The Basics of AI Sky Replacement and Best Use Cases

What is Sky Replacement?
1. The Technical Aspects of Sky Replacement in Photoshop
When and Where to Use Sky Replacement?
How to Replace the Sky in Photos and Videos?
1. A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Filmora's AI Portrait Cutout Feature
2. A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Filmora's AI Smart Cutout Feature

Understanding Sky Replacement

For anyone looking to quickly change the mood of a travel photo or make the background a bit more vibrant, sky replacement is an excellent option. You can access this feature in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, and we will go into more detail about its uses, benefits, and limitations, as well as what the future holds for this technology.

The latest versions of popular image editing software have various useful AI-powered tools to help speed up the editing process, and a sky replacer is one of the most useful ones. It allows you to quickly change a dim, gloomy sky into a clear blue one with a few fluffy clouds to add a more positive tone to the whole composition.

Definition

AI sky replacement is a fairly quick process in which the program you use automatically identifies the area where the sky is visible, sets the boundaries to separate it from the rest of the photo, and allows you to edit the final selection.

It will also have a menu where you can choose a replacement from several different options, or upload another image of a sky that you prefer, and apply it to your original image within a couple of clicks. It may take a few moments for the software to process this change and add the new sky.

Now that you understand the basic concept, let's go over some of the more technical details involved.

The Technical Aspects of Sky Replacement in Photoshop

While some of the more advanced details are too complex to cover here, there are a few fundamental points you need to know.

The Core Technologies Used in Lightroom Sky Replacement

A custom AI tech called Adobe Sensei uses the Automatic Sky Detection and Content Awareness features to create a highly precise mask and allow proper blending.

The Key Innovations Introduced when Changing the Sky in Photoshop

There are several important points that make this technology work so well:

● Machine Learning
● AI Masking
● Realistic Lighting and Color Adjustments

These allow the AI to quickly recognize crucial patterns based on a large dataset of images with a visible sky, focus on just this area of the image, and make everything blend together better by matching the lighting and color scheme of the new sky to the rest of the image.

The Current State of AI Sky Replacement

The technology has become quite popular, with better algorithms offering more realistic results and large image libraries giving users a chance to choose from many unique skies.

When and Where to Use Sky Replacement?

Some important considerations are involved when using this feature, from its common applications to its limitations and future potential.

Real-World Applications for Sky Replacement Technology

While the possibilities are only limited by the user's needs and imagination, this tech is most widely used in three main categories of content.

Real Estate Photos and Videos

Selling a house is all about helping potential buyers imagine themselves in a new location and a different lifestyle. You also want to make the property's strong points shine. If the pictures or the property show a cloudy or grey sky, and everything looks dark and moody, it can drive people away.
Adding a bit of warmth and color makes it easier for people to see a house as their new home.

Travel Vlogs and Videos

People tune in to watch travel videos because they either want to get a feel for a location they want to visit or as a form of escapism into a wonderful new place that they can't yet afford to explore on their own.
A beautiful sunny sky with well-lit city streets or incredible beaches really puts everyone in the mood for travel, but shooting on location can't always guarantee the clearest skies.

Professional Movies and Series

There is so much that goes into setting the proper tone for each scene, or achieving a uniform overarching feel throughout a movie or TV show. Different camera lenses and filters go a long way, but the time directors have to shoot on location is incredibly limited, and the wrong weather can dramatically derail a production.
Adding a sunny and cheerful or a gloomy and dark atmosphere in post production is a much easier and cost-effective approach.

So, are there any downsides to using a sky replacer tool?

Let's Consider the Top Limitations and Challenges of AI Sky Replacement

It is generally a useful technology, but you may encounter the following issues in some cases.

Improper Edge Detection

The AI algorithm generally does a good job of separating just the sky from the rest of the image, but sometimes the color schemes can be similar, or there may be complex shapes on the borders with dark shadows blurring the exact borders. In these cases, the edges won't be as precise, and you may need to clean up after the tool has finished its part.

Color and Lighting Mismatches

This tech still has room for improvement, and it can definitely have trouble seamlessly blending a new sky with the rest of the photo if there is a big difference in lighting and colors. Having a super bright blue sky above a dark and greyish skyline would really look out of place.

Inconsistent Performance

If you use this feature to edit a batch of pictures, you can notice a difference in quality between different ones. On some, the new sky will blend in perfectly with the rest, and the lighting will look just right, while there will be different degrees of mismatch on others. This inconsistency is something that the developers will have to iron out in upcoming versions.

There are certainly a few drawbacks here, so let's look at what the future holds.

What is the Future of Sky Replacement?

The main cause of all the limitations we've mentioned is that AI simply isn't fully developed. However, with machine learning applied to larger sample sizes and the algorithms perfected, you can expect to see consistently better results in the next few years.

Developers are working on several major advancements, including more precise color and lighting matching and effects like reflections on water, glass, and other surfaces.

You now have a good understanding of how this technology works and where it is headed, so let's review some practical examples.

How to Replace the Sky in Photos and Videos?

Adobe software can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, so you might want to look at user-friendly alternatives like Wondershare Filmora. It is a competent video and image editor, with lots of useful AI features that you can apply in seconds.

For example, the two main ones that will help you with sky replacement are the Auto Portrait Cutout and the Smart Cutout.

The first one uses AI to identify a person in the photo, create a precise outline around them, and cut them out of the image. This leaves you with just your subject on a black background, which you can then add to any other image you want.

The second feature gives you more control over which parts you want to keep. Just trace a line, and you can adjust the thickness over the objects you don't want to remove. The software will automatically grow the selection to reach the edges of the objects. When you are ready, just tap a button and you get a perfect cutout.

Here's what it all looks like in Filmora.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Filmora's AI Portrait Cutout Feature

This process is quite efficient and requires little work on your part. Just follow these steps:

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Step 1

Download and install Filmora, then open it and go to the Toolbox in the main menu. Scroll down and click on AI Portrait Cutout, then select the image you want to edit from your computer.

Step 2

Go to Import Media to add a picture with a clear sky in the background, then drag it to the timeline, and make sure to place the cutout above the new background.

Step 3

Adjust the size of the person to fit in with the background by clicking on the dots in the rectangular outline and moving the cursor. Finish by saving the image.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Filmora's AI Smart Cutout Feature

This option is a better fit if you want to replace the sky in a photo of a city skyline or similar large compositions. Here's how to do it:

Step 1

Run the app and start a New Project, then Import Media to add the skyline and the sky you want to use. Drag the picture to the timeline and go to Image > AI Tools, enable Smart Cutout, and click on the big button to begin.

Step 2

Adjust the Brush Size and Edge Thickness, then click and hold while you run the cursor over the parts you want to remove, e.g., the sky. There is an Eraser tool you can use if you make a mistake, then just click Save when you're done.

Step 3

Drag the new sky to the timeline and place the cutout above it. You can adjust the position and then click the little Camera Icon to take a snapshot and save the new image or Export to save it as a video file.