welcome Diner, Phoenix, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



At this fantastic neighborhood diner,
we ate dinner just as the sun went down,
enjoying wonderful food, company, and atmosphere.

Morning in the Canyon

Morning, Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Light from the sunrise warms canyon walls
 while in the shadow of the forest morning chill persists.

Chair Abstraction

Window Light on a Chair, Tempe, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



While relaxing on a comfy chair at day's end,
I noticed the pattern the sunlight made,
 and couldn't resist snapping an image.

Balcony Light

Balcony, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Fading light at sunset illuminates a balcony on Mission San Xavier
 located on the land of the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The Long View

Palisades of the Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This vista, looking toward Comanche Point
 to Echo Cliffs on the horizon, encompasses almost 50 miles.

Alien to My Eye

Flowering Raceme of the Utah Agave, Sonoran Desert, Tucson, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



One of the most otherworldly plants I've ever seen,
 this is the flowering raceme of a Utah Agave.

Mission Sunset

Evening, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A dove takes a seat to watch the setting sun
 at an old Spanish Mission near Tucson.

The Far West

Cedar Mountain, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Beyond this flat top mountain lies an expanse of Western land
 and sky that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Yellow Chair

Yellow Chair, Tempe, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A metal chair comes to life at night
 with the help of a little flash.

Life on the Canyon Rim

Trees at the Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (
Click on image for larger view.)



Junipers and pines find their hold
 on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

Found on the Floor

Prism, Tempe, Arizona  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A prism of light projects from a glass door
onto a textured floor in a Tempe store.

Studio With a View

Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Perched on a clifftop overlooking the Grand Canyon,
 Kolb Studio offers stunning vistas for visitors and employees
 alike. What an amazing place this would be to work everyday!

Spanish America

Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This old mission, nicknamed "The White Dove of the Desert",
 dates from 1783 and is considered America's
 leading example of Spanish Colonial architecture.
 It stands on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation
 near Tucson, Arizona.



 

Desert Music

Organ Pipe Cactus, Sonoran Desert, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A cluster of colorful cacti stand tall
 in the clear blue sky of the Sonoran Desert.

Desert Shaman

Saguaro Skeleton, Sonoran Desert, Tucson, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The remains of an old saguaro takes the shape of an imagined
 Native American shaman conducting a long forgotten ceremony.

GRAND Canyon!

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The overlook at Desert View makes it easy to see the Colorado River,
 the great carver of the Earth's grandest canyon.

From Beyond this World

Raven, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



A raven surveys the otherworldly expanse of the Grand Canyon
 from a cliff's edge. In Native American lore,
the raven is venerated as shapeshifter, trickster,
 magician, and above all, messenger from beyond.

Not the Old West Anymore

Traffic Lights, Sedona, Arizona  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Red rocks provide a colorful backdrop
 for traffic lights in Sedona.

Reach for the Sky, Partner

Saguaro, Superstition Mountains, Sonoran Desert, Arizona
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Arms of a saguaro cactus stretch into the desert sky
 in the Superstition Wilderness of Arizona.

Veiled Mountains

Small Bridge, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Rain veils the mountains that enclose Cades Cove.

Painterly Light

Bridge Tower, Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A fading sunset adds soft warmth to clouds
 and the bridge over the Cooper River.

Passing Fancy

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



This garden gate features an elegant scroll motif
 that catches the eye of the passerby.

Sea Island Tunnel

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



A car hurries toward a misty light
 beneath an oak tree tunnel on John's Island.

Siesta Time

Sleeping Cat, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Sometimes it is hard work being a lazy cat,
 which is why frequent naps are an essential daily routine.