ON1 Sky Swap

Even with a good camera or a technologically advanced phone, it might sometimes be a struggle to get that Instagrammable look you are searching for in a photo. Capturing the sky is surely a challenge, especially during nighttime, at dawn or at sunset, when a perfect balance is required between exposure, shutter speed and the position of the horizon line.

But even if your sky photo did not turn out as great as you would like it to be, there are applications that can help you completely transform your photo and make it look really attractive and interesting. Sky Swap AI uses the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to create or apply high-quality sky masks that turn a dull photo into an impressive one.

Before anything else, it is important to mention that OpenGL 3.3 and later is required for this application to start, so have a look at the minimum requirements to make sure your PC meets the demands. Once the application starts, you are required to load a photo, but note that you can use the sample images to test its capabilities and learn how everything works.

Sky Swap AI displays a large preview area cleverly surrounded by all the tools and editing options. The right-side panel includes the generous collection of sky masks that come with the application, including night skies, storm clouds, sunsets and sunrises, cloudy day skies, Aurora or dramatic skies, and more. Many of the available presets are provided by OcuDrone, known for its ultra-high resolution aerial images. Alternatively, it is also possible to import your own sky masks.  The preview area is updated as soon as you select the desired mask. The original and the modified photos can be placed side by side for a quick comparison.

Sky Swap AI automatically detects the sky in your photo and applies the chosen sky mask in the best way possible. However, it also allows you to experiment with a few other parameters, giving you the freedom to enhance your photo down to the last detail. It is possible to shift the horizon line, adjust the opacity of the overlayed sky mask, shift or fade edges, or change the scale.

The sky's brightness, haze, blur level or warmth can also be tampered with, which enables you to blend into the existing sky instead of simply replacing it. Preserving the realistic look is possible thanks to the editing tools for the foreground tone and color, as well as the water reflections that Sky Swap AI can add.   Your final project can be cropped to the desired dimensions, while unwanted elements in the photo can be easily removed thanks to the refining and retouching tools.

Sky Swap AI is available both as a standalone application and a plugin for video editing suites such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Corel Paintshop Pro or Affinity Photo. With amazingly beautiful sky images that come along with the application, it is surely more than you need to modify a boring sky photo into a jaw-dropping scenery.