Overexposed

Overexposed refers to a state in which an image has captured more light than the recording medium can register properly. In digital photography, this manifests as clipping in the bright areas where detail is lost and the highlights appear as pure white. In film, overexposure can lead to fogging, reduced contrast, and a washed-out appearance in the affected regions. The term is most commonly used in photography, though it can also describe episodes of excessive light exposure in other imaging contexts.

Causes of overexposure include using too long a shutter speed, a wide aperture, or a high ISO for the lighting conditions; incorrect metering, especially in scenes with strong backlight; and rapid lighting changes. Bright scenes, high dynamic range subjects, or priority modes that favor brightness can also lead to overexposed results. Modern cameras may warn about blown highlights or display a histogram indicating clipping.

Prevention and correction involve adjusting exposure settings and employing workflow techniques. Use exposure compensation to reduce light capture, especially in bright landscapes; shoot in RAW to preserve more data for recovery; check the histogram and aim to avoid clipping. Techniques such as bracketing, using a smaller aperture, longer shutter, or lower ISO can help. For landscapes, graduated neutral density filters or / and HDR processing can balance highlights and shadows. In post-processing, highlight recovery is possible to a degree on RAW files, but clipped regions are often unrecoverable, and color accuracy may be affected.

In broader usage, overexposed can describe individuals or media contexts subjected to excessive illumination or exposure, potentially leading to fatigue or desensitization.