Fix dreary skies
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine|September 2020
It’s easy to lose detail in the bright skies of your landscapes, but fear not! Dan Mold shows you how to replace an overexposed sky with ease
Dan Mold
Fix dreary skies

THE MISSION

Use our free sky library to replace a dull sky in Elements

Time needed

15 minutes

Skill level

Beginner

Kit needed

Photoshop

Elements 2020

Even the most advanced digital cameras on the market will struggle to handle the exposure between a bright sky and the foreground, as they have to meter to expose for one or the other. This often leads to sky details being blown out and lost, but fear not, you can replace the sky in Photoshop to save it!

We’ve been busy shooting a library compiled of 50 sky images that you can download for free and add to your landscape to transform a shot that would be great if it didn’t have an overexposed sky. See the link (bottom left) to get hold of your free sky library today.

Weather is such a varied part of landscape photography that you could turn up to a great location only to have no clouds in sight, or have it be totally overcast, both of which can make your scene look flat. Ideally, you want a good mix of cloud and blue sky to give your landscapes good, punchy, contrast. So, adding a new sky to shots like this will also help breathe new life into them.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PHOTOPLUS : THE CANON MAGAZINEView All
The Art of Copying Art - James Paterson shows you how to use your Canon gear to capture artwork and paintings the right way with simple camera and lighting skills
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

The Art of Copying Art - James Paterson shows you how to use your Canon gear to capture artwork and paintings the right way with simple camera and lighting skills

Whether you want to capture a painting like the above, digitise old prints or reproduce any kind of canvas, there's real skill in capturing artwork with your camera. Not only do you need the colours to be accurate, you also need to master the spread, angle and quality of the light to minimise glare and show the work at its best.This painting by the artist Bryan Hanlon has a wonderfully subtle colour palette. To reproduce the painting in print and digital form, it needs to be captured in the right way.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
Fright night
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Fright night

Canon photographer and digital artist Alexander loves to craft incredible fantasy scenes with a spooky horror twist

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Sharpen your shots with DPP
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Sharpen your shots with DPP

Sharpening a digital image also increases contrast at the edge of details

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
CANON ImagePrograf PRO-1100
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

CANON ImagePrograf PRO-1100

Deeper blacks, better bronzing, greater lifespan and 5G Wi-Fi -Canon's new printer is full of new tech, says

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Canon's new 'kit lens' is actually a half-price f/2.8 trinity lens!
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Canon's new 'kit lens' is actually a half-price f/2.8 trinity lens!

The Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 IS STM lacks a red ring, but borrows premium features from its L-series siblings

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
DREW GIBSON
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

DREW GIBSON

Pro motorsports photographer Drew on why he hasn't (yet) switched to Canon's mirrorless system, why old-school techniques can be the most reliable, and the lessons learned from more than a decade shooting the world's biggest car brands

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2024
Up in smoke
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Up in smoke

Make a smoky shape in Affinity Photo and get to grips with the amazing Liquify Persona under the guidance of James Paterson

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Expand your creativity with Generative Fill
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Expand your creativity with Generative Fill

Photoshop's Al-powered feature brings revolutionary new tools to image editing. James Paterson reveals all...

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Turn your images into vintage postcards
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

Turn your images into vintage postcards

Wish you were here? Sean McCormack explains how you can give your summer photographs a vintage postcard look

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
The Angel Malibu
PhotoPlus : The Canon Magazine

The Angel Malibu

Light painting an American movie producer in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan was a highly unlikely evening out for David!

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024