Mike Kelley’s Ultimate Sky Library

Boring Skies Can Be Replaced!

Let’s face it: one of the most difficult challenges we battle as photographers is having the weather cooperate with us on the day of our shoot. You may be a full-time professional photographer, a part time photographer capturing weddings or just a beginner photographing landscapes for enjoyment. The perfect weather can make or break your final images. But what do you do when the sky in your photos is less than ideal or flat-out dismal? You can either reshoot the scene again if you have the funds, or you can choose to replace the sky with perfect clouds and sunshine.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to be a professional architectural photographer and fine art photographer. Mike Kelley shares his tips on how you can quickly replace boring skies in Photoshop with dramatic sunsets and clouds. With MikeYou will be able transform any cloudless blue sky to a beautiful, partially cloudy afternoon with’s guidance. Did rain or overcast skies ruin your whole week of shooting? It’s not a problem. Mike This tutorial will demonstrate how to blend soft sunsets and bright sunny afternoon skies into less-than-ideal final images.

The Raw Sky Library

Not only will you get nine video lessons with Mike This download will show you how to seamlessly add new skies to any photograph. But the best part is the raw sky library that we have included for your use in your own photography. Mike He has taken thousands images of the sky over his entire career. This stunning sky library features some of the most beautiful weather patterns from around the globe. It includes images from North America, Europe, Asia and New Zealand. We’ve taken all the files and filtered them down to the best and most useful 225 file. The entire sky library can be sorted by different times of the day and levels of cloud cover to provide a customized sky for any situation.

You will get over 200 high-resolution files for royalty-free use in your own work when you purchase this download. These images are arranged by cloud cover and time of day so you can easily find the sky that suits your needs. We have clear skies for you. Are you looking for dramatic sunsets It’s possible! You want peaceful, partly cloudy skies in the middle of the day? We have also included them. Since each of these sky photographs are between 24- 50 megapixels, not only do you have super-high-resolution files for your largest projects, but you can also crop, stretch, and zoom in on any section of the sky to make your composites even more unique. Best of all, when this tutorial is purchased through the Fstoppers store, you will receive a perpetual royalty-free license, so you can instantly begin using these sky replacement files in both personal and commercial work 100 percent legally!

What’s covered in the Lessons

Mike Kelley’s Ultimate Sky Library This is more than just a collection sky files. Nine lessons are included that will help you master sky replacements, regardless of your level. The first lesson will teach you how to replace a skyscraper. Mike This lesson will show you how to quickly get started with Photoshop masking. Each lesson will get more complex. Mike He begins to master some of the most difficult masking and blending techniques that he uses in his commercial and high-end architectural work. These lessons include all files necessary to be followed along. Mike Works through his Photoshop and Lightroom edits.

Below is an overview of some of the masking and blending tools. Mike This tutorial can be used for other purposes.

Lesson 1

Mike This lesson combines a background from Iceland with a sky from Charleston. It also teaches basic color-matching, masking, and other Photoshop techniques. This lesson will help you quickly blend skies while also teaching the basics of layer-masking.

Lesson 2

This lesson is for you. Mike Introduces the “blend if” mode and shows how it can save a lot of time when trying to mask out and replace a sky quickly with minimal effort. This chapter also discusses how to replace skies in portraiture or wedding photography.

Lesson 3

This lesson is more complex than it appears. Mike Explores the principles of channel masking. This lesson will be repeated several times. Mike Continues to improve and explore the finer techniques of masking to replace boring skies with complex Manhattan skylines.

Download it immediately Mike Kelley’s Ultimate Sky Library

Lesson 4

Mike This lesson combines several replacement techniques as he confronts a much more challenging situation. This lesson teaches you: Mike The pen tool is introduced and demonstrates how to make sky replacements more realistic with complex tree lines, reflections, translucent surfaces and reflective surfaces.

Lesson 5

This is a demonstration of how powerful sky substitutes can be in commercial work Mike Takes a dark, cloudy scene and turns it into a sunny, bright afternoon. This section helps photographers deal with difficult lighting conditions, while still producing the images clients are used to regardless of the weather.

Lesson 6

Find Chapter 6 Mike He challenged himself to create a JPEG from a blue, dull landscape and turn it into a stunning sunrise photo. This lesson will teach you. Mike This video shows you how to turn horizontal photos into vertical shots by expanding your canvas area and increasing the amount sky in the final composition.

Lessons 7-9

We wanted to finish the tutorial in the last sections. Mike You can mix it up. These three lessons will teach you how to mix it up. Mike To show you how he creates seamless sky replacements in commercial work, he edits three images from his portfolio. Although these lessons do not contain workalong files we hope that you will still be able take all the useful tips and tricks. Mike He has been a tutor throughout the tutorial, and he is able to apply them in his own work.

The purchase of this tutorial will get you the following:

• 3 Hours of Video Content (4K high-res videos)
• 9 Lessons
• 6 Files for Working Side-by-Side Mike
• 225 High Resolution Raw Files for Every Type of Sky
• Royalty-Free Licence to Use in Your Own Works

This tutorial covers topics

• Understanding Simple Masking
• Making and using Luminosity Masques
• Mastering Selections
• Creating Gradient Masks
• The Pen Tool is a great tool for creating precise masks
• Selections of Feathering & Fine-Tuning Masques
• The following instructions can be used: “Blend If” Photoshop Options
• Matching Lighting and Natural Replacement Skies
• Maintain Constant Color throughout a Sky Ersatz
• Combining Skies with Water, Reflective Surfaces, Translucent Material and Water
• How to use Color Filters to Tie Everything Together
• Realistic Masks for Complex Horizons and Trees