Shari Garnsey
July 2026 - Shari Garnsey - Rice Mill Chimney
Original
About the Image(s)
This is a Stone Chimney built for a steam powered rice mill sometime between 1833 and 1850. It sits by the side of the highway near Darien, GA along with some other ruins that include a brick kiln, remnants of the Butler Plantation.
Composed to capture scale and texture against a somewhat dramatic sky.
I switched to monochrome as what appealed was the texture and the lines as opposed to the color. Any thoughts or suggestions on composition, subject matter or monochrome presentation? In Photoshop, I changed to B&W and then in Camera Raw, played with settings (Contrast, Whites, Blacks, Highlights and Shadows). to get the tones right. I dehazed to pull put the sky and put a small vignette on it.
Camera: Apple iPhone 15 shot in Raw
12 comments posted
Hello Shari, a nice image with the phone. I like the way you worked the sky and the texture. The composition works well to my eye.
I do like the mono version of the image better than the color. However the color version has a lighter foreground making it more detailed
My only suggestion would be to lighten the foreground slightly.
All in all, to my eye, a very nice image. Thank you for sharing it with us. Posted: 07/02/2026 18:03:04
I do like the mono version of the image better than the color. However the color version has a lighter foreground making it more detailed
My only suggestion would be to lighten the foreground slightly.
All in all, to my eye, a very nice image. Thank you for sharing it with us. Posted: 07/02/2026 18:03:04
Thank you - appreciate the feedback. My eye totally missed the shadow - Posted: 07/07/2026 15:09:05
Hi Shari! I think that your camera angle and composition are just perfect. I like both the versions: the muted colors in the original suit to the mood, and the pale dry hay makes a very nice foreground. I think that Ed is right about lightening it slightly in the B&W? I also like the dramatic sky and the vignette that emphasizes the towering effect. There is a thin halo at the outlines of the chimney - I wonder if it is a contrast issue that has something to do with the treatment of the sky? Posted: 07/06/2026 12:36:24
Thank you Kirsti - I agree that the stormy clouds made the image work. I see the halo now and will go back to my bigger screen and see if I can clean that up. Appreciate the feedback Posted: 07/07/2026 15:12:10
Hi Shari. Nice abandoned chimney photo. Good choice to convert to b/w as it emphasizes the subject and gives the chimney an old ruin feel. I like the low shooting angle which exaggerates the chimney's size and helps to fill the frame. The clouds add a touch of movement and some tension without being overpowering. The chimney has good texture but the halo tells me there is a bit of over processing. You could remove it with local masking or simply dial back the local contrast. Posted: 07/07/2026 14:20:40
Thanks Barbara - I am going to work on the halo. What do you mean by "local" in your suggestions? Posted: 07/07/2026 15:13:19
Sorry for the confusion. When I say local, I mean just the specific area of the image that needs adjustments. In PS, I add a new layer, set the blend mode to darken (if its a white halo), use a clone stamp tool (soft brush) sampling close to the halo and painting it away. I haven't found much success removing halos in LR, though you can sometimes reduce them with a brush and lowering contrast, texture, clarity etc. Most likely the halo was caused by over sharpening of the chimney since the sky doesn't appear over processed. Hope this helps. Posted: 07/07/2026 16:44:12
Hi Barbara, thank you very much for sharing the cool halo-removing tip! I have used the clone tool like you described but in normal blend mode, and I think that will make a a lot of difference! Posted: 07/07/2026 18:07:29
Thank you- that's helpful and I'll give it a go. Posted: 07/07/2026 19:09:04
Shari,
Very nice image. I love the angel. I notice there 's a halo around the building. maybe try a feather to get rid of it?? Posted: 07/07/2026 18:19:19
Very nice image. I love the angel. I notice there 's a halo around the building. maybe try a feather to get rid of it?? Posted: 07/07/2026 18:19:19
Thank you Ray Posted: 07/07/2026 19:29:25
Hi Shari - I really like this image a lot and I think it works better than the color version. I think the lighter foreground is right for the color version but I like the darker version for the black and white. When opening up the photo all the way, the foreground does not appear as dark as the smaller image so I prefer it as it is.
I too saw the halo and also appreciate Barbara's suggestion for how to correct that. The other part of the photo that works for me is the white shading of the stones going up vertically along the edge of the structure - it adds good definition to the photo.
Thanks.
Rob Posted: 07/09/2026 16:15:27
I too saw the halo and also appreciate Barbara's suggestion for how to correct that. The other part of the photo that works for me is the white shading of the stones going up vertically along the edge of the structure - it adds good definition to the photo.
Thanks.
Rob Posted: 07/09/2026 16:15:27