The sky is the limit

In a recent update, Photoshop introduced the new Sky replacement feature allowing users to ‘Create the mood you want with a quick sky replacement’ so I thought I’d have a play with it and see if it is any good.

The ability to replace a sky is nothing new, it has been possible in Photoshop for 25 years, when layers were first introduced as a feature. It would have been rather time consuming then and even in more recent versions it involved quite a lot of work masking and blending for a realistic look. Now it has become a whole lot easier, too easy some might say - using the new sky replacement feature, with one click the sky is automatically masked and the new sky positioned in its place. There is the option to flick through a library of stock sky images or to add your own. It seems to me that the latter would be the better option, imagine the embarrassment of two photographers posting their dramatic landscape images from different places with exactly the same sky. To blend things in and make them look nice and natural there are options to adjust the size, position, blend, brightness, temperature and colour of the sky amongst other things and further, if you choose to render the new sky on a new layer then Photoshop creates a group of layers and masks so you can continue to refine things.

So what is it like in use? It’s very easy to use and actually pretty effective straight out of the box, at least some of the time, making what could be a fairly complex and time consuming edit available to those with little Photoshop experience. It doesn’t always work, well technically it seemed to but not visually. The key lies in paying attention to the lighting of the original image when choosing the replacement sky, not only the direction and angle of the light but also the quality. Check the shadows, bright light creates strong clear shadows while on more overcast days they will be softer. To look natural (read convincing) the replacement sky needs to have similar lighting conditions or it’s just going to look all wrong.

Love it or hate it, the technology is available so why not use it to push the boundaries? I’m not sure about pushing the boundaries but it does have its uses, for a start it’s going to speed up the workflow of those who already like to replace their skies. It could also be useful for photographers who may only have one chance to photograph something, whether they are working to a deadline, photographing a one off event or just on holiday, they can quickly improve their results by replacing that boring sky with a better but still natural looking one (or indeed a totally un-natural one depending on taste). And it is a matter of taste, just like any editing technique - HDR (High dynamic range) is a prime example. When used to overcome high dynamic range scenes by blending bracketed exposures with a little finesse and subtlety it can produce natural, realistic results but in the wrong hands it can be shockingly bad… I fear this will be the same.

Besides this is cheating isn’t it? It certainly isn’t proper photography! What is proper photography? Where is the line drawn? Is it only proper photography if the image is printed untouched from the camera? To quote David Hockney “The moment you cheat for the sake of beauty, you know you're an artist.” If photography is an art form, why do we insist on constraining ourselves to rules? Who am I or indeed any of us to say what is good or bad, right or wrong, the beauty that Hockney mentioned is in the eye of the beholder is it not?

Personally though, I think many of these advancements in technology take away the challenge of landscape photography. For me it is all about being outdoors, enjoying the beauty of the natural world, witnessing its moments of perfection and trying to capture that atmosphere in a photo. I don’t want it to be too easy, if we no longer need to worry about being out in the best light and conditions because we can just change things later then it’s going to rob us of the excitement of those few magical minutes when everything comes together and we witness something special… and where’s the fun in that?

I will however leave you with a final challenge. Let’s put this to the test, of the two images here can you tell which, if any has had the sky replaced? Let me know in the comments.