exposure - What is the best way to handle overexposed sky in post-processing?

I'm new at photography and I have taken some pictures where the subjects in the foreground are exposed correctly but the sky is very overexposed. What is the best way to handle it in post production?

(I have pictures in RAW format.)

Answer

I use Apple Aperture, and this is my normal way of dealing with an overexposed sky (or anything overexposed for that matter)

1. Turn on overexposure highlights (option-shift-h), to show where detail is lost to overexposure


2. Turn up the "Recovery" slider in the "Exposure" plug-in, until no overexposure is shown (or until the slider is at max). Recovery will bring down the exposure of overexposed bits of the photo.


3. Turn up the "Highlights" slider in the "Highlights & Shadows" plug-in until the image is visually pleasing (you get the details you are looking for, e.g. interesting cloud formations)


4. Adjust the the Levels.