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Last Updated:
Jan 20th, 2007 - 12:55:03 |
Open the image and duplicate to protect the original. Image > Duplicate
The first task is to create a history point – this will allow you to paint back the original image in any areas that may be accidentally erased.
Double click the photo layer (background) to turn it in to an editable layer.
In the History Palette, click the box next to Make Layer, to set the history point.
Select the Background Eraser tool from the tools palette.
From the Tool Options Bar, choose Sample: Once, choose Limits: Discontigous begin with a Tolerance of about 60% however this may need adjustment, so experiment to find the best setting for your image. Ensure Protect Foreground is Color is checked. Choose a hard brush size that suits.
Hold Alt (Option) and click on a part of the image you wish to protect. Choosing a darker part of the area you wish to protect seems to get better results. (While the target cursor is shown here it will show as an eyedropper)
Then simply begin erasing the area of sky. Click on an area of the sky that is not affected by other details.
This samples the color you wish to erase, then hold down the left mouse button and drag to erase.
The results my look a little odd, but as long as the sky is not leaving behind visible fringing it is fine at this stage.
Each time you release the mouse button and then click to begin again you are resampling the color you are erasing, in this image the deep sky actually has a slight graduation so its important that if I release the mouse button, I resample on the color I am erasing, as such this image required four resampling’s of the sky shown below by the four transparent areas.
Zoom in as necessary to concentrate on particular areas where fringing may remain. In this instance the bottom right hand corner had lighter areas fringing the building and trees which required reducing the brush size and sampling from a very small area.
Zoomed to 100% a faint color tint may become apparent in some areas where the sky was not sampled correctly or have been missed.
Create a new layer and fill with white. Drag the white layer beneath the image. Erase by resampling or some areas may be suited to erasing with the Eraser tool.
You may also find that some areas you wanted to keep have been erased. To bring those areas back select the History brush (Keyboard: Y), adjust brush options as needed and paint over the area. The area of the original image for which we set the history point, will be painted back in.
Now you can insert your new sky.
When zoomed in you can see how the image blends with the sky.
If there are some areas of branches for example that seem incomplete, or too light use the burn tool to recover or improve detail.
Below is the final image, with its new sky.
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