Replacing a Sky in Photoshop
Replacing a Sky in Photoshop
Replacing a Sky in Photoshop
Replacing a sky in Photoshop is a powerful transformation for any photographer. It’s an inevitable struggle to balance foreground and background exposures in some cases and not every camera has built-in bracketing functions. So instead we’ve got this great tutorial about how to replace a sky using Photoshop.
What is in this guide?
- When to replace a sky
- Where to find replacements
- Selecting & replacing old skylines
- Transforming and correcting perspectives
- Colour blending
When to Replace a Sky
Secondly, it could also be the case that your skyline is just rubbish. Some skies are boring, flat, uninteresting and bleh. And soon you’ll know how to make it WOW!
Oh and thirdly, we know not every camera has bracketing or HDR functions to solve that dullness in-camera so providing you’ve got access to Photoshop then whatever camera you use you’ll be able to follow this mini-tutorial.

Where to Find Replacement Skies?
- Pixabay
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Or if you want to splash the cash, check out Shutterstock.
Search their libraries for the perfect replacement.
Selecting the Old Sky
Open up both images in Photoshop and follow these steps:
1. Use the Magic Wand tool or Quick Selection brush and select the full area of sky in your original image. Make sure you capture all the sky area. The more precise this selection the better the final result. Hold down SHIFT to add more selections when using the Magic Wand tool.
2. Move over to your new sky shot and hit SELECT>ALL, EDIT>COPY
3. Switch back to the original shot with the sky area selected and choose EDIT>PASTE SPECIAL>PASTE INTO
4. This will drop your new sky into the area you selected. You’ll see on the layers panel Photoshop has made a mask. This will be really helpful if you need to cover the new sky over other areas you missed when making the initial selection.
Correcting Perspectives
Use the Free Transform tool in Photoshop (with your sky replacement layer chosen) press EDIT>FREE TRANSFORM and change the scale using the anchor points whilst holding down the ALT key to keep the proportions even.
The aim is to end up with a sky that fits the composition, angle and direction of the original shot (but with a lot more detail and interest).
Colour Blending
Two different photographs are rarely going to have the same exact lighting and toning.
Therefore to complete your masterpiece you will need to tweak the colours to make both parts look harmonised.
It’s up to you to decide which image you are going to match up to – the new sky or the original. Either way use the Colour Balance panel found in IMAGE>ADJUSTMENTS>COLOUR BALANCE (or use a Colour Balance adjustment layer) and start pushing the sliders around to get the right part to start looking like the other. This will take time so be patient.
Notice what colours you need more and less to match up. Watch out for reflections of colour in the original image and ensure they are also toned to match your new sky and vice versa.
Summary
In conclusion, it’s that straight forward! Such a quick and simple tutorial for replacing a sky in Photoshop and gets you out of those tight spots.
As always we really hope this guide will give a new lease of life to images you’d stored away because of those blown-out highlights.
Gone are the days of bland skylines! Now get sharing those images in the iPhotography gallery and let us know what you think – has this made a difference for you?
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