An Eagle has Landed

Lantern with Brass Eagle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)



A lantern has winged company for the evening along Saint Michael's Alley in a district of Charleston known as South of Broad.

Modernity

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, near Atlanta, Georgia
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This contemporary performing arts center
illustrates a change of venue... from old colonial Charleston
 to the modern metropolis of Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Balding

Bald Cypress, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The bald cypress is a deciduous conifer. Here it is gradually loosing its "hair" and will soon be completely bald for the winter.

Man, I feel its pain, because I can relate!

Hidden Anchor

Bare Tree and Billboard, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Some personalities are recognizable anywhere,
even when incognito.

Bristly

Winter Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Shoots from a pruned crepe myrtle
 appear to bristle after its leaves have fallen.

Before the Storm

Lily Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



The tendril of a late afternoon thunderstorm creeps toward a mountain lake in the Rockies where two floating anglers try their luck before the rains fall.

On a High Horse

Equestrian Statue, Florence, Italy  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Cosimo I de Medici rides tall and proud atop his bronze saddle in the Piazza della Signoria of Florence. And well he should... the Medici were great patrons of the arts, and put their indelible mark on the history of Florence
 and the Italian Renaissance.

Early Winter Garden

Red Bridge and Pond, Magnolia Gardens, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



In early winter there are still plenty of hues to see in Lowcountry gardens,
 and abundant pools of still waters to reflect their beauty. 
Beholding such delights is a fine way to begin a new year!

Happy New Year from Charleston!

Favorites of 2012 - Becky's Picks

Dusk, Folly Beach Pier, Folly Beach, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image to begin slide show)

Spring Blooms, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Pediments, Saint Francis Garden, Roper Hospital, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Live Oak with Spanish Moss, Daniel Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Reflection in Pool, Pineapple Fountain, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Misty Harbor with Boats, Mt. Desert Island, Maine  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Palmetto Tree Trunk and Shutter, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Ironwork and Steps at Night, Market Hall, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Lambs Ears and Stones, Boulder, Colorado
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Beneath the Archway, Saint Louis, Missouri
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Happy New Year Everyone!

Favorites of 2012 - Doug's Picks

Monument Rocks, Kansas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view)


Becky and I are ending the year with a look back at some of our favorite photographs from our 2012 posts. Today we show my picks. I had a hard time choosing, not surprisingly, since many photographers struggle with objectivity regarding their own work. I took some pics out, put others in, took more out, put more in... fond memories from the places in the pictures influenced many of my favorites. Regrettably, my editor said I could only choose 10 images. Becky made her picks in a matter of minutes... which is why she is the blog editor! 
Tomorrow we'll post her selections.

Click on any image for a quick slideshow. Hope you enjoy!

Fisherman's Wharf, Budapest, Hungary
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Traffic Lights, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Ravenel Bridge Tower at Night, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Angel Oak, John's Island, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

Great Egret, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

"Eye of Sauron", Impression of Sunrise, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Mountain Stream, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Saint Michael's Church Reflection, City Hall, Charleston, SC
 © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved

Dawn, Clingman's Dome,
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)

A Peak Above the Clouds

Ravenel Bridge in Fog, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



This cabled tower of the Ravenel Bridge resembles the pyramidal shape of a mountain peak as it rises above the morning mist which shrouds the Cooper River.

Gateway to Higher Education

Gateway to Randolph Hall, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Pass through this elaborate gateway to the College of Charleston's Randolph Hall, the main building of the oldest municipal university in the country (founded in 1770). Much of the campus is shaded by the twisting limbs of ancient live oaks.

Binocularity

Telescope at Sunrise, Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Would it not be grand to drop a coin into a machine
 and look into our futures with the power of binocular vision... 
to peer deeply into the vistas of the coming year?

Strolling Past Palms

Crosswalk Sign and Palmetto Trees, The Battery, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Pedestrian sign man strolls past a diagonal row of palms, no doubt intent on his destination, but walks contrary to the direction of the arrow. 
Yes, he is a man with purpose, one who follows his own compass.

We Wish Hue A Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve in Charleston

Palmetto Tree with Lights, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Colorful lights add holiday cheer to our state symbol,
 the ubiquitous Palmetto tree.

Becky and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas
 and a Happy New Year!

Local Made Christmas

Wreaths on Wooden Door, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



It is common for folks in the Lowcountry to use materials from nature to make their Christmas decorations. In this case, a pair of wreaths are made of red painted seeds from a tallow tree. As you might guess the tree gets its name from the waxy seed coverings used to make candles. Another interesting fact is that vegetable oils from these seed coverings are used to produce biodiesel fuels.

Yet, in spite of its abundance the tallow tree is not native to South Carolina... it originated in China and Japan, but thrives in our warm climate. So thank you Asia for brightening our holidays!

Holiday Whimsy

Santa Hat, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Travel and Leisure magazine recently named Charleston among the top 5 places in the world to spend the holidays. The historic Southern city was noted by the editors for its unique Lowcountry twist on Christmas. If the Santa hat on this colonial mansion's cupola is any indication, a holiday in Charleston will not soon be forgotten!

Beaded Veil

Window Beads, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Beads veil the view through my window.

Mud Flats

Mud Flat, Isle of Palms, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



Low tide exposes mud flats on Isle of Palms,
 revealing patterns sculpted by ocean tides and currents.