Monday, August 31, 2015

Appalachian Rain Forest

Smoky Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




Much like a temperate rain forest, these verdant mountains
 exude moisture in the form of rising mists,
hence the name given to them by the Cherokee...
"place of the blue smoke", which eventually became
the Great Smoky Mountains.




Sunday, August 30, 2015

Follow the Red Brick Path

Brick Alleyway, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Stolls Alley is a narrow brick path from the 
colonial era
neighborhood South of Broad
to the 
antebellum mansions along The Battery
The milieu here has an old country feel to it.




Saturday, August 29, 2015

Colors of Charleston

Houses Near Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




While most rainbows fade,
Charleston's rainbow shines all the time.




Friday, August 28, 2015

Crow in the Cove

American Crow, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserve
(Click on image for larger view.)




A young crow perches momentarily by the road that loops
 around 
Cades Cove, a mountain valley in the Smokies.




Thursday, August 27, 2015

End of the Rainbow

Rainbow in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



I finally found out what is at the end of the rainbow!
Cades Cove!




Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Labor of Love

Forest Cascade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




I spent nearly 8 hours photographing along a short stretch
 of backwoods road, fronting a mountain stream in the Smokies.
I worked as many angles as possible,
encountering views like this one...
a feeder brook cascading over a leafy slope.




Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Blue Patina

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




As twilight deepens in the valleys of the Smokies ,
a long camera exposure reveals a silky sheen
 on the surface of a mountain stream.




Monday, August 24, 2015

Golden Meadow

Meadow After a Rainstorm, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Following an afternoon rainstorm, the sun emerges
 to suffuse a wet meadow in Cades Cove with a golden glow.




Sunday, August 23, 2015

Through the Woods

Forest Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A narrow road passes through leafy hardwoods
 on its way to the meadowlands of Cades Cove.




Friday, August 21, 2015

A Model Stream

Cascade in a Mountain Stream,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A low shelf in the stream bed enables mountain water
 to reveal its beautiful flowing tresses.




Thursday, August 20, 2015

Little Fence Post

Fence Post, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A single fence post in a meadow doesn't seem like much,
 but it evokes a sense of a simpler time and place.




Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Window Light

Window Light in a Rustic Cabin, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved





Plenty of negative space in this monochrome
 adds simplicity and a bit of mystery to the image.




Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Cloudscape

Cumulus Clouds at Dusk, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




Cumulus clouds tower over soft mountains,
taking on the hues of a dreamy painting.



Monday, August 17, 2015

Rustic Charm

Sparks Lane, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A peaceful country lane bordered by grassy meadows
 and surrounded by verdant mountains
 typifies the rustic beauty of Cades Cove.




Sunday, August 16, 2015

Lily Heaven

Turk's Cap Lily, near Clingman's Dove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok




This striking wildflower, called the Turk's cap or turban lily,  thrives at the highest elevations in the Southern Appalachians.
 I found this vibrant specimen near Clingman's Dome,
 the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.




Saturday, August 15, 2015

Rainy Day Activity

Observation Deck, Little Tennessee River, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Afternoon rain lends a somber mood
to the view from this observation deck
 as I gaze across the Little Tennessee River.




Friday, August 14, 2015

Veiled Wilderness

Pine Tree and Misty Ridges, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




A lone pine looms against misty ridges
 which recede into a shrouded remoteness.


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Secluded Tranquility

Small Waterfall, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




In a little-known hardwood cove in the Great Smoky Mountains,
 I made a short climb to this cascade which rewarded me
 with an image that feels cool and soothing.




Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Mountain Moods

Crepuscular Rays over Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




The ever changing weather and light
 over the Great Smoky Mountains is fascinating to witness.
 From sunrise to sunset, the mood of the ancient mountains
 is always in flux. Here crepuscular rays break through
 late morning clouds to illuminate peaks and valleys
 of the national park.




Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Shuttered

Shutters at Sunrise, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Film photography)




Being at the right place at the right time enabled me to see
the first light of sunrise on this row of shutters near the waterfront.




Monday, August 10, 2015

Framed

Garden Gate, Charleston, SC  © Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved



Creeping fig vines frame a lovely garden gate
 in the historic district of Charleston.




Sunday, August 9, 2015

Shadow Art

Gate Shadow, Saint Philip's Church, Charleston, SC
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view. Film photography)




Steps leading into Saint Philip's Church
 provide a canvas for the shadow of an ornate gate.




Saturday, August 8, 2015

Light from the Heavens

Sunlight on Mountain Ridges, Cades Cove,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok




After a passing storm, a shaft of sunlight dappled
 the mountain peaks that surround Cades Cove.




Friday, August 7, 2015

The Long Journey

Mountain Stream, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Rushing over a small waterfall is part of the long journey
 rain water makes as it flows down a mountain cove
 toward the distant sea. 




Thursday, August 6, 2015

Stormy Weather

Rainstorm in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




The Great Smoky Mountains receive some of the highest amounts
 of rainfall in the U.S.  Whether it's a passing thunderstorm or a steady drizzle,
the Smokies get soaked. So when the rain moves through,
  I have a camera ready to record the misty mood of these amazing mountains.




Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Nature's Smoking Mountains

Sunrise, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved
(Click on image for larger view.)




Dawn light illuminates mists
 rising from the ridges and valleys
 of the Great Smoky Mountains.




Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Rising Mist

Loop Road, Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Mist begins to rise from a road
 following an afternoon rain storm
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.




Monday, August 3, 2015

Puddling

Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly,
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Finding a patch of moisture beside a Cades Cove road,
this butterfly stayed still long enough for me to grab
 a clear image of it at ground level.
Butterflies gather at muddy spots to obtain minerals in the soil.




Sunday, August 2, 2015

Old Appalachian Forest

Mountain Stream, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, North Carolina
© Doug Hickok  All Rights Reserved




Lush green surrounds a mountain stream
 in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which protects
 one of the last old-growth woodlands in the eastern U.S.




Saturday, August 1, 2015

Refreshed

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



An old alleyway in Charleston is enlivened
 by the hues of fresh spring blooms.




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