Step 5 of 9 · Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes
Recover highlights and open shadows
Recover highlights and open shadows — step 5 of 9 in Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes. Pull the highlights slider left (negative) to recover bright areas — clouds, windows, shiny surfaces.
Free photography tip: Recover highlights and open shadows (step 5 of 9 from "Edit a RAW Photo in 5 Minutes").
Pull the highlights slider left (negative) to recover bright areas — clouds, windows, shiny surfaces. This brings back detail that looked blown. Then push the shadows slider right (positive) to reveal detail in dark areas without raising the overall exposure.
Don't max both sliders to ±100. That creates an HDR look that screams 'over-processed.' Pull highlights to –40 to –70 and shadows to +20 to +50 as a starting range, then adjust by eye.
You'll need
- White balance set from neutral reference
- Exposure adjusted for midtones
- Highlights recovered (no clipping)
- Shadows opened (detail visible, not flat)
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