With the sun so low in the sky, (“What sun?” I hear you say) its rays strike the surface of the earth at a shallow angle which is good news for photographers. First, the heat from the sun’s rays is not as great so that the molecules in the air are not vibrating as much. This means there is less haze and therefore better clarity both for seeing distant objects and for photographing them. Secondly, by striking the ground at a shallow angle the light brings out features of relief more vividly than when the sun is high in the sky. This is also why photographers often catch the best images early in the morning or in the evening.

So wait for a clear day, wrap up well, and set off in search of that prize winning image.

Nairn Camera Club

Open the destination photograph (the one you wish to replace the sky in) and open the sky photograph you want to insert.

Open the LAYERS PALETTE (window-layer)

Click on the destination photograph to make it the background in layers.

Drag the background layer photograph over the NEW LAYER icon to make ‘background copy’

Click on the sky photograph to make it active. Hit ctrl/A. You should now have marching ants around the entire picture. Hit ctrl/C. You will now have a copy of the sky photograph in the computer memory.

Click on the destination photograph to make it active. Hit ctrl/V. You have now pasted the sky photograph on top of the destination photograph.

You should now have in the layers palette:-  Eye Icon, Sky photograph and layer name – layer 1. Destination photograph and layer name – background copy and original photograph and layer name background with a padlock beside it.

On the main screen you should have your destination photograph with the sky photograph on top of it.

Go to Edit – Free transform. A bounding box has now appeared around the sky. Hold down the shift key (an upward facing arrow) and the alt key together and pull on the box handles to size the image over the destination photograph. When you are finished double left click inside the bounding box to clear it.

In the layer palette make sure the – layer 1 – top line is active. Click on it to get a blue bar through it.

In the box at the top click on the down arrow next to the word normal and change the mode to multiply from the drop down list. You should now bw able to see the sky photograph on top of the destination photograph. Make sure the layer 1 is still active (blue bar thru it). Gothe bottom of the layer palette and add a layer mask by clicking on the small rectangle with a circle in it. Whwn you hover the cursor over it, it will come up with the description – add layer mask. (see step B).

If the background layer (destination photograph) is ofbuildings etc. with well defined edges then go to step A.

If the skyline has fine detail at the edges ie. trees bushes etc. or any complicated shapes go to step B.

STEP A

Deactivate layer 1 by clicking on the eye to the left.

Click on the background copy layer to make active. (blue  band through)

From the toolbox select magic wand tool.

In the line abovethe toolbox make sure thay the anti alias box is ticked.

Make sure the contiguous box is unticked.

Set tolerance for the picture. This is by trial and error.

Click the magic wand tool in the sky to make a selection.

To add to the selection press shift.

To take away from the selection press alt.

When all of the sky is selected go to select then feather from drop down menue and feather by 1.5 to 2 pixels. If you are in Elements 6, CS2 or CS3 go to select and click on refine edge in drop down menu and push feather slider to 2px and contract/expand to 2%. Hit ok.

Go to select – inverse and click.

In the layers palette click on layer 1 to make it active (blue bar) and click on the square to the left to bring back the eye. The sky will now reappear.

Click on the layer mask to make it active.

Hit B to select the brush tool.

Hit Dto select the foreground/background colours to black and white.

Set the foreground colour to black.

Adjust the size of the paint brush by hitting to increase or decrease/

.Paint over the buildings and the marching ants to clear the sky layer.

When finished hit ctrl/d to clear the marching ants.

When work complete go to file and save and save in your chosen folder as a JPEG file.

When closing save changes comes up. Click no.

STEP B

After add laler mask in step A select the gradient tool from the too; box. It may be hidden under the paint bucket tool.

Make sure the layer mask in the layers palette is active by clicking on.

From the bottom of the sky layer to the top of the tallest building/tree left click and draw a vetrical line with the mouse and then release. The bottom of thesky layer will gradient fade.

Proceed as step A.