Ship Watching

Cupola, Antebellum Mansion, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



With a view over Charleston harbor, this antebellum mansion, near the Battery,
 is an ideal place for watching ships come and go.

Mission Angel

Angel Face, San Antonio, Texas  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved  (Velvia slide film.)



At the San Jose Mission, an old stone carved angel greets parishioners.

Palmer Chapel

Palmer Chapel, Big Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



Tucked near a wood margin in Big Cataloochee Valley,
 a little one-room chapel evokes the primitive lifestyle
 of Appalachian Mountain settlers.

A Fond Farewell to my Father-in-Law

Cliff, Overlooking Cannon Beach, Oregon  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film.)



"I remember you too clearly,
but I'll survive another day;
Conversations to share, when there's no one there;
I'll imagine what you'd say."
                                -Company by Rickie Lee Jones

In loving memory of
Cliff Schulte
1931-2013

Looking for Clues

Tire Tracks, Sand Dunes, Al Ain, UAE  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



If I were a detective or a tracker looking to piece together a story of what happened here, I should be able to "read" the assortment of clues left in these dunes in the Arabian Desert near Al Ain...
 tire tracks, camel tracks, foot prints, etc.

But all I can gather is that the desert, despite its forbidding nature, 
can be quite a busy place.

A Spot of Green

Balcony and Windows, Venice, Italy
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)



A spot of green in a balcony curtain complements the red hues
 of a Venetian facade in the Campo Santo Stefano.

Late Autumn Hues

Sunlit Mountain Ridge, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)



Late autumn along the Blue Ridge Parkway
 offers a panoply of color to enjoy.

The Real Thing

Display at World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, Georgia  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



A giant green Coke bottle appears ready for an
 interstellar launch at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.

Daybreak on the Atlantic

Boneyard Beach, Botany Bay Plantation, Edisto Island, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A clouded horizon adds mood to an early morning silhouette
 of twin, bare trees on the beach.

The Padua Tridangle

Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata and Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua, Italy  
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved 
(Click on image for larger view. Velvia slide film)



The timely flight of a pigeon adds an extra layer of interest to this Paduan tableaux by creating a visual triangle between statue, bird and church. 

The horseman statue was sculpted by Renaissance artist Donatello...
 the namesake of the famous teenage mutant ninja turtle.

Rough-hewn Home

Carter Shields Cabin, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Velvia slide film)



A rough-hewn log cabin tucked in a forested mountain cove 
evokes an era of rugged living in the Appalachians.

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.