Overexposure

One Raw File, Zero Blown Highlights: The Lightroom HDR Trick That Saves Product Shots
Video Tutorials

One Raw File, Zero Blown Highlights: The Lightroom HDR Trick That Saves Product Shots

Product photography doesn’t forgive blown highlights. When a client is paying you to show off their product, “you can kind of see the shape of it” is not an acceptable answer. I ran into this exact wall early on, shooting press photos for my band on a budget that left exactly zero dollars for a professional photographer. One overexposed candle top, one blown-out guitarist’s shirt, same problem: the detail is gone, and the client (or bandmate) is unhappy.

How to Fix Overexposed Photos in Lightroom
Lightroom

How to Fix Overexposed Photos in Lightroom

You review your photos after a shoot and several are overexposed — the sky is white, skin looks washed out, and details have disappeared into blown highlights. Before you delete them, try these recovery techniques. Modern raw files contain far more highlight information than what’s visible at default settings. Step 1: Assess the Damage First, turn on the highlight clipping indicator by pressing J in the Develop module (or clicking the triangle in the top-right corner of the histogram).