It’s always a tricky thing when there is a very bright element in the frame. The dynamic range of most (if not all) image sensors used in DSLR’s struggles with enough latitude to cope.

One strategy is to use a graduated ND filter to darken the sky before the shot is taken. This gives the sensor more even brightness values across the frame. It really only works in shots that you have time to set up though as you probably won’t shoot all the time with a graduated filter on.

Another is to use auto bracketing and shoot a sequence at different exposures (say 3 images, one at metered value and one each half a stop above and below) and try processing the different exposures to see which works best.

With the bracketed sequence you can also use software to combine them as an HDR image. I find HDR overdone these days but it can work if used judiciously.

Other than that, expose the sky if it is not too much brighter and hope that the RAW files have enough shadow detail to pull the darker parts of the images up.

Dial in some exposure compensation too and see how it works.

There are many other alternatives - one of which is that you sometimes just cannot get the shot with the gear you have with you that day without blowing the highlights somewhere in the frame. If you see the Loch Ness Monster with Bigfoot riding it, no one will care!

Once you have an over exposed part of an image, you can only hope that you shot it in raw format and there there is enough data somewhere in that bright area to recover.

Give the Recovery slider and good push and see how much, if any, of that blown area is recoverable. If you’re luck, and there’s enough there, maybe even a little on the Highlights slider. Tweak the Shadows slider to get some light back into the underexposed parts.

If you still have an image worth saving at that point, you may want a little of the Mid Contrast slider, too.

If all that fails, you may have to take what you get or just trash the file.

Bob