# How to Fix Overexposed Photos in Image 2 in Seconds
## Recover Blown-Out Highlights Instantly
**Use the “Recover Highlights” slider first.**
Drag the Recover Highlights slider in the Light panel to the right until the brightest areas regain texture. Start at 30% and adjust in 5% increments to avoid gray mush.
**Enable the highlight clipping warning.**
Press U on your keyboard to toggle the red overlay—anything glowing red is irretrievably blown. If more than 10% of your Image 2 flashes red, switch to RAW recovery mode immediately.
**Apply a graduated filter to the sky.**
Select the Graduated Filter tool (G), set Exposure to -1.2, and drag from the top of the frame downward. Feather the edge at 50% to blend the fix naturally into the horizon.
## Rescue Midtone Detail Without Mud
**Boost the Whites slider before touching Exposure.**
In the Light panel, nudge the Whites slider to +20 to lift midtone contrast without re-blowing highlights. Watch the histogram—stop when the right mountain just touches the edge.
**Use the Tone Curve’s “Medium Contrast” preset.**
Click the Tone Curve icon, choose Medium Contrast from the presets, then manually lower the top-right point by 10% to flatten the curve’s shoulder. This compresses highlights while preserving shadows.
**Paint with the Adjustment Brush at 20% flow.**
Select the Adjustment Brush (K), set Exposure to -0.8, Flow to 20, and paint over hot spots on faces or fabrics. Build up the effect gradually to avoid flat, painted-on corrections.
## Lock in Natural Color and Grain
**Desaturate only the brightest areas.**
Open the Color panel, click the Target Adjustment tool (T), then drag upward on the brightest pixels to reduce saturation by 15-20%. This prevents neon halos around clouds or white shirts.
**Add grain to hide banding in recovered highlights.**
In the Effects panel, set Grain Amount to 15, Size to 25, and Roughness to 50. This breaks up posterization in skies or studio backdrops that were pushed too far.
**Use the HSL panel to shift reds into oranges.**
In the HSL/Color tab, lower the Red Hue slider to -10 and increase Red Saturation to +15. This keeps skin tones warm while cooling down overexposed brick walls or sunset skies.
**Apply a subtle vignette to refocus attention.**
In the Effects panel, set Post-Crop Vignetting Amount to -10 and Midpoint to 30. This darkens the edges just enough to draw the eye back to the properly exposed subject.
**Sync settings across a burst sequence.**
Select all similar overexposed shots in the filmstrip, click Sync, check only Light and Color adjustments, then hit Synchronize. This ensures consistent exposure across 10+ frames in one click.
**Export as 16-bit TIFF for final polish.**
When exporting, choose 16-bit TIFF, sRGB, and sharpening set to Screen at 30. This preserves every recovered highlight for further tweaks in Photoshop or Affinity Photo.
**Save a snapshot of the fixed version.**
Press Shift+S to create a snapshot labeled “Recovered Highlights.” This lets you toggle between before/after states without losing the original edits.
