Blue Sky

[Wannabe]

Hello I am new to the site & need some help please.
some of my pictures have a dull gray or blue sky. How would I go about making a nice blue sky? Can this be done in PSE5?

Thank You so much for any help i can get.

[kroberts]

Welcome to the forum!:)

If you are a subscriber, check for a video tutorial. Also, I did a search and Wendy gave some instructions on this thread:
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18465

I also did a Google search for "photoshop elements tutorial blue sky" and came up with several tutorials.

Hope that helps!:)

[Wannabe]

WOW! That was quick. Thanks so much.:)

[Chuck S.]

Wannabe, one unofficial feature of this forum is the presence of several very talented folks who will give you advice and demonstrate techniques on specific photos that you might be struggling with. Generally, people will post their problem photo to www.pixentral.com (http://www.pixentral.com) and provide a link to it in a forum message. Using pixentral requires making a copy of your photo that's no more than 700 pixels on a side; once you have that copy, it's pretty easy to go to pixentral, post your photo and copy the address to the photo for posting here.

Of course, that's only if you want that kind of help! Not required...

Welcome to the forum!!

Chuck

[Wannabe]

Thank you for the welcome.
I tried to upload the pic we will see.

Well back to the drawing board lol.
[URL=http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1xT7vSJfqWqlwgyByJHR8DEHSHJnvr0][IMG]http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1xT7vSJfqW

[GaryK]

Hi Wannabe

Welcome to the forums.:)

Once you submit your photo to pixentral, wait for it to open on your screen, highlight one of the links below it (top posts url ..bottom posts clickable thumbnail). copy the link and paste it in your message here.

Hope this helps.:)

[Wannabe]

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1xT7vSJfqWqlwgyByJHR8DEHSHJnvr0

[Wannabe]

Yes it did help thanks.

[GaryK]

Ok

A quick go with just the magic wand and a bit of minus selection.

Trees are very time consuming because of the branches and leaves so the finer branches tend to get lost or get a halo.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1BdGXvhGKpGS1LOyo6JA2PRM9JMvEy1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1BdGXvhGKpGS1LOyo6JA2PRM9JMvEy1)

[graficalicus]

there's a tutorial here (http://www.graficalicus.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=98)about using masks to change the sky - you'll need a mask-creating add-on, though.

in this case, it changes to a darker, moodier image, but you can use the same techniques to add a blue gradient and some lighter clouds -

Choose a sky blue as your foreground color and white as your background color - create the mask as laid out in the tut, and draw a foreground to background gradient on a new layer, starting at the top.

[Daviskw]

Good job Gary

I went way overboard with the saturation again... I did not have a real good sky handy on this computer but the idea still works.

On a picture with an even white sky like this one it is far easier to just open a nice sky at the top of you pallet. Then change its layer mode to darken... it does not always work but does in this example.

Where the sky is white the new sky takes its place... then just erase what you don't want or attach or hijack a mask to hide unwanted sky.

After you get it blocked in you can lower opacity if you want to help it blend and some small limbs to show... notice on this example all the small limbs remain... this is just one technique of many.

Butch

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1Oko01RgMFllutw696L6tIrVWbgq40_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1Oko01RgMFllutw696L6tIrVWbgq40)

[Wannabe]

Wow I am so impressed with such a friendly, helpful site. You guys are awesome.

Iwill need to study some of the terms you have used also about plugins. Please know you have not wasted your time on me. I will learn lol & make you proud. I always wondered how so many people had such pretty skies, now I know. I am 60 years old & just starting to learn the computer & this program.

Thanks Again:)

[GaryK]

Butch:

Great job.. I was looking for a bit more forboding sky but was spending more time looking than edititing so just used the one that came with 5.

Wannabe:

Any specific questions ..just ask. We have all had to learn this stuff.:)

[Diana]

Wannabe, you're right in the age range of a lot of us on the forum. It's never too late to teach old dogs new tricks!:D

Diana

[Dorrie H.]

Wannabe, I'm 12 years your senior and they still let me play here. :D I still have lots to learn, but through the help of these wonderful friends (and I do mean Friends) here I have learned so much. Enjoy!

[Wannabe]

Wow I have never run into a forum like this before. Thank you so much. Hanging My Hat on this forum.:)

I had never played with layers before. I got brave this morning. Had a ball. Thanks
Judy