How to edit the sky in photos

Have you ever taken a picture and thought "it's amazing, but the sky is so flat"? Or maybe you took a great shot of landscapes or people, but there's an ugly gray sky in the background that seems to ruin everything.

The truth is, getting the perfect sky in photos isn't always easy due to weather changes and other factors beyond human control.

Fortunately, there is a relatively easy way to modify the sky. All you need is Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom.

This article will show you how to use these tools to edit the sky of your photos and create perfect albums that pop.

How to Edit the Sky in Photos in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is undoubtedly one of the best post-production photo editing tools ever developed.

It can help you with everything from quick fixes like color correction, contrast adjustment, and sharpening. It can also handle more complex tasks like removing objects or introducing something that never existed.

But Photoshop can help you do so much more.

If your photo has a depiction of the sky that doesn't match your artistic vision, you can easily edit it into something infinitely more inspiring. For example, you can add clouds and color to the scene or go all out with a dramatic stormy sky.

Here's how to change the sky in photos using the sky replacement feature in Photoshop:

1. Open the image you want to edit in Photoshop.
   
2. Click on “Edit”.
   
3. Select “Sky Replacement”. This should open a dialog containing several sky presets.
   
4. Scroll through the list of available presets and select the one you prefer.
   

And with that, the Photoshop algorithms will work in the background and replace the original sky with the chosen preset. You can edit the sky and adjust the colors using the sliders below the photo for an even more seamless look.

If you want more images of the sky, you can easily get some from the Adobe Discovery website.

How to Edit the Sky in Photos in Lightroom

Although Lightroom is primarily a tool for organizing and editing photos, it still comes with great photo editing tools. It has various features that can help you retouch, enhance and edit photos with amazing results.

More importantly, it can help you add a blue tint to a dull, unappealing sky, making your photo more vibrant.

This is how it works:

1. Import the photo of interest into Lightroom.
   
2. Select the Brush tool in the upper right corner of the sidebar. The tool will help you map the sky on your photo for quick editing.
   
3. Check the box next to "Auto Mask" at the bottom of the brushes panel. This will limit the brush to the sky and prevent it from mapping and adjusting the color of objects in the middle or foreground.
   
4. Move the Temp slider left or right to adjust the blue tint you want to add to your photo. Dragging it to the left will increase the amount of blue in the sky.
   
5. Brush the sky to introduce the blue tint, making sure the center of the brush doesn't touch any objects under the sky.
   

And just like that, you should end up with a beautiful blue sky that makes your photo stand out.

How to Edit Sky in Photos in Lightroom Mobile

One of the best things about Lightroom is that it comes with a mobile version which is just as effective and efficient as the desktop version. The mobile version allows you to tweak the colors of the sky and make it more beautiful.

Here's how to go about it:

1. Open Lightroom mobile, then open the photo you want to edit.
   
2. Tap the "Color" tab at the bottom of your screen. Depending on your device's screen size, you may need to swipe the tools at the bottom left or right to access the "Color" tool.
   
3. Tap "Blend" in the top right corner of the Color panel. At this point, you should see dots of different colors. Each dot changes the corresponding color in the photo.
   
4. Since you want to edit the sky, tap on the blue dot.
   
5. Below the colored dots, you should see three slider bars named Hue, Saturation, and Luminance.
   Here is how each of these bars works:
   • Tint: Makes the blues in the photo greener or more purple. For example, to make the blues more turquoise, drag the bar to the left.
     
   • Saturation: This makes the blues less saturated, giving a “filmed” look.
     
   • Luminance: This makes blues darker or lighter. For example, drag to the right if you want the sky to be clearer and brighter.
     
6. Tap "Done," then tap the three little dots in the top-right corner of your screen to save the photo to a folder or album of your choice.
   

Set the tone of your image

The sky is a key element in any photo. It can set the mood and tone of your image, add drama or romance to an otherwise mundane scene, or even create that perfect balance between light and dark.

Although there are many tools that can help you edit the sky, the process can be extremely time-consuming and tedious if you don't choose the right one.

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom are some of the best photo editing tools out there. They come with tools that allow you to edit the sky on any photo you want and turn it into an unforgettable masterpiece. All you have to do is upload the image to the app and follow a few simple steps.

Even if you don't have a computer, you can download and install Lightroom Mobile on your device and access a fantastic set of sky editing tools.

Did you use Photoshop or Lightroom to edit the sky in your photos? How was it?

Let us know in the comments section below.