If the image you’re editing has a blurry background, adding a Gaussian blur to your chosen Sky Overlay can help increase the believability factor of your edit. It’s got a rainbow! Struggling? Here are some sky overlay tips! Want to give these steps a try on your own? Grab this free sunset sky overlay to practice with! If you’d prefer a blue sky, check out this freebie instead.

I’ll show you a few special techniques for an even quicker application! If you like it, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel! Lastly, use a Layer Mask and a soft black brush to remove the sky effect from any areas that you don’t want it to show up! Watch me apply a Sky Overlay! This step instantly begins to blend the sky overlay with the skyline of your photo! This is a freaking game-changer if you’ve ever had trouble blending through trees or grass!ĥ. Change your sky overlay layer to ‘Multiply’ blend mode. You’ll want to be sure the edges of the sky overlay completely fill the sky area in your image.Ĥ. Drag the corners to stretch the sky until it fits your photo. The sky overlay will then open directly onto your image. Choose the one you’d like to use, and then click ‘Place’.ģ. When the next box pops up, navigate to the folder where your sky overlays are saved. In newer versions of Photoshop, you’ll choose File > Place Embedded.Ģ. Open the image you wish to edit in Photoshop, then go to File > Place. Sky Overlays are usually JPEG files and can come in an endless variety of styles from blue skies to storm clouds, and from sunsets to starry night skies.Īdding sky overlays to your photos allows you to dramatize boring or plain skies, creating a more visually appealing final image.ġ. If you’re not familiar, a sky overlay is an image file of a sky that you can insert and blend into your photo using Photoshop. Personally, I love that with Sky Overlays I can completely change the mood of an image simply by replacing a plain sky with one that’s more dramatic. One of my favorite ways to enhance my photos is to add a sky overlay. “As much as I adore taking pictures, the introvert in me has always secretly looked forward to the editing part of photography the most. Have you ever added a sky overlay to a photograph? The process can be both exciting and infuriating! Thankfully, my friend Morgan Burks is a Photoshop guru and has a simple step-by-step process for adding a gorgeous sky overlay to your photos ! Make sure you take notes and show us your finished results because I think you’re really going to like what she has to share! Between this and the liquify tool, you’re gonna have some fab tools up your pretty little sleeves!

Night sky overlay