Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
a Dull Gray Sky
Nothing ruins an outdoor shot like a dull gray sky, but luckily,
in many cases, you can save the shot by darkening the midtones a bit,
and adding a blue tint or gradient to the sky. Here's how to do both:
Step One:
Here's a shot where the sky is really blah.
Not totally 100%, but close enough. Also,
the clouds are a little dark, so even if you
went into Camera Raw and lowered the
exposure, those darkish clouds would
look like rain clouds, and you'd have a
whole different problem to deal with (an
underexposed photo with the buildings
in the shadows). So, this technique will
work pretty well for this image. You'll start
by making a selection of the sky and your
first thought might be to use the Magic
Wand tool. Now, if the sky was just a flat
sky with no clouds, that would probably
work out okay, but in this case (a sky with
clouds), you're much better off using the
Quick Selection tool (it'll select that sky
in all of 5 seconds). So, get the Quick
Selection tool
(W)
from the Toolbox, click
it on the far-left side of the sky, then drag
it over to the right side, and—BAM!—it's
selected (as shown here).
(Continued)
