How to Use Sky Replacement in PhotoDirector

Q: Can I use a sky from my own photo?

Yes. Collapse Default in the sky list, then click + next to Imported and choose a photo of a sky. It's listed under Imported after that.

Q: How do I keep the new sky off a building?

Click the Brush erase tool under Select a brush and paint over that part of the pink mask. Fit to edges keeps the stroke to areas like the one you paint. Then click Apply .

Q: Why do some skies show a download icon?

Skies in the Sky pack lists download the first time you click them. The skies under Default have no icon.

Swap a dull, gray sky for a sunset or a clear blue one that suits the scene.

Updated Nov. 12, 2026 · 3 min read

In a hurry? Use the Sky Replacement quick guide instead.

PhotoDirector's Sky Replacement finds the sky in your photo and swaps in a new one, from a built-in template or a photo of your own. Use it when a gray, overcast sky flattens a travel or street shot. Sliders then match the new sky's light and color to the land below.

BEFORE

A curving street of stone buildings with lampposts under a flat, gray, overcast sky — The original: a flat, overcast sky.

AFTER

The same street under an orange sunset sky with a bright sun, the buildings lit in warmer light — A sunset sky, warmed with Temperature.

⚡ Quick Answer: How to Use Sky Replacement in 5 Steps

In PhotoDirector, choose Guided & GenAI, open your photo, and click Cutout/Background > Sky Replacement.
Click a sky in the list to replace the sky in your photo.
Under Settings, adjust Feather, Horizon, and Land ambient.
Click the compare button below the photo to check Before and After.
Click Export at the top and save the photo as a PNG, JPG, or TIF file.

Steps to Replace a Sky in PhotoDirector

Step 1: Open Sky Replacement

From the PhotoDirector launcher, choose Guided & GenAI.

The PhotoDirector launcher with Guided and GenAI highlighted — Guided & GenAI, from the launcher.

Click Open above the canvas and choose From Local Drive to bring in your photo.

The Open menu above the empty canvas, with Open and From Local Drive highlighted — Open > From Local Drive brings in your photo.

Click Cutout/Background at the bottom of the rail on the left, then click Sky Replacement.

A street photo on the canvas, with Cutout/Background in the rail and Sky Replacement in its list highlighted — Cutout/Background, then Sky Replacement.

Step 2: Pick a New Sky

Click a sky under Default, and it replaces the sky in your photo on the canvas right away. This example uses 06, a sunset.

Sky template 06 highlighted in the Default list, with the street now under a pink sunset sky and a bright sun — Click a sky to try it on your photo.

Browse the Sky Packs

Scroll down the list for more skies, sorted into Sky pack Vol.1 to Sky pack Vol.9. Click a pack's name to open it.

The sky list scrolled down to Sky pack Vol.1 through Sky pack Vol.9, highlighted — Nine sky packs below the Default skies.

Skies in a pack show a download icon. The sky downloads the first time you click it.

Sky pack Vol.1 opened, with its name and the download icons on two of its skies highlighted — A download icon marks a sky to download.

Save Favorites or Use Your Own Sky

To keep a sky close at hand, right-click it and choose Add to My Favorites.

The right-click menu on sky template 06, with Add to My Favorites highlighted — Right-click a sky to add it to My Favorites.

Click Default to collapse it, and My Favorites and Imported appear below it. To use the sky from one of your own photos, click + next to Imported and import a photo of a sky. Your imported skies are listed under Imported.

The sky list with Default collapsed, and Default, My Favorites, and the plus button next to Imported highlighted, with the tooltip Import a photo of a sky — Collapse Default to reach My Favorites and Imported.

Step 3: Blend the New Sky

Scroll down the panel to Settings and drag the sliders until the new sky sits naturally in the scene.

The Settings section with the Feather, Horizon, and Land ambient sliders highlighted — Feather, Horizon, and Land ambient.

Setting	What it does
Feather	Softens the edge where the new sky meets the rest of the photo. Raise it when the skyline looks cut out.
Horizon	Moves the horizon of the new sky. Use it to line the sky up with the rooftops or the land.
Land ambient	Tints the land with the colors of the new sky. Drag right for a warmer or bolder match, or left to keep the original colors.

This example keeps the defaults: Feather 0, Horizon 0, and Land ambient 30.

Resize or Move the Sky

Check Enable sky resize/movement. The canvas zooms out and shows a frame around the whole sky. Drag inside the frame to move the sky, or drag its nodes to resize it.

Enable sky resize/movement checked and highlighted, with the canvas zoomed out to show the sky frame and its resize nodes, also highlighted — Drag the frame or its nodes to place the sky.

Fine-Tune the Look of the Sky

Check Apply advanced sky settings to turn on more sliders.

Apply advanced sky settings checked, with the Glow, Edge, Temperature, Exposure, Fade, and Defocus sliders and Flip sky horizontally highlighted — The advanced sliders turn on with the checkbox.

Setting	What it does
Glow	Adds an HDR glow, or halo, along high-contrast edges.
Edge	Adds an HDR edge effect along high-contrast edges.
Temperature	Makes the light warmer (right) or cooler (left).
Exposure	Darkens (left) or lightens (right) the colors.
Fade	Changes the opacity of the new sky, so more of the original shows through.
Defocus	Blurs the new sky, for a photo with a soft background.
Flip sky horizontally	Mirrors the new sky, for example to move the sun to the other side.

This example sets Temperature to 34 for warmer, golden light on the buildings.

The Temperature slider set to 34 and highlighted, with the street in warmer orange light — Temperature 34 warms the whole scene.

Refine the Sky Mask With the Brush

To refine where the new sky goes, use the brushes under Select a brush: the Brush tool adds areas to the sky mask, and the Brush erase tool takes areas out of it. The mask shows in pink.

The Brush tool and Brush erase tool, the Brush Size, Feather, and Fit to edges settings, and the Apply and Cancel buttons highlighted, with the sky mask shown in pink — The pink area is the sky the tool found.

Set Brush Size and Feather, and check Fit to edges to keep your strokes to areas like the one you paint. Paint over the photo, then click Apply, or Cancel to back out.

Step 4: Compare Before and After

Click the Compare before/after button below the canvas. Before and After show side by side, so you can check the edges along the rooftops.

The compare button below the canvas and the Before and After labels highlighted, with the gray-sky original beside the sunset version — The original and the new sky, side by side.

To start over, click Clear at the bottom of the panel. The original sky comes back and the sliders reset.

The Clear button highlighted at the bottom of the Sky Replacement panel, with the original gray sky back on the canvas — Clear brings back the original sky.

Step 5: Export the Photo

Click Export at the top of the window. A Save As window opens, where you name the file and save it as a PNG, JPG, or TIF file.

The street under the warmed sunset sky, with the Export button highlighted at the top of the window — Export saves the photo with its new sky.

We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.

Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Give travel and street photos a clear blue sky or a warm sunset.

Download PhotoDirector Free →

FAQ About Sky Replacement

1. Can I use a sky from my own photo?

Yes. Collapse Default in the sky list, then click + next to Imported and choose a photo of a sky. It's listed under Imported after that.

2. How do I keep the new sky off a building?

Click the Brush erase tool under Select a brush and paint over that part of the pink mask. Fit to edges keeps the stroke to areas like the one you paint. Then click Apply.

3. Why do some skies show a download icon?

Skies in the Sky pack lists download the first time you click them. The skies under Default have no icon.