Step By step Replace a dull sky

Drop in a new sky using selections and masks, then add a reflection to the sand

01 Select the Sky

Open pier_before01 and 02 into Photoshop Elements and go to the pier image. Grab the Quick Selection tool and paint over the sky, then zoom in close to check the edges. Hold Alt and paint to subtract from the selection in any places where it has gone wrong.

03 Drag in the Sky

Go to the Layers panel and highlight the layer mask thumbnail attached to the layer, then hit Cmd/ctrl+i to invert it. Next go to the sunset image. Grab the Move tool, then drag the sunset up to the tab of the other image and down into its window to copy over.

05 Make a reflection

Highlight the sky layer, hit Cmd/ctrl+j to duplicate, and drag the duplicate to the top of the stack. Go to Image>rotate>flip Layer Vertical, then Filter>blur> Gaussian Blur, set Radius 30 and hit OK. Change the layer blending mode from Normal to Overlay.

02 improve the edges

Go to Select>refine Edge. This lets us improve the selection. First increase Radius to about 5, then zoom in close and paint over any details that have been missed out, like the railings around the building here. Once done, set Output to: Layer Mask and hit OK.

04 Position the layers

Go to the Layers panel and drag the sunset layer below the pier layer so that the sky sits behind the cut-out shape of the land. Use the Move tool to reposition the layer until it looks right. If you need to resize or rotate it, hit Cmd/ctrl+t to transform.

06 Paint a Mask

Lower the layer opacity to 50%. Hold Alt and click the Add Layer Mask icon in the Layers panel to add a full black mask that hides the layer, then grab the Brush tool, set colour to white and paint using a soft-edged brush tip to reveal the reflection over the water.