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PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
THE MISSION
Replace a dull sky
with a brand-new
one in Photoshop to
increase impactTime needed
10 minutesSkill level
BeginnerKit needed- Photoshop
Elements
The sky’s the limit
A moody sky is a great way to add atmosphere to landscapes, but what
can you do if there isn’t a cloud in sight? Dan Mold has a clever solution
andscapes are one of
my favourite things to
photograph and with
summer in full swing
it’s a brilliant time to go
outside and shoot some. A
great sky can make or break
your shot, but sometimes
you don’t quite get the one
you’re after. Luckily, you can
replace empty, blank skies
in Photoshop Elements.
Adding a new sky is super
simple and all you have to do is
follow the six bite-size steps we’ve
laid out here. To make it even
easier we’re supplying you withVN\-3(*VZKLFK\RX·OOÀQGRQ
your disc, or you can download
them using the web link at the
bottom left of this page.
This technique is all about
using Element’s powerful layer
tools, putting the sky on a
separate layer to the background
image. This gives you full control,
allowing you to change how it’s
blended into the existing image
with Blending Modes, or how
strong the sky is by effecting the
Layer Opacity. You’ll also discover
how to use Layer Masks to prevent
the sky from appearing in any
parts of the picture that you don’twant it to. Layer Masks are totally
non-destructive, so you can
always reverse the effect
later on if you want to.
Adding a new sky is also a great
way of saving a shot when turning
it to black and white. Just go to
Layer>Flatten Image at the end
of this project to merge the layers
together and hit Ctrl+Shift+U to
see what it looks like in mono- this can look fantastic. Once
you’re done don’t forget to save
\RXUVKRWXQGHUDQHZÀOHQDPH
so you don’t accidentally
overwrite the original picture.
Here’s how you can do it.
L
A F T E R
BEFORE
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/pp_154_5DOWNLOAD PROJECT FILES
TO YOUR COMPUTER FROM:
http://downloads.
photoplusmag.com/pp154.zip