Iron Ivy

Gate Detail, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok




Ivy wrought in iron climbs a garden gate
 in Charleston's Historic District.

Battery Landmark

Antebellum Mansion, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This neo-classical mansion stands tall
 while facing morning light along Charleston's East Battery.

Feeder Art

Bird Feeder, Asheville, North Carolina   © Doug Hickok



An ordinary bird feeder is transformed into a surrealistic
 work of art at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville
in North Carolina.

Battery Sunrise

Sunrise, High Battery, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A new day begins on the promenade
 along Charleston's East Battery, a favorite spot for visitors
 and locals alike to watch a sunrise.

Partial Eclipse

Partial Solar Eclipse, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A crescent sun peeks through a patch of blue,
 to the delight of all who observed with patience.

Day to Night

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



We witnessed a rare event in Charleston yesterday,
 a total solar eclipse. I did a photo shoot for Belmond
 with the purpose of photographing their iconic fountain and the total eclipse. Unfortunately, we had cloud cover all day,
which was heavy at times. But the sun was bright enough
 to shine through the veil of clouds as day turned into night.
It was amazing to experience!

Ornate Door

Wooden Door, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A fleur-de-lis adorns a wooden door in Charleston's
 historic district, one of many small attractions
 visitors can see while taking the time to stroll around town.

Shrines of Rome

Mary Shrines, Rome, Italy   © Doug Hickok



When walking around Rome's historic center
the stylistic variety of its many Mary Shrines
can be seen on many corners.

Battery Mirror

Reflection in a Rain Puddle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



One of Charleston's East Battery mansions is mirrored
 in a rain puddle on a bright sunny Lowcountry morning.

Summer Hues

Red Hibiscus, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Tropical blooms accentuate the colors
 near Charleston's Rainbow Row.

Cloudland

West Ashely Park, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Coastal clouds over the Lowcountry are typical
 during our humid summer months.
But the last few weeks have been unusually wet and rainy.

Impressionistic Sunrise

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Warm light shimmers on the surface of Charleston Harbor
 in this impressionistic rendering of a Lowcountry sunrise.

Park Bench

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



Benches along the boardwalk at Shem Creek
 are perfectly placed to watch a sunset
 over our Lowcountry tidelands.

A Fine Twine

Blue Plumbago, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This blue flowering vine twines and arches over
 the ornate ironwork at one of Charleston's famous historic inns,
 the John Rutledge House bed and breakfast.

Tree Cemetery

Boneyard, Folly Beach, SC   © Doug Hickok

Bleached by the rigors of time and the elements,

 this old boneyard beach can be found at the

 Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve on Folly Beach.

Narrow Road in the Smokies

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



A narrow country road stretches across a pastoral
 mountain cove in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee.

Courtyard Shadows

Entry Courtyard, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Morning light casts shadows of an entry gate
into a courtyard along East Bay Street.

Old Man's Beard

Rural Road, near Savannah, Georgia  © Doug Hickok



A curve in the road takes travelers past oak trees
 covered in Spanish moss, which grows thickly
 in this part of the Old South.

Pyramids of the Prairie

Monument Rocks, Western Kansas   © Doug Hickok



Most people think of Kansas as flat farmland or prairieland.
But jutting out of the soil is the protected area
 called Monument Rocks, or Chalk Pyramids.
These ancient formations were once part
of a vast shallow sea that spaned across the continent.

Odd Bird

Sunset, near Harrison, Ohio   © Doug Hickok



After an evening rain storm passed,
the sun set the sky ablaze with color.
This oddly shaped cloud "flew" above the tree line
like a strange meterological bird.

French Quarter Delight

Window Box, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



This lush window box in Charleston's French Quarter
 is delightful to see, year after year.

Mirror, Mirror

Marshland, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Calm wetland waters reflect oak trees
 at the edge of a marsh like a polished mirror.

Letterbox

Letterbox, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Fig vines on a garden wall
  punctuate an ornate letter box
near the garden entrance.

Ghost Mines

Old Silver Mine, Colorado   © Doug Hickok



The relic of an abandoned silver mine frames Red Mountain,
which gets its color from iron ore. The Red Mountain
Mining District of Colorado was once one of the richiest
 in American history, lasting about a decade in the late 1800's.

Summertime

White Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Summertime means crepe myrtle time...
all throughout the Lowcountry,
these colorful ornamentals
add their blooms to the landscape.

Campus Beauty

Sago Palm, College of Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A sago palm lends a tropical feel to the Sottile House garden
 at the College of Charleston. The college was
recently voted America's most beautiful campus
 by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Blue Plumbago

John Rutledge House, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Flowering blue plumbago follows the curve of entry steps
 to an historic Bed and Breakfast in Charleston.

Lush Window Box

Window Box, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A window box bursts with lush growth and a multitude of color
 at a mansion overlooking Meeting Street.

Crescent Domes

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE   © Doug Hickok



Mid day sunlight forms crescent shapes
 atop the domes of Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque.



 

Misty Ridges

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina  
© Doug Hickok



Clouds move across misty ridges
 in the heavily forested mountains
 of the Southern Appalachians.

Iron and Wood

Door Grille, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



A wrought iron grille fits in the recess of a wooden door,
 making an interesting contrast of organic and inorganic materials.

Pink and Blue

Hydranges, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok 



Hydrangeas frame an entry to a house
 in the Ansonbourgh area of downtown Charleston.

Window Grille

Garden Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



At the end of a brick walkway,
a door's wrought iron window grille
 is backlit by morning light.

Verdant Walls

Alleyway Path, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Vines, ubiqutious throughout Charleston,
cover garden walls and building facades
with patinas of lush greens.

Evanescence

Sunset, Savannah, Georgia   © Doug Hickok



A towering cloud catches the warm light of sunset
 over a palmetto tree near Savannah, Georgia.
In a matter of minutes both the cloud and the sunlight
 dissipated into the night.

Saint Michael's Alley

Saint Michael's Alley, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



A sunny morning illuminates a South of Broad alleyway
in one of Charleston's oldest neighborhoods.

Balancing Finials

Finials, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Two large finials balance on a brick entry gate
 at one of Charleston's early 19th century mansions.

Narrow Lane

Narrow Lane, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok



Evening envelopes Cades Cove where a narrow lane
 cuts across pastureland that dates
 from 19th century settlements.

Park View

Saint Michael's Church, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Across the street in Washington Square,
Saint Michael's Church, one of Charleston's iconic landmarks,
 can be seen through a wrought iron gateway.

Three Gardens

3 Backyard Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Here is a sampler of backyard gardens
 in Charleston's Historic District,
showing an assortment of horticultural styles.

Light and Iron

Lantern and Balcony, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Mid morning sun backlights a lantern
 and a wrought iron balcony
 along an alleyway South of Broad.

Classic Storefront

Facade on Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



Decorative details abound on the facades
 of historic commercial storefronts along Meeting Street.
This area features restaurants, shops and hotels.

Port City

Tall Ship, Charleston, SC   © Doug Hickok



Every few years Tall Ships sail into Charleston Harbor
 to spend a weekend for tours. This one docked at the Maritime
 Center and stayed a bit longer. My photo recalls
 a past era when Charleston was a thriving port
 in the 1800's.

Spring Scroll

Wrought Iron Fence, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok



The scroll of a wrought iron fence
 is a focal point for a garden blooming with azaleas.