Highlight clipping
Also known as: blown highlights, clipped whites, overexposed highlights
When the brightest parts of an image exceed what the sensor can record and turn into flat white with no detail. Clipped areas cannot be recovered later.
Updated
What it means
Every sensor has a maximum brightness it can record. Light beyond that point is simply stored as pure white. Clouds lose their shape, snow becomes a featureless sheet, and a bright sky turns into a white void. That is highlight clipping.
It is one of the most important limits in action footage, because so many scenes include very bright areas: sunlit snow, white water, sky, reflections on cars and water. Small sensors with limited dynamic range clip sooner than larger ones.
Unlike shadows, which hold some detail that can be lifted, clipped highlights contain no information at all.
How it works in practice
Prevent clipping by exposing for the highlights. Negative exposure compensation, a lower ISO or a faster shutter, or an ND filter for motion blur all help. Tools like zebras or the histogram warn you when highlights are close to the limit.
Flat and log profiles give more highlight room, which is why they are popular for snow and sunsets. Even then, a sky that is far brighter than the subject may need a compromise: keep the sky or keep the shadows.
Composition helps too. Turning so the sun is behind or beside you lowers the contrast and makes clipping less likely.
What to watch out for
A small camera screen in bright sun hides clipping. The footage looks fine on the spot and blown out at home. Trust the histogram or zebras over your eyes.
Clipping can also affect a single color channel. A red jacket or a blue sky may clip in one channel first, turning into a flat, unnatural tone even when the overall image looks fine.
Pulling highlights down in the edit makes clipped areas look gray rather than white, which looks worse. Accept clipping in small specular highlights, such as reflections, but protect large areas like sky and snow in powder day footage.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip cannot restore clipped highlights or correct exposure after the fact. Well-exposed clips look best in the final edit, and the AI picks the strongest moments from your uploads for one highlight.