highlightscrushed

highlightscrushed is a term that refers to a visual artifact that can occur in digital images and videos. It happens when the brightest parts of an image are pushed beyond their maximum representable value, resulting in a loss of detail in those areas. Instead of a smooth transition to white, the brightest areas become a flat, blown-out white or a stark, undifferentiated color. This is similar to overexposing a photograph, where the sky might appear completely white with no cloud detail.

This artifact can be caused by several factors during image or video capture and processing. Aggressive contrast enhancement, improper white balance adjustments, or limitations in the dynamic range of the camera sensor can all contribute to highlight crushing. In video, it can also occur during compression if the encoding process struggles to represent the full range of brightness values.

The appearance of highlight crushing is typically characterized by a sharp cutoff in the tonal range. Instead of a gradual fade to white, there is an abrupt transition. This can make the image look unnatural and detract from its overall aesthetic quality. While sometimes intentional for stylistic effect, it is more often an undesirable outcome that indicates a loss of information. Techniques to mitigate highlight crushing include using cameras with a wider dynamic range, carefully managing exposure settings, and employing post-processing tools that can attempt to recover some of the lost detail or smooth out the harsh transitions.