We all love a wonderful landscape under a wonderful sky. Clouds, sunlight, rays and colors are often preferred over a plain and dull sky. But sometimes, nature doesn’t show us the things we love to see, something that can frustrate us if we can’t go back a second time. Is there a solution?
Almost any landscape photo can be profited from a beautiful sky. If the sky wasn’t filled with wonderfully formed clouds, lovely sunlight and rays, and tantalizing colors, we wouldn’t normally be happy. So we scrutinize our applications to choose the best times and circumstances to increase our chances of getting the best sky possible.
We set alarms hours before dawn to be on time in the right place. Or we stay up late to catch the last light of the day. We look at humidity to predict the possibility of light fog on the ground, or we look at cloud cover at certain altitudes.
No matter what we do to select the best moments for the perfect sky, mother nature will still surprise us. The clouds dissipate just before sunset, or a thick layer of clouds obscures the sunrise. Despite all the applications, it’s not always predictable.
This is also a blessing, as it means we often end up in great locations with all sorts of lights. It prevents us from shooting the same landscape and sky as other people. Also, if the situation is not to our liking, we can always return another day. Well, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, we can’t go back so easily.
Come back when the light is better, unless you can’t
No matter how much we prepare to achieve the landscape photo we have in mind, it is likely that it will not turn out the way we want it to. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work out, because you can come back another time. It also has a benefit, because you learn how light and season change the landscape you want to photograph.
If the scenery is nearby or within an hour of traveling by car, returning is no problem. Just go and see how the world is. But if the distance is more than a few hours by car, the situation is completely different. While you could theoretically roll back, it takes some planning and determination.
What if you’re on a guided photo tour? In that case, the chance of returning to that particular landscape is almost impossible. There is a travel schedule that you must follow. It means you are in the particular landscape at that time, no matter what the weather situation. You only have one chance to shoot at that location.
This also applies if you are on vacation. You’ll probably be in one location for a few weeks. This will allow you to roll back, but usually within limits. If the weather is stable, it may not change much during your stay. Maybe another season will be better. In other words, it’s not always possible to roll back at the best of times.
Solution one: Use Sky Replacement
If the sky is boring, just use a sky replacement tool. Software like Photoshop offers an easy and quick way to change the sky into something more interesting. Luminar is another one, as you probably know, as it is something they advertise a lot. Just press a button, choose one of the available skies and you’re done. You can even buy new sky packs or use your own.
Sky replacement results from Luminar AI. It looks nice at first but realizes it’s the sky of Luminar immediately And the lighting doesn’t match at all. It is clearly a fake.
While it seems like a great solution, I don’t like it one bit. This is just photo manipulation, has nothing to do with photography. It mimics a light situation, but a keen eye will see it as unreal. While masking is advanced, it is often imperfect, and the direction of light is often not suitable for that. But most of all, the sky used is often seen in other images, meaning the sky replacement will become apparent. In short, I don’t think replacing the sky is a good solution at all.
Second solution: Don’t capture the whole sky
If you don’t like the sky, why use it in the frame? I never take pictures of things I don’t like. If I don’t want a subject in my landscape, I try to avoid it. If I don’t want an ugly tree or bush in the frame, I change my composition. If the sky is boring and it adds nothing to the photo, why have it in the frame?
There is no rule that says you must have the sky in your landscape photos. Landscapes without sky are also possible. They may look different, but that’s their beauty. You will have a completely different landscape photo. Use elements in the landscape, and you’ll probably have a unique shot of that spot.
Third solution: Use natural windows
It will require a lot of your creativity, but that’s what makes photography so fun. But be aware, it won’t work for every landscape.
You must view a photograph as a two-dimensional display of a three-dimensional world. There is no depth in a photograph, only the illusion of depth. If you manage to view an image in two dimensions, you will notice how the frame is composed of planes, one of which is the sky. If the sky were dull, this plane wouldn’t even have a lot of detail. Why not fill it out with details?
If the plane is occupied by the sky without details, you can add something – like a tree branch. Or you can use the shadow of the foreground. It is possible to make a type of window and display the landscape through that window.
You can go a step further and use black and white to make it more artistic. Don’t get me wrong, black and white is absolutely not the way to make a dull photo more interesting. Use black and white intentionally to achieve a certain feel to the photo.
By adding elements in the plane occupied by the sky, you can create a great landscape photo under a dull sky. This may be harder in certain landscapes than others, but you should give it a try. You will discover that it is possible to take great landscape photos in any possible light and weather situation.
Do You Have Another Idea For A Boring Sky Landscape Photo?
I offer two solutions for capturing landscapes under dull skies. I don’t consider replacing the sky a good solution, but I mentioned it. Do you have any other ideas for great landscape shots when the sky isn’t as interesting? Please share it in the comments below.
