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How to Fix an Overexposed Photo

5 min read
Quick Answer

To fix an overexposed photo, upload it to EditThisPic and describe the problem: 'fix the overexposure' or 'recover the blown-out sky.' The AI reduces brightness, restores highlight detail, and rebalances the tones across the image. Free, no signup required.

Rescue Washed Out Photos in Seconds

Overexposure happens when too much light hits the sensor—bright skies turn white, skin looks pale, and details vanish into blown highlights. Instead of reshooting, AI can pull back the brightness and recover detail you thought was gone.

How AI Fixes Overexposure

EditThisPic's AI analyzes the brightness distribution across your image. It identifies areas where highlights are clipped—pure white regions with no detail—and reconstructs texture and color based on surrounding information. Shadows and midtones are rebalanced so the final result looks natural, not just darkened.

Common Causes of Overexposure

  • Shooting in bright sunlight without adjusting exposure
  • Camera metering fooled by backlighting or snow
  • Flash too powerful for the distance to subject
  • Phone camera auto-exposure overcompensating for dark backgrounds
  • Shooting through windows with strong light behind the subject

What AI Can Recover

AI works best when highlights are clipped but not completely blown. A washed-out sky with faint cloud shapes can be fully restored. A face that looks too bright will regain skin tone and texture. Completely white areas with zero information are harder—the AI fills in plausible detail but can't recover what was never recorded.

Tips for Best Results

Be specific about what needs fixing: 'recover the sky detail' or 'bring back the skin tones in the face.' If the whole photo is washed out, try 'fix the overexposure and restore natural colors.' For partial overexposure (bright window in an otherwise fine room), describe the area: 'fix only the window area.'

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Upload Your Overexposed Photo

Drop your image into EditThisPic. JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 7MB. Even heavily washed-out photos are worth trying.

2

Describe the Exposure Problem

Type what you see: 'fix the overexposed sky' or 'the whole photo is too bright and washed out, fix the exposure.' Mention specific areas if only part of the image is affected.

3

Review the Correction

Check that highlights are recovered, colors look natural, and the image isn't overcorrected into darkness. Use the before/after slider to compare.

4

Refine If Needed

If the fix is too subtle, try 'make it darker, the highlights are still blown.' If overcorrected, ask to 'brighten the shadows slightly while keeping the highlight recovery.'

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Upload the photo to EditThisPic and describe the issue. The AI recovers highlight detail, restores color, and rebalances brightness. Results depend on how severely the image was overexposed—partially clipped highlights recover better than completely white areas.
They're closely related. Overexposure means too much light hit the sensor, causing bright areas to lose detail. A washed-out look is the visual result—low contrast, pale colors, and white highlights. The AI fix addresses both by recovering detail and restoring contrast.
If the sky has any faint detail (subtle clouds or color gradients), AI can often bring it back. If the sky is pure white with zero information, the AI will generate plausible sky detail, but it's reconstructed rather than recovered from the original data.
The AI targets only the overexposed regions, not the entire image. Shadows and well-exposed areas stay the same. If the result looks too dark, ask to 'lighten the shadows while keeping the highlight fix.'
Describe the specific area: 'fix the overexposed sky but keep the foreground as is' or 'recover the detail in the window without darkening the room.' You can also tap a marker on the bright area before describing the fix.
EditThisPic offers free edits with no signup required. Upload your overexposed photo and fix it right now.

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