Doors of Charleston

Old Church Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok

Tradd Street, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok

Church Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A selection of doorways shows the diversity
 of Charleston's historic architectural styles.

Viney Gateway

Alleyway Gateway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This gateway through a wall of vines
 allows access to Philadelphia Alley,
one of Charleston's off-the-beaten pathways.

Shapes and Shadows

Table and Chairs, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



In the courtyard of the Dock Street Theatre,
 a set of table and chairs makes an interesting composition
 of shapes and shadows ideal for black and white format.

Carriage Ride

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A carriage tour takes visitors through the French Quarter
 and past Saint Philip's Church,
one of the iconic sights of Charleston.

Off The Beaten Path

St John's Reformed Episcopal Churchyard, Charleston, SC  
© Doug Hickok


This is one of many hidden gardens you'll discover
 by strolling through Charleston's Historic District.

Slanting Light

Tradd Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This time of year, the morning sun slants down Tradd Street
 at such a keen angle that textures and colors
 are highlighted by its warm light.

French Quarter Evening

French Quarter, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Saint Philip's Church overlooks a row of ornate brackets
 on the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston's historic French Quarter.

Heron Gate

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A wrought iron heron greets those who visit Waterfront Park,
 a popular Charleston green space which overlooks
 tidal marshes and the harbor.

East Bay Dawn

East Bay Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Lanterns glow at dawn along East Bay Street
 near Charleston's Rainbow Row.

Gateway Twilight

College of Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Mixed lighting at twilight creates color contrast
 on a Porter's Lodge gateway
 on the College of Charleston campus.

Spider Fountain

Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The Spider Fountain appears to shoot its silky webs
 toward the dawn sky at Charleston's Waterfront Park.

Art Deco Down South

Riviera Theater, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Art Deco details abound! Charleston's Riviera Theater,
 listed on the National Registry of Historic Places,
is regarded as one of the country's cinema treasures.

Puzzlement of Locks

Door Locks, Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



This ancient door and its conundrum of locks
 offers a puzzle to the uninitiated as to how it all works.

New Venue

Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok 



Freshly minted lamp posts line an entry to Charleston's
 newly updated Gaillard Center, where many events are held
 throughout the year, including Spoleto Festival USA performances.

Desert Mission

Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona  © Doug Hickok



Layers of flora and stone merge together in this image
 of an old Spanish Mission in Arizona's Sonoran Desert.

Doorway in Stone

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas  © Doug Hickok



A naturally sculpted doorway in this ancient stone
 offers a view toward rock formations known as
 the Chalk Pyramids, located on the high plains of Kansas.

Stacked

Rome, Italy  © Doug Hickok



Wooden chairs are stacked after closing time
 at a streetside restaurant in Rome.

It's Easy Being Green

SC Aquarium, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok


Mr. Frog relaxes at the South Carolina Aquarium,
enjoying one of Charleston's warm spring days.

Lion's Gaze

Door Knocker, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Half in sunlight, half in shadow,
this classic door knocker
 in Charleston's French Quarter
greets visitors with a stately gaze.

Dappled Shadows

Tree Shadows, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Tucked down an alleyway in the French Quarter, 
a freshley painted stucco wall
 is dappled with the shadow of an overhanging tree.

Market Hall

Market Hall, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



The entrance to Charleston's old market was built to resemble
 a neo-classical temple and stands out noticably
 among modern buildings that surround it.

Sculpted by Sunlight

Headstone Detail, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A gravestone is highlighted by the slanting mid day sun
which illuminates sculpted edges of the artwork.

Ancient Tentacles

Live Oak, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The sprawling arms of this ancient live oak
 occupy a large plot in Charleston's Hampton Park.

Quaint B & B

27 State Street B & B, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A quaint indoor courtyard greets visitors
 to this historic Bed and Breakfast,
located a short stroll from neighborhood
 art galleries and fine restauraunts
in Charleston's French Quarter.

Early Redbud

Redbud, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Early spring blooms brighten Charleston's French Quarter,
 located in the heart of the city's Historic District.

Dual Purpose

Window Grille, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A bank on Broad Street features decorative ironwork
 on each of its first floor windows. They act
 both as a safeguard and as ornamentation.

Ancient Oaks

Middleton Place Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Ancient live oaks are common place
 in America's oldest landscaped gardens
 at Middleton Place Plantation.

Carriage Door

French Quarter, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A carriage door is incorporated
 into the design of a French Quarter house
 in Charleston's Historic District.

Charleston's Blooming Churchyards

Spring Blooms, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Early spring blooms bring new life
to Charleston's old historic cemeteries.

Western Vista

Colorado National Monument, near Grand Junction, Colorado  © Doug Hickok



A long view from Rim Rock Drive overlooks sandstone
formations toward the verdant Colorado River Valley,
and the arid Book Cliffs on the far horizon.

Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills State Park, near Logan, Ohio  © Doug Hickok



When many people think of Ohio, they think of large cities
 surrounded by flat farmlands stretching for miles and miles.
But the eastern region of the state is part of Appalachia
 with a geography of steep wooded hills and narrow rocky
 hollows. Such places have been preserved by Hocking Hills
 State Park. Here's an image I made back in 1978 when
I first began taking landscape photographs.

Quadriga

Horse Fountain, Charleston Place, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The Quadriga is a Neo-Classical sculpture
 erected in front of Charleston Place Hotel.
It depicts a group of bronze horses that symbolize
 the role which horses have played in the city's long history,
including the carriage rides that tour
 the old districts of Charleston today.

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill, Everglades National Park, Florida  © Doug Hickok



I made this image of a Roseate Spoonbill on film
 nearly 40 years ago when I first caught the photo bug
 and was learning photography. I have always loved
birdwatching, so on one of my trips to the Everglades
 I brought a camera along to try capturing
 the interesting bird life there.

Moving Day

Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Within the Historic District, old delapitated buildings
 are saved for future renovation. This single house
 is being moved to make room for yet another new hotel,
 constructed to accommodate the increase in tourists visiting Charleston.

Missing Piece

East Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The antebellum mansion in the center once featured
 a large portico. The giant columns tumbled to the ground
 during the destructive earthquake of 1886,
which took a great toll on the city.

Coke Ovens

Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Colorado  © Doug Hickok



The Coke Ovens are one of many ancient sandstone
 rock formations seen when driving Rim Rock Drive,
 which winds through Colorado National Monument.

Alleyway Lantern

Garden Lantern, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A gas lantern perches atop a garden wall
 along Philadelphia Alley in Charleston's French Quarter.

Desert Mood

Dunes, Arabian Desert, UAE  © Doug Hickok



A stark monochrome of land and sky
 emphasises the minimalistic beauty
 of the Arabian Desert.

Echoes of Sermons Past

Sheldon Church Ruins, Yemassee, SC  © Doug Hickok



Through the ruins of an archway,
the interior of Old Sheldon Church can be seen,
 including the dias where sermons were preached in the 1800's.



   

Saltmarsh Boardwalk

Boardwalk, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



The best way to traverse tidal marshes
 along the Lowcountry coast is to walk the planks...
planks of a boardwalk that is.

Statuesque

Great Egret, Shem Creek Park, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok



A Great Egret strikes a statuesque pose along the boardwalk
 at Shem Creek Park. This one is tame enough to allow
 close approach, probably in anticipation of a tasty morsal.

Rocky Mountain Vista

Overlook, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado



The winding road that leads up into the Rocky Mountain's
 alpine ecosystem offers overlooks such as this one,
where melting ice reflects clouds moving across ridge tops.

Beyond the Gate

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Spring blooms fill a garden
 behind this entry gate in the Historic District.

Castle of the Popes

Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy   © Doug Hickok



This ancient Roman mausoleum built in the 2nd century
 was eventually converted into a fortress for the Popes
 duting the 14th century, and for the longest time
 was Rome's tallest building.