Step 4 of 9 · Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes
Set overall exposure
Set overall exposure — step 4 of 9 in Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes. Move the exposure slider until the midtones (the main subject) look correct.

Free photography tip: Set overall exposure (step 4 of 9 from "Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes").
Move the exposure slider until the midtones (the main subject) look correct. Ignore the sky and deep shadows for now — you'll address those separately. A quarter-stop adjustment is common; if you need more than one full stop, the original exposure was significantly off.
Watch the histogram as you adjust. You want the main hump to sit in the middle third without new clipping on either end.
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