(photography) exposed a photograph, or portions of it, to too much light, causing it to appear unusually bright and without detail. This is brought about by setting the aperture (the opening in a camera through which light passes into the lens) too wide or allowing the shutter (which lets in the light when one takes a photo) to remain
open for too long. The photographic film inside the camera is coated with emulsion which reacts to light. If too much light hits the film, then the resulting
image is too bright and has very little detail in that
area of the film. This is called "
burn-out" as the details and shadows of the photograph are "
burned out" by too much light. Reversely, a photograph which has not been exposed to enough light will appear shadowy and too dark. See also emulsion in this glossary. I'd say, "
Look-a-there. You'
ve burned out all of the highlights. You just
burned them
right straight through. Why? You might even have at least remedied it in the darkroom, for heaven's
sakes."