Ylivalottaa

Ylivalottaa is a Finnish verb meaning to overexpose an image, most often in photography or filmmaking, by allowing more light to reach the sensor or film than the scene requires. The related noun forms, ylivalottuminen or ylivalottaminen, refer to the state or act of overexposure. The term combines yli- (over) with valottaa (to illuminate).

In photography, ylivalottuminen yields washed-out highlights, reduced detail in bright areas, and lowered contrast. It commonly results from metering the scene as too bright, using long shutter speeds in bright light, high ISO settings, or applying exposure compensation beyond the tonal range of the medium. Overexposed areas may clip, losing texture and color information.

Prevention and correction involve balancing exposure: adjust exposure compensation, use appropriate metering modes, shoot in RAW to preserve dynamic range, and consider bracketing or shorter exposures. When overexposure has occurred, highlight recovery in post-processing can help but is limited by the degree of clipping.

In Finnish photographic discourse, ylivalottaa is a standard term used in manuals, critiques, and education to describe a common exposure fault. It is often discussed alongside underexposure and properly exposed images.

Related concepts include exposure, histogram, dynamic range, and highlight clipping.