Scraggly but Strong

Lone Tree, in the desert near Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



It may be scraggly looking, but a solitary tree in the Arabian Desert somehow hangs on to its meager existence. In the hot, hazy background is the ridgeline of Jebel Hafeet, the highest mountain in a region that is predominantly vast expanses of sand dunes.

Throwback Thursday - Ungentrified

Secret Garden Door, Longitude Lane, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Kodachrome film)



I shot this picture years ago on Kodachrome film.
It ended up being selected for the cover shot for an issue of Where Charleston magazine. The door has since been gentrified, 
loosing the old country charm seen here.

Bridge Wednesday - Autumnal Hues

Ravenel Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The setting sun highlights a curve in the Ravenel Bridge
 with autumnal hues.

Wood Nymph at Middleton

Sculpture, Middleton Place Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film.)



A tranquil atmosphere in the gardens at Middleton Place surrounds this wood nymph sculpture from the early 1800's.
If you follow this link to Middleton's website, you can see another one of my images of this statue.

Tic Tac Toe

Olympic Torch and Skyscrapers, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



An implied diagonal line and visual rhythm come together to make a
 tic tac toe of architectural styles in downtown Atlanta.

Night in the French Quarter

Stylized Pineapple on Gate, Saint Philip's Church, French Quarter, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



At night, lights illuminate the steeple of Saint Philip's Church, in Charleston's French Quarter. It provides a colorful background for a stylized pineapple atop the church gate. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, a concept which is often in the forefront of Charleston's destination travel marketing.

As you can see from the graininess of the photo, this image was made on Velvia slide film, from my earlier days of shooting.

Thought Bubbles?

Binocular Viewer and Clouds, Folly Pier, Folly Beach, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Clouds seem to emanate from this viewer like thought bubbles in a cartoon.

Rebirth

Lone Tree, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



After widespread destruction by fire and ash, a lone tree acts as a bellwether on a formally forested mountainside near Mount St. Helens.
From death comes rebirth as life resumes its relentless hold on the land.

Branching Out

Conifer at Sunrise, Waterrock Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



As dawn unfolds on Waterrock Knob, the branches of a conifer reach out for the light, creating a strong graphic silhouette. At an elevation of 6,293 feet, Waterrock Knob is an ideal place along the Blue Ridge Parkway for watching sunrises and sunsets, and also excellent for star gazing on clear nights.

Morning Among the Ruins

Ruins and Olive Trees, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)



Soft morning light illuminates what remains of ancient Rome.
On the Palatine Hill are the ruins of the Emperor's palaces.
Alas, even the mightiest fall.

Atlanta Is Burning

Red Maple, Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A flaming red maple blazes in downtown Atlanta.

Tunnel of Oaks

Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film.)



On the way to Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area,
 a road passes beneath a tunnel of live oaks, and their ancient wisdom, 
on the sea island of Edisto.

Angel and the Scrollwork

Angel and Ironwork, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



A stone angel contrasts with 
scrolled ironwork in this gold and blue composition.

Making a Splash!!!

Paint Splashes, Cannon Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Paint splashes on a pink wall make
 a loud artistic statement by an unknown artist.

Gold Leaves

Courtyard, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Columns in the courtyard of Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque
 are adorned with gold leaves.
Its stone floor is polished smooth as a mirror.

Gem from the Sea

Sand Dollar, Kiawah Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Like a small gem offered up by the sea,
a beautiful sand dollar
 rests on a wave-patterned beach.

After the Rain

Country Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)



After the rain, evening settles quietly
 over a country road in Cades Cove.

Window Light

Window Glass Reflection, near Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved (Velvia slide film)



Sunlight reflecting off nearby window panes casts
 an abstract image on a wall near Piazza Navona, Roma.

Marina Tableau

Sail Boat, Charleston Harbor Marina, Mt. Pleasant, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Sunlight breaks through overcast clouds
 to enhance the look of this nautical tableau.

Tropical Alley

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



Although the calendar says it is autumn,
 an alleyway in Charleston
 still retains a tropical lushness.