Highlights

Highlights are the parts of a subject or scene that are especially noticeable, important, or illuminated. The term operates as both a noun and a verb and is widely used across fields such as photography, film, sports, journalism, and personal grooming. The idea is to draw attention to something by making it lighter, brighter, or otherwise prominent. In practice, highlights can refer to literal light areas as well as figurative standout moments.

In media and sports, highlights denote the most notable moments of an event, competition, or performance. A highlights reel or montage compiles selected clips for quick viewing, while a written summary lists key turning points or achievements. In journalism and business, highlights are concise bullet points that emphasize findings, results, or discoveries.

In photography and visual arts, highlights are the brightest areas of an image where light hits most directly. Proper handling of highlights is central to exposure, dynamic range, and tone mapping; clipped highlights lose detail. Post-production tools often allow highlighting recovery, color grading, and tonal adjustment to preserve or emphasize these regions.

In hairstyling, highlights refer to lighter strands integrated into the base color to create depth and contrast. Techniques include foiling, balayage, and global color adjustments. The term can also describe important features in a report or presentation, such as a list of key takeaways or achievements.