Landscape photography is very popular nowadays, but it can be a challenging job when it comes to shooting sky images. For many outdoor photographers, fixing overexposed and uninspiring skies has been a great pain using traditional software.
Now the good news is AI technology can simplify the process and save you hours. Luminar and Photoshop are now the pioneers in this field with their AI Sky Replacement tools. In this article, we will look at 10 best sky replacement tools, including desktop programs, online tools, and mobile apps. They are ranked based on their efficiency, effects, ease-of-use, pricing, and more.
Top 10 Best Sky Replacement Tools 2020
1. Photoshop Sky Replacement
Price: $20.99/mo
Compatibility: Windows & Mac
Sky replacement in Photoshop used to be a tedious task. Now the good news is AI sky replacement feature released by Photoshop makes the job as easy as a few clicks. Just choose a sky background that fits your image from the folders and Photoshop will replace the sky automatically.
Pros:
- Recognize and replace sky in Photoshop automatically
- Adjust sky image brightness, temperature and more
- A versatile photo editing software
Cons:
- Beginners might get confused about different layers
How to Change the Sky in Photoshop?
Step 1: Open a sky image in Photoshop
Step 2: Create a sky background layer
Step 3: Go to “Edit” > “Sky replacement” and choose a sky from the folders
Step 4: Adjust the temperature or brightness of the sky image and click “OK”
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2.Luminar
Price: $89
Compatibility: Windows & Mac
Luminar is another best choice for handling overexposed or flat skies. This powerful software features AI sky replacement, which identifies where the sky starts and ends in a sky image and then auto replaces the sky. No manual work required. This can be a boon for landscape and outdoor photographers who used to spend hours handling details in sky images.
Pros:
- Adjust “Horizon blending” to make reflection in images look natural
- Replace sky automatically
- Excels at handling details and edges in sky images
Cons:
- Not easy to use for beginners
How to Replace Sky in Luminar?
Step 1: Open a sky image in Luminar
Step 2: Go to “Creative” and “AI sky replacement”
Step 3: Choose one sky from the list
3.Picsart
Price: Free
Compatibility: Online
Picsart provides an AI sky replacement tool that makes it extremely easy to change sky. All you need to do is upload a sky image and then choose a sky background you like. This online tool is easy to use but the edges are not handled perfectly.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Replace sky any time, any where
Cons:
- Signing up required
- Limited skies to choose from
How to Replace Sky Online in this Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Click “Upload an image”
Step 2: Click on “Resize image”
Step 3: Choose “View image” or “Download image”
4.Lunapic
Price: Free
Compatibility: Online
Lunapic is a free tool to replace sky but at the cost of quality. If you want to change image skies for casual use, then this sky replacement tool can be one of your options. But it’s not easy to use. Based on our test, the skies replaced are much below average quality.
Pros:
- Replace the sky online for free
- Swap sky with your own sky image
Cons:
- No sky template images available
- Not easy to use
- Switching between pages is confusing
How to Replace Sky in this Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Upload a sky image that you like
Step 2: Go to “Edit”> “Copy Image to Clipboard”
Step 3: Upload the image whose sky you want to replace
Step 4: Use “Paint Bucket Tool” to replace the sky with the first image you upload
5.Befunky
Price: Free
Compatibility: Online
Befunky is an online photo editor that can also be used as a sky replacement tool. This feature is accessible to free users. You can replace the sky in your image with the numerous sky templates there. Alternatively, you can also upload a sky image to customize the sky background.
Pros:
- Replace the sky with sky templates available or your own images
- Replace the sky online
- Free to use
- Useful editing tools
Cons:
- Fail to perfectly blend with the sky background, especially the edges
- Not easy to handle the edges between foreground and background
How to Replace Sky in Befunky?
Step 1: Drag and drop an image in which the sky you want to replace
Step 2: Go to “Image Manager”> “Computer” to upload a sky image from local or click “Search stock images”
Step 3: Click on the sky image and “add as layer”
Step 4: Click “Flatten”
6.PhotoScissors
Price: Free
Compatibility: Online
PhotoScissors is an online background remover that you can use for sky replacement for free. It takes a bit more steps to change sky because this is not a dedicated sky replacement tool. But it’s online and the brushes allow you to fix the edges more effectively than Lunapic or Picsart.
Pros:
- Replace the sky online anywhere, anytime
- No need to sign up
Cons:
- Require more steps before you replace the sky
- It’s time-consuming to fix the edges in a sky image
How to Replace Sky in This Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Click “Upload image” to select a sky image from local
Step 2: Choose “Foreground”, a green plus button, to cut out the foreground in the sky image
Step 3: Go to “Mode” > “Image”> “Select image” to choose sky background image from your device to blend it with the foreground in the original image
7.PicMonkey
Price: $7.99/mo/basic
Compatibility: Online
PicMonkey is more of a sky photo editor for editing sky images. You can use this tool to adjust the temperature, light, saturation, and tint in a sky image. If you have a blown out sky image, you can try this sky editor to make it eye-popping.
Pros:
- Edit sky images online
- An effective sky editor
- Adjust sky temperature, tint, saturation, vibrance and more
Cons:
- Not free to use
- No option to replace sky images
How to Edit Sky Images in PicMonkey?
Step 1: Select a sky image from your device
Step 2: Go to “Edit” > “Color” and adjust the temperature and tint of your image
Step 3: Click “Download” icon to save the image
8.LandscapePro
Price: $39.95
Compatibility: Windows
LandscapePro is a professional software designed for landscape photography. This sky replacement software uses AI to enhance sky images automatically. You can replace overexposed and uninspiring skies easily with the options there.
Pros:
- Batch mode is supported
- Replace, brighten, and color skies
Cons:
- Above average pricing
How to Replace Sky in this Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Upload an image to this software
Step 2: Go to “Add &Edit Areas”, drag and drop areas relevant to your image
Step 3: Click “Continue” and choose a filter from “Global Presets”
9.Enlight Quickshot
Price: Free & In-app purchase
Compatibility: Android & iOS
Enlight Quickshot is a sky replacement app that helps you to replace sky in just one tap. Adding blue skies, clouds, sunsets and even add northern lights can be easy in this app. You can also try the editing tools to adjust light, contrast, saturation, temperature and more.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Useful editing features to adjust shadows, vignette, and exposure
- Add special effects to photos
Cons:
- Show ads
How to Replace Sky in this Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Select an image from your gallery
Step 2: Choose a filter you like and replace it in one tap
Step 3: Adjust the light, saturation or hue of your image
10.Picnic
Price: Free & In-app purchase
Compatibility: Android & iOS
Picnic is another great app for editing dark sky or travel images. This sky replacement app offers high-quality sky filters to make your sky images more compelling. You can replace a sky image with existing filters in the app, which enables you to create amazing effects instantly.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Fast to use
- High-quality filters available
Cons:
- Some features fail to work
How to Replace Sky in this Sky Replacement Tool?
Step 1: Select an image from your mobile device
Step 2: Add a filter to replace the sky in the image
Step 3: Click “Download” button to save the result
Conclusion
Blown out sky images are a headache to many outdoor photographers. But with sky replacement tools in this article, you can fix them easily and effectively. Desktop programs like Photoshop or Luminar use AI technology to recognize and replace skies automatically. They are the top choice for creating captivating sky images.
For beginners, replacing sky online or via apps can also save time and effort. And there is no need to you can make your sky images look much better with just a few clicks. To further enhance sky or any other images, check out Top 20 Best Photo Enhancers Review for more tools.